Rahul Leads India in Warm-Up Match as Gill Misses Out with Finger Injury

India vice-captain KL Rahul led the touring side in their only three-day warm-up match against a Sri Lanka Cricket XI after captain Shubman Gill was ruled out of the opening day due to a finger injury.

According to a statement from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Gill sustained an impact injury to his right ring finger during India's practice session on Thursday. As a precaution, the medical team advised him to sit out the first day of the tour match while continuing to monitor his recovery.

"Shubman Gill sustained an impact injury to his right ring finger during India's practice on Thursday. As a precautionary measure, he will not take the field on Day 1 of the warm-up game against SLC XI. The BCCI medical team is monitoring his progress," the board said in its statement.

It remains uncertain whether Gill will participate on the remaining two days of the match. After winning the toss, the Sri Lanka Cricket XI opted to bowl first, with India expected to spend a significant portion of their batting innings on the second day.

Meanwhile, young batter B Sai Sudharsan is yet to join the Indian squad after suffering a toe injury during the India A tour of Sri Lanka in late June and early July. Despite the setback, he is expected to be available before the first Test begins.

Gill's injury adds to India's growing list of fitness concerns ahead of the two-match Test series. Star fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah has already been ruled out after the BCCI medical team recommended additional rest for his recurring left knee problem. Pacer Auqib Nabi has been named as Bumrah's replacement.

India are also without all-rounders Harshit Rana and Nitish Kumar Reddy, who are recovering from hamstring and quadriceps injuries, respectively. Washington Sundar has been ruled out of at least the opening Test due to a hamstring strain, while Akash Deep continues his recovery from stress reactions in his back.

The injury concerns come just weeks after Gill publicly highlighted India's recurring fitness issues following the ODI series defeat in England. He stressed that last-minute injury setbacks make team selection difficult and could negatively affect India's preparations for major tournaments.

"It becomes a little difficult that you come to the ground in the morning and you come to know a player has a niggle. Then it's almost like, do you want to take a chance? If a player is only 80% fit and cannot complete his workload, it puts the team under pressure. As a group, we need to improve our fitness," Gill had said.

He also warned that persistent injury problems could impact India's campaign at the 2027 ODI World Cup in southern Africa.

India's two-Test series against Sri Lanka begins on August 15 in Galle, with the second Test scheduled to start on August 23 at the SSC in Colombo. The series marks India's first assignment in the current World Test Championship cycle following a 2-0 home defeat to South Africa, after earlier drawing a five-Test series in England 2-2 and defeating the West Indies 2-0 at home.