# Sonal Dinusha to lead Sri Lanka XI in warm-up against India 2026-08-06T11:06:11+00:00 | Sports | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet Sri Lanka Cricket's selection committee named all-rounder Sonal Dinusha to captain a 15-man SLC XI for the three-day warm-up fixture against India at the NCC Grounds in Colombo, starting Friday at 10am local time, Sportstar and NDTV reported. NDTV reported the squad as built around seven contenders for the Test side, including pacers Lahiru Kumara and Vishwa Fernando and off-spinner Ramesh Mendis, alongside fringe players such as left-arm spinner Dilum Sudeera, who has taken a ten-wicket match haul against India A, and Kesara Nuwantha, who took five wickets against the same opposition. Several of Sri Lanka's first-choice players are currently in the Lanka Premier League. For India, NDTV reported that Ravindra Jadeja is expected to make his first competitive appearance since the 2026 IPL, while Sai Sudharsan, recovering from a foot injury at the BCCI's Bengaluru centre, remains a doubtful starter. Sportstar reported that both sides then travel to Galle for the first Test from August 15, with the second Test at Colombo's Sinhalese Sports Club from August 23. ## Indian Opinion Analysis A three-day warm-up is built for match fitness and squad depth, not a form guide, and Sri Lanka's own selection makes that explicit by mixing frontline bowlers such as Kumara and Mendis with fringe performers still pushing for a Test recall. The more consequential subplot is India's team news: Jadeja's return to competitive cricket after the IPL and the question of whether Sudharsan is fit enough to bat, with Padikkal the likely replacement at number three if he is not. Sri Lanka's own selection dilemma, with several first-choice players tied up in the Lanka Premier League, mirrors that uncertainty. The first Test begins at Galle on August 15, by which point Sudharsan is either fit and named in the XI or not. ## Coverage - sports.ndtv.com - sports.ndtv.com - sportstar.thehindu.com Tags: India, Sonal Dinusha, Sri Lanka Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/sonal-dinusha-to-captain-sri-lanka-xi-against-india/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/sonal-dinusha-to-captain-sri-lanka-xi-against-india/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.