New Delhi: The Indian cricket team is once again poised to showcase its prowess in Test cricket on Sri Lankan soil. This tour, led by Shubman Gill, is special in many ways. The biggest reason for this is that the 2026 Indian Test team is significantly different from the 2017 Sri Lanka tour. Only three players from that original squad have retained their places in the team that arrived in Sri Lanka after nearly nine years.

The face of Team India changed from 2017 to 2026

When the Indian team toured Sri Lanka in 2017, Virat Kohli was the captain. Rohit Sharma was also part of the Test team and played a key role in the Indian batting. At that time, the team included several players who have now retired from Test cricket.

Interestingly, Rishabh Pant hadn’t even made his Test debut in 2017. Today, he is one of Team India’s leading wicketkeeper-batsmen.

Rahul, Jadeja and Kuldeep are old faces

KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, and Kuldeep Yadav are the only three players from the 2017 squad who will play a Test series in Sri Lanka again. KL Rahul was trying to rebuild his career at the time. He is now considered one of the most experienced batsmen in the team. His technique and patience could prove very useful for India in Sri Lankan conditions.

Ravindra Jadeja has also grown as a formidable all-rounder over the past few years. He will play a crucial role in all three departments: batting, bowling, and fielding.

Kuldeep has a big responsibility for spin.

With Ravichandran Ashwin’s Test retirement, Kuldeep Yadav has assumed greater responsibility in the Indian spin attack. He was a newcomer to the team in 2017, but now has considerable Test cricket experience.

Big difference between the 2017 and 2026 squads

The 2017 team included veterans like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Ravichandran Ashwin, and Shikhar Dhawan. The 2026 team features new-age players like Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sai Sudarshan, Devdutt Padikkal, Rishabh Pant, and Dhruv Jurel. Thus, the Sri Lanka tour clearly demonstrates the changing landscape of Indian Test cricket.