Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has officially announced the schedule for India's upcoming two-match Test series in the island nation, marking the visitors' first red-ball tour of Sri Lanka
since 2017. The series, which forms part of the ongoing ICC World Test Championship 2025-27 cycle, will be played entirely in August and is expected to play a key role in shaping both teams' standings in the competition.
The opening Test is scheduled to be held from August 15 to August 19, while the second and final match will take place from August 23 to August 27.
Both fixtures will be hosted in Sri Lanka, with the venues expected to provide the spin-friendly conditions that have traditionally tested visiting sides. The schedule also allows both teams a brief break between the two matches, giving players time to recover and prepare for the series finale. The tour will be India's first Test assignment in Sri Lanka since Virat Kohli's side completed a dominant 3-0 whitewash nearly a decade ago.
Since then, the two Asian rivals have largely met in limited-overs cricket, making this return to the longest format a highly anticipated contest. The series is expected to feature several fresh faces alongside experienced campaigners as both teams continue building towards the remainder of the World Test Championship cycle.
With valuable WTC points at stake, the contest promises to carry significance beyond the bilateral rivalry. Sri Lanka will look to capitalise on home conditions, while India will aim to continue its strong overseas record and begin another challenging subcontinental Test tour on a winning note.
India returns to Sri Lanka for Tests after nine years
The Indian test team led by Shubman Gill will return to play their test series against Sri Lanka in the hosts’ homeground after the 2017, three test matches series under the leadership of former test legend, Virat Kohli who led the Indian team for a 3-0 clean sweep and it also became India’s first ever test series whitewash involving three matches or more.
The 2026 series marks a crucial point for the Indian team who are fighting for a crucial space in the WTC rankings, where they are stuck at the 5th position and a series win in Sri Lanka will keep their hopes alive of playing the WTC final in 2027. Meanwhile Sri Lanka, are at the sixth position in the WTC Points table and cannot afford any more slip-ups in the coming future matches.
The Sri Lankan stadium pitches will be a spin paradise and would test the batters’ resilience against spin bowling. The first match is scheduled to be held at the Gallery International Stadium and the second match to be played at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo.
The Indian batters have recently shown a weakness while playing spin which will be a deciding factor in India’s tactics while playing against Sri Lanka Cricket. There have also been discussions held by both the BCCI and the SLC to play a friendly white ball series to support the victims of Cyclone Ditwah, however the confirmation regarding this still remains undecided.
