Shubman Gill, India's captain, was seen having a long batting session in the nets at the NCC ground in Sri Lanka as the third day’s play between Sri Lanka XI and Indians began on August 9, 2026. Notably, Sri Lanka declared their first innings at 363/8, while India replied with 357/6d.

On the eve of the multi-day warm-up match, the Indian captain was accompanied by net bowlers and coaches Gautam Gambhir, Morne Morkel, Sairaj Bahutule, and Sitanshu Kotak as he got ready for his first batting session since the impact injury.

Times of India reported that the right-hander resumed his regular activities despite the taping around his thumb when he took guard. During the session, which lasted well over an hour, Gill switched nets as Shivang Kumar, Tanush Kotian, and Vipraj Nigam handled the bowling chores.

Shubman Shubman engaged in lengthy discussions with batting coach Kotak, focusing on spin. long chats with batting coach Kotak as spin was the focus. Gill took off the tape covering his right hand to resume his batting as he got comfortable. The practice area was the center of interest from 10:05 am to 11:25 am.  

When the captain returned to the dugout without showing any signs of distress, everyone would have felt relieved. Head physiotherapist Kamlesh Jain performed a quick examination and seemed satisfied with Gill's progress before he climbed the stairs.

Gill remains unlikely to participate in the ongoing warm-up game, as Indian management doesn’t want to risk further injuries. India will already miss Sai Sudharsan, who was ruled out of the series with a fracture to his toe.

The report further suggested that Shaikh Rasheed, Sarfaraz Khan, and Ruturaj Gaikwad are the front-runners to replace Sudharsan in the India squad.