No Nitish, Harshit as injury-marred India name Test squad for Sri Lanka series

Shubman Gill will lead the side, with KL Rahul named his deputy, while the squad includes a mix of established names and players looking to make their mark in Test cricket. India will, however, be without a couple of their recent regulars due to.

Nitish Reddy was not available for selection after being ruled out of the tour of the UK with a thigh injury, while Harshit Rana was ruled out just days after returning from a four-month injury layoff. There is also uncertainty surrounding the availability of.

What Happened

Both players have been picked in the squad, but their participation will be subject to fitness clearance from the BCCI Centre of Excellence (COE). Washington Sundar, meanwhile, was not available for selection for the first Test.WHAT HAPPENED TO JASPRIT BUMRAH?

• Born in Indore, Jain has quietly built one of the strongest first-class records among India's all-rounders since making his debut for Madhya Pradesh in the 2014-15 season.

• The right-arm off-spinner has amassed more than 2,000 runs at an average of 31.75 and claimed 188 wickets at 27.30 in 54 first-class matches, making him the kind of cricketer every domestic side values.

• Shubman Gill (c), KL Rahul (vc), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant (wk), Sai Sudharsan, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Manav Suthar, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Gurnoor Brar, Devdutt Padikkal, Saransh Jain.

Key Details

Jasprit Bumrah recently returned to action in the ODI series against England. The fast bowler was given an extended rest after the Indian Premier League and did not feature in the home series against Afghanistan or, for that matter, T20Is against Ireland.

• Rather than take any chances ahead of a tour where spin is expected to play a major role, the selectors turned to a proven domestic performer who can contribute with both bat and ball.

• While Washington Sundar has been named in the squad, his availability remains subject to fitness clearance as he continues to recover from a hamstring injury.

• Jain's inclusion also offers India an important safety net.

Why It Matters

His date of his return will be assessed after fresh medical evaluations. The squad sees Rishabh Pant and Dhruv Jurel maintain their spots as the preferred choice for wicketkeepers.

• It may have come later than expected, but few can argue he hasn't earned it.

• Amid the usual stars was 33-year-old Saransh Jain, the Madhya Pradesh all-rounder who has finally earned his maiden India call-up after spending over a decade proving himself on the domestic circuit.

What Reports Say

Coverage of the story so far points to:

• Continued reporting by India Today as more details emerge