Shubman Gill out of warm-up, series status unclear

Indian cricket captain Shubman Gill suffered a finger injury during a training session in Colombo on Thursday, casting uncertainty over his availability for a scheduled two-match Test series against Sri Lanka. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) confirmed the development ahead of a multi-day warmup match against a Sri Lanka XI starting on August 7, stating Gill would not take the field on the first day as a precautionary measure.

Gill sustained an impact injury to his right ring finger while batting in the nets, then aggravated it later during a slip-catching drill. The BCCI announced that its medical team is monitoring his recovery and described his absence from the warmup as solely precautionary. Vice-captain KL Rahul will lead the side for the first day of the practice fixture in Gill's place. Crucially, the board has not indicated that Gill will miss the upcoming Test series.

The first Test against Sri Lanka is scheduled to begin on August 15 in Galle, with the second Test to be played in Colombo starting August 23. India's preparations for the series, their only competitive match before the Tests, could also be impacted by weather, with intermittent rain...