IND vs SL 2026: Team India is set to face Sri Lanka in a two-match Test series starting Saturday. The India vs Sri Lanka 1st Test will be played at the Galle International Stadium from 10 a.m. IST onwards.
The series is crucial as the Shubman Gill-led side will aim to pick up vital points to stay in contention for next year’s World Test Championship final. India and Sri Lanka are at the fifth and sixth place in the standings. India have a point percentage of 48.15 while Sri Lanka have 41.67.
One of the key challenges for the Indian batters is facing Sri Lankan spinners at their fortress, Galle. Sri Lanka have won 27 of the 49 Tests played here since 1998, with their dominance largely built on crafty spinners who have thrived in these conditions.
India beat Sri Lanka Cricket XI by six wickets in Colombo in a three-day warm-up last week. Positives for the visitors included Gill's return to competitive cricket, Jaiswal’s quick second-innings 50, and Padikkal’s hundred.
The team will also rely on the bowlers to find their groove on Lankan pitches. India are expected to field three spinners: Kuldeep Yadav, Manav Suthar, and Ravindra Jadeja. They will need to hit the right areas. In the pace department, apart from Siraj, India will have to pick either Gurnoor Brar or Prasidh Krishna as the support seamer. Both have limited Test experience.
On Sri Lanka's side, Dhananjaya De Silva will lead a 16-player unit for the opening Test in Galle.
The first Test against Sri Lanka will be India's landmark 600th game in traditional format after the country made its debut in 1932.
"Leading my country in the 600th Test is an honour and doing so on Independence Day is an even bigger honour," news agency PTI quoted Gill as saying on the eve of the match.
| Match | Dates | Timing | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| India vs Sri Lanka, 1st Test | Saturday, August 15 to Wednesday, August 19 | 10 a.m. IST | Galle International Stadium, Galle |
| India vs Sri Lanka, 2nd Test | Sunday August 23 to Thursday, August 27 | 10 a.m. IST | Galle International Stadium, Galle |
Cricket fans in India can watch the IND vs SL Test Series 2026 live on the Sony Sports Network TV channels.
The India vs Sri Lanka Test Series 2026 will be live streamed on the SonyLIV app and website.
India Squad: Shubman Gill (C), Ravindra Jadeja, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sarfaraz Khan, Auqib Nabi Dar, Rishabh Pant (WK), Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Gurnoor Brar, Saransh Jain, Dhruv Jurel (WK), Prasidh Krishna, Devdutt Padikkal, KL Rahul, Manav Suthar.
Sri Lanka Squad: Nishan Madushka, Lahiru Udara (WK), Dinesh Chandimal (WK), Kamindu Mendis, Dhananjaya de Silva (C), Pasindu Sooriyabandara, Niroshan Dickwella (WK), Ramesh Mendis, Prabath Jayasuriya, Asitha Fernando, Dilshan Madushanka, Vishwa Fernando, Lahiru Kumara, Sonal Dinusha, Milan Priyanath Rathnayake, Keshara Nuwantha.