Will Sarfaraz Khan Play? India's Predicted Playing XI vs Sri Lanka- 2nd Test 2026

Sarfaraz Khan's inclusion has become a key topic ahead of second Test [Source: AFP]

India won the first Test against Sri Lanka rather comfortably as the visitors have taken a 1-0 lead in the series. The Indian team has also strengthened their position in the WTC points table as they dominated the hosts in the first Test in Galle.

Almost all the boxes were ticked for the Shubman Gill-led side as the batters delivered the goods, and the bowlers, particularly the spinners, ran riot to win the Test match. Manav Suthar, the record-breaker, and Devdutt Padikkal were the stars of the match for Team India.

However, despite the win, Team India could be interested in making a couple of changes in their playing XI, with Sarfaraz Khan being a major point of discussion. In this article, we take a look at India’s predicted playing XI for the second Test match.

Openers and top order: Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Devdutt Padikkal

KL Rahul: KL Rahul was outstanding in the first Test match as he narrowly missed out on a deserving century in the first innings. The batter has been in outstanding form and will be the key player for India at the top.

Yashasvi Jaiswal: Yashasvi Jaiswal has been woefully out of touch, and he was even dismissed for a duck in the second innings of the Galle Test. However, India has backed him in difficult times, and the southpaw will get another match to prove his doubters wrong as Jaiswal will aim to get back amongst the run-scorers.

Devdutt Padikkal: Padikkal cemented his place at number 3 with a scintillating first-innings hundred in Galle vs Sri Lanka. He replaced Sai Sudharsan in the playing XI, and the batter grabbed the opportunity with both hands as he was one of the stars for Team India.

Also Read: Devdutt Padikkal Goes Past Tendulkar; Achieves What Pujara Couldn't In IND Vs SL 1st Test

Middle order and all-rounder: Shubman Gill(c), Rishabh Pant(w), Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel, Manav Suthar

Shubman Gill: The Indian captain struggled in both innings against Sri Lanka, but he has been in terrific touch as of late, and the Indian management will hope the captain can come in good form in the second Test match.

Gill looked in fluent touch in the first Test, but he couldn’t convert it into a big score, and that is something Gill has to change.

Rishabh Pant: Pant was criticised for throwing away his wicket in the first innings of the Galle Test, but the Indian keeper played a stellar fifty-run knock in the next innings, and has gained his lost confidence back.

India would hope he can channel that confidence to score big in the second Test in Colombo.

Ravindra Jadeja: Jadeja couldn’t do much with the bat in Galle, but he was outstanding with the ball, and India would hope the veteran all-rounder can come in good with the bat as Jadeja holds utmost importance at number 6 for the visitors.

Dhruv Jurel: There is a small section of people wanting Sarfaraz Khan to replace Dhruv Jurel in India’s playing XI, but that move seems highly unlikely. Sarfaraz has done extensively well in the domestic circuit, but India have shown a lot of faith in Jurel’s abilities.

The wicket-keeper batter repaid the trust by scoring a valuable fifty in the second innings, and hence, he will once again be backed by the management over Sarfaraz.

Also Read: "Insult Of Talent": Fans Fume In Anger As India Snub Sarfaraz Khan From Galle Test

Manav Suthar: Suthar showcased his batting skills in the first innings, and he will once again provide depth in the Indian batting lineup for the Colombo Test match.

Moreover, he was India’s best bowler in Galle, and the spinner will hold the key to an Indian victory as the visitors aim for a 2-0 whitewash.

Bowlers: Saransh Jain, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna

Saransh Jain: Reportedly, Saransh Jain is in line to make his India Test debut, and he could replace the out of favour Kuldeep Yadav in the playing XI.

The off-break bowler can bat in the lower order, and he is coming into the Test match on the back of a stellar domestic run. He could turn out to be India’s X-factor in the Colombo Test vs Sri Lanka.

Mohammed Siraj: Mohammed Siraj had an economical game in Galle, but the pacer looked to have picked up an injury as his pace dropped drastically.

However, if Siraj is fit, he should be the first names on the team sheet as the right-arm seamer is the leader of the bowling attack.

Prasidh Krishna: Prasidh Krishna was outstanding with the ball, and when Siraj struggled, he became the bowling leader. The tall pacer looked sharp, and he could once again be a decisive factor for India in Colombo, as he can extract bounce from the surface.

India Predicted Playing XI vs Sri Lanka- 2nd Test, 2026

Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Devdutt Padikkal, Shubman Gill(c), Rishabh Pant(w), Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel, Manav Suthar, Saransh Jain, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna

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