Jasprit Bumrah’s left knee has not healed, and India will go to Sri Lanka without their best fast bowler. On August 3 the selectors named Auqib Nabi, a Jammu and Kashmir seamer who has never played for India, to take his place in the two-Test squad.
Cricinfo reported that Bumrah was officially ruled out on the Monday. The problem is a knee niggle he picked up in Cardiff during the second ODI against England last month, and it traces back to trouble he has carried since the T20 World Cup. The New Indian Express, citing ANI, put it more simply: he has not fully recovered. When the BCCI first announced the squad on July 28, Bumrah had been included only subject to clearance from its Centre of Excellence. That clearance never came.
Who is Auqib Nabi?
Nabi arrives on the back of a heavy domestic workload. He took 104 wickets over the last two Ranji Trophy seasons, 60 of them in the 2025-26 campaign, and played a central part in Jammu and Kashmir’s first Ranji Trophy title. He was also in the India A group that toured Sri Lanka recently, where he took six wickets in two first-class matches.
His first-class record, as given by the New Indian Express, stands at 162 wickets in 43 matches, at an average of 18.63. Sixteen five-wicket hauls and four ten-wicket hauls sit inside those numbers. If he gets a debut, Cricinfo noted, he would be the first Test cricketer from Jammu and Kashmir.
An attack short of options
Bumrah is not the only absentee. Harshit Rana is out with a hamstring injury and Nitish Kumar Reddy with a quadriceps problem. Washington Sundar will miss the first Test with a hamstring injury, and Akash Deep is still working back from stress reactions in his back. That leaves Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Gurnoor Brar and Nabi as the seam options in the touring party.
Shubman Gill captains the side, with KL Rahul as his vice-captain. Sai Sudharsan also remains subject to fitness clearance. Ravindra Jadeja, back after recovering from a tennis elbow injury suffered during IPL 2026, gives the spin group extra depth alongside Kuldeep Yadav, Manav Suthar and Saransh Jain.
The schedule
The squad was due to fly out on the Tuesday. A practice match in Colombo begins on August 7, and the first Test starts at Galle International Stadium on August 15. The second follows at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo from August 23. Both Tests begin at 10:00 AM IST.
The series counts toward the 2025-27 World Test Championship cycle. India sit fifth in the standings with four wins and four losses from nine matches, a points percentage of 48.150.
Sources
- India Vs Sri Lanka 2026: Full Test Squad Announced, Ravindra Jadeja Returns After Injury | Outlook India
- India's Tour of Sri Lanka 2026: Gill named captain, Bumrah and Sai Sudharsan face fitness test – CNBC TV18
- Auqib Nabi replaces injured Jasprit Bumrah for Test series in Sri Lanka | Cricinfo
- J&K pacer Auqib Nabi earns maiden India call-up as Bumrah ruled out of Sri Lanka Tests | New Indian Express
