As India has been hit by , the selectors have already started to explore his replacement options.
Notably, Suhdarsan had suffered a toe injury last month during India A's tour to the island nation, failed to recover on time and continues to suffer pain in his toe. While the Indian team aims to pave through the injury blows and uncertainties, the selectors have started to look out for names who could replace Sudharsan in the squad.
According to reports by TOI, Saik Rasheed and Sarfaraz Khan are two front runners for the position. Sources suggest that Khan is already at the CoE for his fitness assessment for over a week, while Rasheed has also been asked to report to the facility on Sunday. It is also reported that Rasheed is rated highly by the selectors and CoE coaches, while the management has asked Khan to bat higher in domestic setups. However, it is now to be seen who travels to Sri Lanka to join the rest of the India squad.
Who Could be a Better Pick?- Sarfaraz Khan or Shaik Rasheed
Sarfaraz Khan is a quality spin player and has worked hard on his fitness following continuous criticism. He also carries enough experience at the international levels, and would be easy for him to gel-up in the set up. He has played six Tests thus far for India, the last of which came in November, with the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia during the 2024-25 tour of Australia being his last involvement with the team.
On the other hand, Rasheed was a part of India A's tour to Sri Lanka last month, where he scored 45, 63, and 20 runs, in three innings. He has also been on the selectors' radar and was also scheduled to be a part of the specialist batter camp at the CoE. The 21-year-old has been constantly tracked and the feedback he has received from coaches at the CoE is good, which makes him a top contender for the series.
