Sonal Dinusha to lead SLC XI in three-day warm-up fixture against India

Colombo, Aug 6 (IANS) Young bowling all-rounder Sonal Dinusha has been named captain of a 15-member Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) XI squad for the upcoming three-day warm-up match against India, scheduled to begin at the NCC Grounds here on Friday.

The practice match, which starts at 10am local time, serves as the lone warm-up fixture for the Shubman Gill-led Indian team before the two-match Test series against Sri Lanka gets underway at Galle on August 15.

The SLC XI features a strong core of seven Test team contenders – apart from Dinusha, pacers Lahiru Kumara and Vishwa Fernando, off-spinner Ramesh Mendis, as well as Nishan Madushka, Pavan Rathnayake, and Anjala Bandara are present.

The squad also includes promising performers like left-arm spinner Dilum Sudeera, who previously impressed with a 10-wicket match haul against India A, and bowler Kesara Nuwantha, who bagged a five-wicket haul against the same opposition.

Dinusha made his Test debut against Bangladesh last year, and has three appearances so far. With several first-team regulars currently featuring in the ongoing Lanka Premier League (LPL), the warm-up fixture presents a vital opportunity for the selected players to push their case for selection ahead of SLC naming its final squad for the two-game Test series.

For India, the three-day fixture will provide crucial match practice ahead of facing turning pitches in the island nation. Senior left-arm spin bowling all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja is expected to feature in his first competitive outing since the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, while newly called-up uncapped players Saransh Jain and Auqib Nabi are also set to get game time.

Top-order batter Sai Sudharsan remains a doubtful starter as his participation is subject to fitness. Sudharsan is currently undergoing rehab at the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru for a foot injury. His absence could pave the way for Devdutt Padikkal to bat at number three.

SLC XI squad: Nishan Madushka, Ravindu Rashantha, Pasindu Sooriyabandara, Pavan Rathnayake, Ahan Wickramasinghe, Sonal Dinusha (captain), Anjala Bandara (wk), Nipun Dananjaya, Lahiru Kumara, Vishwa Fernando, Asanka Manoj, Isitha Wijesundara, Ramesh Mendis, Kesara Nuwantha and Dilum Sudeera

–IANS

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