The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has officially announced the schedule for India’s upcoming two-match Test series against Sri Lanka, marking the team’s first red-ball tour of the island nation in nine years. The series forms part of the ongoing ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2025-27 cycle and will be played from August 15 to 27.
The opening Test is scheduled to begin on August 15 at the Galle International Stadium, while the second and final Test will take place at the Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) in Colombo from August 23 to 27. Although there had been discussions between the BCCI and Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) regarding the addition of white-ball fixtures, no such matches were included in the official announcement.
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India last played a Test series in Sri Lanka in 2017, when Virat Kohli’s side completed a dominant 3-0 clean sweep. That squad featured the likes of Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul and Hardik Pandya, highlighting how much the Indian Test team has evolved over the past nine years. Among that touring party, only KL Rahul and Kuldeep Yadav remain in contention for the current Test setup.
The upcoming series also carries significant importance in the WTC standings. India currently sit fifth on the points table after registering four wins in nine matches. Their campaign has included a 2-2 draw in England, a 2-0 home victory over the West Indies and a disappointing 0-2 home defeat against South Africa. India also played a one-off Test against Afghanistan after IPL 2026, although that match did not count towards the WTC.
Led by Shubman Gill, India will be aiming to improve their standing with a strong performance in Sri Lanka. A series victory would strengthen their push towards the WTC final, while another setback could make qualification significantly more difficult. The two-match contest is expected to be a crucial chapter in India’s quest to return to the summit of Test cricket.
