Devdutt Padikkal scores unbeaten 142 in India's Sri Lanka warm-up match

In a three-day warm-up match against the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) XI in Colombo, Devdutt Padikkal led India's batting efforts with an unbeaten 142 runs. His performance comes at a critical time as Sai Sudharsan has been ruled out of the upcoming two-Test series due to a toe injury. Padikkal's innings helped India reach 357/6 by the end of the second day, trailing the SLC XI's declared score of 363/8 by just six runs.

Other notable performances included a 63-run contribution from Ravindra Jadeja and a rapid 36* off 18 balls by Gurnoor Brar, who hit four sixes in the final over. However, the Indian top order faced challenges, with Yashasvi Jaiswal dismissed for a duck and Rishabh Pant falling for two runs. KL Rahul contributed 40 runs before being dismissed by spin.

The team is also managing several injuries; captain Shubman Gill sat out the fixture following a training mishap, and Jasprit Bumrah is confirmed out of the series. Ahead of the first Test in Galle, veteran batter Ajinkya Rahane advised the young squad to remain proactive rather than defensive to counter Sri Lanka's spin-friendly conditions.