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  • Same Team Despite 2 Changes Did Shubman Gill Forget Ravindra Jadeja Devdutt Padikkal At Toss

Same Team Despite 2 Changes! Did Shubman Gill Forget Ravindra Jadeja, Devdutt Padikkal At Toss?

Anurag Dasgupta

Shubman Gill's statement at toss goes viral [Source: AFP] Shubman Gill's statement at toss goes viral [Source: AFP]

Test match season is on as India are back in whites and will take on the hosts, Sri Lanka, in the first Test match at Galle. The contest holds utmost importance for India as the Shubman Gill-led side is fighting for a place in the WTC final, and a win at Galle will give them confidence.

The visitors drew first blood as Gill called it right during the toss and elected to bat first. However, during the toss with Russell Arnold, the Indian Test captain made a contradicting statement when asked about his playing combination for the Galle Test.

Gill forgets Jadeja, Padikkal as his comments go viral in IND Vs SL toss

After India won the toss, Arnold asked Gill about his playing combination for the IND Vs SL 1st Test at Galle, and the Indian captain stated that they are going in with the same playing XI that featured against Afghanistan.

"[What are you going to do and why?] We are looking to bat first. Looks like a good wicket. The weather also looks good. So hopefully it's gonna be a good day of cricket for us.

[Team combination?] We are going with the same playing XI as the last match. 5 bowlers, two fast bowlers and three spinners.

Interestingly, India fielded a different playing XI for the one-off Test match against Afghanistan. While most of the players who have been added in India’s lineup vs Sri Lanka remained the same against the Afghans, there were two players missing. 

In the India vs Afghanistan Test, Sai Sudharsan batted at number 3, while Washington Sundar was playing in as an all-rounder. However, in the first Test against Sri Lanka, Sundar and Sudharsan were missing, as Devdutt Padikkal and Ravindra Jadeja replaced them.

Also Read: Galle Pitch Report, Weather Report For IND Vs SL, 1st Test, India Tour Of Sri Lanka, 2026

So, technically, India aren’t going in with the same XI that defeated the Afghanistan side in the one-off Test match.

Why Jadeja, Padikkal didn't feature in the Afghanistan Test?

Jadeja was a key figure for the Rajasthan Royals in the IPL, and he played the majority of the IPL matches for them. The Afghanistan one-off Test was right after the IPL, and the BCCI decided to give him a rest, citing workload management.

However, with a place in the WTC final on the line, India decided to bring him back for the all-important Sri Lanka series.

On the other hand, Padikkal was also picked in the India squad for the Afghanistan game, but he was snubbed from the playing XI as India gave preference to Sai Sudharsan. The Tamil Nadu player was supposed to start at number 3 for India, but he was ruled out of the series due to a toe niggle, and Padikkal replaced him in the playing XI.

India's playing XI vs Sri Lanka, 1st Test

India Playing XI: Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Shubman Gill (c), Devdutt Padikkal, Rishabh Pant (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel, Kuldeep Yadav, Manav Suthar, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna

Also Read: IND Vs SL Toss: Sarfaraz Khan Ignored As Shubman Gill Opts To Bat