IND Vs SL, 2nd Test: Why is Kuldeep Yadav not playing in Colombo?

Kuldeep Yadav missed the second Test against Sri Lanka in Colombo after he failed to fully recover from a viral illness. The left-arm wrist-spinner, who had played the opening Test in Galle, was unavailable for selection as India made one change to their playing XI.

The BCCI confirmed Kuldeep's absence in an update, saying: "Mr Kuldeep Yadav has not fully recovered from his viral illness. He was unavailable for selection in the Playing XI for the second Test against Sri Lanka," the tweet read. The board also said he could take the field as a concussion substitute if required.

Kuldeep had taken only one wicket in the first Test, which India won by 165 runs. Ravindra Jadeja and Manav Suthar had made a bigger impact with the ball in Galle, with Suthar finishing with 10 wickets on his Test debut.

In Kuldeep's absence, 33-year-old Saransh Jain received his maiden India Test cap. The Madhya Pradesh all-rounder had earned his chance after years of consistent domestic cricket. He had played 54 first-class matches before his debut, scoring 2,223 runs and taking 188 wickets. His 2025-26 Ranji Trophy season had also been strong, with 518 runs and 30 wickets.

Jain received his debut cap from Ravindra Jadeja before the start of play. His selection gave India another off-spin option while also adding some batting depth to the lower order.

India captain Shubman Gill won the toss and chose to bat first at the Sinhalese Sports Club. Gill felt the Colombo pitch was harder and better for batting than the Galle surface, although he expected it to slow down and offer more turn as the Test went on.

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Sri Lanka made two changes, handing Test debuts to Kamil Mishara and Pasindu Sooriyabandara. Kusal Mendis and Dinesh Chandimal were unavailable for the hosts. India won the toss and opted to bat first.

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