Indian left-handed batter Sai Sudharsan has been declared unavailable for the upcoming two-Test series against Sri Lanka following medical advice that he requires additional recovery time from an injury sustained during India A's recent tour.
Sai Sudharsan will miss India's forthcoming Test series against Sri Lanka after the BCCI Centre of Excellence determined that the batsman needs extended time to heal from an injury received during India A's tour of the country last month. Sudharsan was struck during the second match of that tour and has since undergone rehabilitation at the Centre of Excellence facility in Bengaluru.
The left-handed batter had demonstrated promise during his India A stint, scoring two centuries across two Test matches before sustaining the injury. However, according to updates from the BCCI's Sports Science team, while Sudharsan has made considerable progress in his recovery, he remains unsuitable for immediate return to Test cricket. The medical assessment cautioned that biological healing is still ongoing and stressed the importance of a measured rehabilitation approach.
The Sports Science team has advised a gradual increase in rehabilitation work, strength conditioning, and cricket-specific training under careful supervision. Officials emphasised that this conservative strategy aims to minimise the likelihood of recurring injuries or complications while safeguarding his long-term performance prospects. Devdutt Padikkal, who scored a century in preparatory matches, will replace Sudharsan at number three in the batting order for the Test series.
