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Veteran India National Cricket Team all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja is all set to make a comeback with the upcoming Test tour of Sri Lanka. After a disappointing tour of Ireland and England, India will now be aiming to make a strong comeback on the Zimbabwe tour, followed by the Sri Lanka tour.
While the white-ball squad under VVS Laxman has already landed in Zimbabwe for the three-match T20I series, starting on July 23 in Harare, the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee is likely to announce the squad soon for the upcoming tour of Sri Lanka. Amid this, Ravichandran Ashwin says selectors should not force out Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.
India shift focus to Sri Lanka after England disappointment
The India National Cricket Team is all set to travel to Sri Lanka for the two-match Test series, which is part of the ongoing ICC World Test Championship (WTC) cycle 2025-27.
This tour is likely to see the return of some big names like Ravindra Jadeja, mainly because of Washington Sundar's injury. Earlier, Venkatesh Prasad defends Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli amid retirement buzz.
The two-match Test series will begin on August 15 in Galle, and India are expected to leave for Sri Lanka around August 4. Before the first Test, Shubman Gill and his team will also play a four-day warm-up match to prepare for the WTC Test series.
Ravindra Jadeja and Jasprit Bumrah set for blockbuster Test comeback against Sri Lanka
As reported by Times of India, the Indian selection committee is all set to announce the Test squad for the upcoming Sri Lanka tour soon, as they and team management have already had a discussion during the recently concluded white-ball series in England.
The biggest news is that Ravindra Jadeja and Jasprit Bumrah both are likely to return in whites for the Sri Lanka tour after missing the one-off Test against Afghanistan at home last month.
Jadeja's return is a big boost for Team India. He was rested for the Afghanistan Test after a long IPL 2026 season, but the team management still sees him as India's first-choice spinner in Test cricket. His experience with both bat and ball will be very important in Sri Lankan conditions.
BCCI waits for Washington Sundar's fitness report before final decision
Meanwhile, all eyes are on Washington Sundar. The off-spin all-rounder suffered a right hamstring injury during the recent three-match ODI series against England and missed the final match at Lord's. Doctors advised him to undergo scans in London, and the reports were sent to specialists for a detailed check.
Even if Sundar has only a minor hamstring strain, he may need around two weeks to attain full match fit. He is now expected to report to the BCCI Centre of Excellence, where he will undergo more tests before getting fitness clearance. The selectors are waiting for his medical report before taking the final call on his selection for the Sri Lanka tour.
If Sundar is not fit in time, the selectors will have to choose another spin-bowling all-rounder. Harsh Dubey, who was part of the squad for the Afghanistan Test, is likely to be retained for the upcoming Test series in Sri Lanka. The off-spinner Saransh Jain is also in the race.
India's pace attack almost locked in for Sri Lanka Tests
Kuldeep Yadav and Manav Suthar are expected to remain in the squad. India's pace attack is almost finalized. Jasprit Bumrah is leading the attack that is likely to feature Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, and Gurnoor Brar.
There are not expected to be many changes in the batting department. However, the selectors still have to decide on Nitish Kumar Reddy, who is also recovering at the BCCI Centre of Excellence. If he fails to retain the match fitness, India may pick a specialist player instead.
