So, India A’s long tour of Sri Lanka finally comes to an end. After the tri-nation series win under Tilak Varma, the red-ball team played two four-day unofficial Tests in Galle. Apart from the exciting matchups, the main focus of the series (from India’s side) was to give game time to a variety of red-ball players.
With the senior India men’s two-Test match series scheduled for August later this year, the BCCI had one eye on who would perform on tricky pitches in Galle. A couple of Test regulars in Sai Sudharsan and Jurel were part of the ‘A’ series since they aren’t in the white-ball scheme of things. Meanwhile, some players, who are there and thereabouts of the senior Test team, were supposed to have an exemplary show in these two opportunities.
We will talk more about who performed and who didn’t but India A have recorded a thumping win in the second unofficial Test to take the series 1-0 after the first one ended in a draw. On that note, let us look at the major takeaways from India’s sense with the A series done and dusted.
Untimely failure for Ruturaj Gaikwad
Team India may not have a settled batting group as of now. If you knock the selection process down and have a superb run of form, there are spots in the Test side that can be up for grabs. But Ruturaj Gaikwad has gone two steps behind. Although he remains a force to be reckoned with in List-A cricket, the India A vs Sri Lanka A series proved to be a bad one for the CSK captain.
Gaikwad, who made 274 runs in the tri-series, entered the red-ball series with form. He was in Sri Lanka for quite a while and was supposed to have a formidable series. But it didn’t happen. He batted at number four on all three occasions but simply failed. In the first match, he threw away the start after batting for over 50 balls, making just 22 runs. The second innings was a complete failure, as he got out for just 1. On both occasions, it was Sri Lanka A’s off-spinner Ravindu Fernando who got better of him.
In the second match, Gaiwkad was batting on 13 when he got retired hurt. As per reports, he got hurt after taking a blow to the head/forehead from a bouncer delivered by Sri Lankan fast bowler Asanka Manoj. So, that ended his series with just 36 runs in three innings at an average of 12.
Gaikwad’s chances to make it closer to the Test has taken a serious toll. While other young players, and someone like Devdutt Padikkal, are doing so well, Gaikwad might just stick to List-A cricket opportunities.
Sai Sudharsan’s perfect practice before IND vs SL
If there’s one Indian batter who’s walking into the Sri Lanka Tests with real momentum, it’s Sai Sudharsan. He’s just come off the India A vs Sri Lanka A series in the island, and he couldn’t have timed his form better.
Although he bats at one in the Indian Test, Sudharsan was seen opening the innings. And he capped off the productive series for him with a sensational century in the second match as well. That wasn’t a one-off. Across four innings in the series he piled up 332 runs, including two big hundreds.
Those are exactly the kind of runs India wanted to see before the two-Test series in August. Sri Lankan pitches test patience, shot selection and the ability to bat long. Sudharsan ticked every box. He looked calm against spin, played late, and built innings without taking risks early. Scoring heavily in those conditions is a massive tick for the team management.
It’s also superb news for Shubman Gill and Gautam Gambhir. India head to Sri Lanka needing solidity at the top, and Sudharsan has now shown he can be that anchor. He’s already played 12 Tests for India at No.3 and knows what’s expected. To now go and dominate in Sri Lanka A condition proves he can adapt quickly and be the backbone when the main team lands there. Sudharsan, who was given a vote of confidence by Gambhir before the one-off Test against Afghanistan, would be really proud.
Gurnoor Brar is here to stay
A few weeks ago, most people hadn’t heard of Gurnoor Brar. He was sitting in the Gujarat Titans (GT) dugout through IPL 2026 without a game. Now, he is an international player, and is wearing India A whites, bowling with real venom, and making a serious case for the senior Test squad (once again).
The Punjab pacer did it the hard way in Galle. He didn’t even play the first match of the India A vs Sri Lanka A series. In the second match he turned up and took over. On Day 2 he ripped through Sri Lanka A’s lower order with a 4-wicket burst, finishing with 4/77. He removed their captain Sahan Arachchige on 127, then cleaned up the tail two balls later. That alone put him in the conversation.
But Brar wasn’t done. He came back in the second innings and grabbed six more. Now, he has completed his first ten-wicket haul in first-class cricket. On a surface that wasn’t doing a lot, his skills, stamina, and the ability to keep hitting the right areas worked.
Brar isn’t an IPL headline name. He’s played only 14 first-class games for Punjab with 37 wickets. But whenever he has got his shot with India A, he made it count. Eight wickets against Australia A last year. Back-to-back three-fers in ODIs vs Afghanistan.
And now this. At 6-foot-5 with a release point close to seven feet, Brar gives India something different. Steep bounce even on flat pitches, and speeds regularly touching 148 km/h. Veterans like Bumrah and Siraj will lead the attack in Sri Lanka in August, but India needs back-ups who can adapt to those conditions. Brar just proved he can.
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