Uncapped off-spinning all-rounder Saransh Jain has been named in India’s 15-man squad for the upcoming two-Test series in Sri Lanka this August. The 33-year-old earns his maiden Test call-up following a consistent run of form for Madhya Pradesh in domestic cricket and strong performances for India 'A'. His inclusion comes after Washington Sundar was officially ruled out of the first Test due to a hamstring injury.
Ravindra Jadeja also returns to the national setup after being rested for the one-off Test against Afghanistan in June. The squad features the return of pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, though his participation—along with that of incumbent No. 3 batter Sai Sudharsan—remains subject to fitness clearance. Nitish Kumar Reddy, currently undergoing rehabilitation at the CoE, was not considered for selection.
Saransh’s rise to the Test squad follows a productive period in red-ball cricket. He has claimed 188 wickets at an average of 27.3 across 54 first-class matches and has contributed 2,223 runs at 31.75, including two centuries and 14 half-centuries. His recent domestic success includes 518 runs and 30 wickets during the 2025-26 Ranji Trophy season. Furthermore, he impressed during the recent India 'A' tour of Sri Lanka, taking seven wickets and scoring an unbeaten 70 in the second unofficial Test.
The squad also retains Manav Suthar, who performed well on his Test debut against Afghanistan. Suthar, Saransh, and Kuldeep Yadav are expected to compete for positions should India field a three-man spin attack. The pace unit, led by Bumrah, includes Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, and Gurnoor Brar, the latter of whom recently claimed ten wickets in an unofficial Test in Galle.
The batting lineup remains largely stable, with Devdutt Padikkal joining as a reserve batter and Dhruv Jurel serving as the backup wicketkeeper to Rishabh Pant. KL Rahul continues as vice-captain under skipper Shubman Gill. The tour, India's first to Sri Lanka for the format in nine years, begins with a four-day warm-up match in Colombo on August 7. The first Test is scheduled for Galle, followed by the second Test at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo starting August 23.
A useful left-handed batter down the order, he has also scored 2223 runs at an average of 31.75, striking 14 half-centuries and two hundreds along the way.
He was rested from the squad for the Afghanistan Test following an ordinary IPL campaign where his Mumbai Indians head coach Mahela Jayawardene revealed that he played through the early part of the tournament with a niggle.
