Who Will Replace Sai Sudharsan In India Squad For Sri Lanka Test Series?

Team India suffered a blow ahead of the Tests against Sri Lanka when the top order batter Sai Sudharsan was ruled out of the entire series. Sudharsan was expected to bat at No. 3 after a solid performance with the bat recently.

However, Sai Sudharsan toe injury didn't allow him to travel with the squad initially. As a result, he was ruled out of the warm-up match before the series as he completed his recovery at the BCCI's Centre of Excellence. Later, he was ruled out of the series as he was unable to recover on time.

Sai Sudharsan injury will pave the way for the other youngsters to stake a claim in India's Test team. Let's look at the three possible players who can replace Sudharsan for this series.

Top 3 Replacements For Sai Sudharsan in SL vs IND Test Series

1. Sarfaraz Khan - The Mumbai right-hander recently posted a cryptic story on social media in which he vowed to fight for a spot in the team after he was not picked for this series. This might be the perfect opportunity for him to get back into the scheme of things.

Sarfaraz Khan is an excellent player of spin, which will be key in the Sri Lankan conditions. Morever, his domestic record is encouraging enough for the selectors to pick him in the squad once again. He is currently one of the best batsmen in India and can fill in this role in the middle order perfectly.

2. Karun Nair - Karun Nair has been one of the top performing batters in Indian domestic cricket for a long time. The talented right-hander played international cricket in England last year after which he was dropped from the team.

With India looking for an experience middle order batter, Nair can emerge to become the perfect Sai Sudharsan replacement for this series. His credentials of being one of the top players of spin also goes in his favor.

3. Rajat Patidar - Patidar has been brilliant in domestic cricket and the IPL over the last few years. His last Test appearance came in February 2024 against England after which he was dropped for poor returns.

But his aggressive batting style and the ability to play spin might force the selectors to give him another chance. Rajat Patidar was recently appointed the Central Zone captain for the upcoming season of Duleep Trophy. He is high on confidence after leading Royal Challengers Bengaluru to their second successive IPL title.

While one of these players might replace Sai Sudharsan in India squad for Sri Lanka Test series, it is unlikely that any of them plays in the 1st match. Devdutt Padikkal, who scored a hundred in the SLC XI vs IND warm-up, is likely to bat at No. 3 considering his excellent batting form.