Sri Lanka Cricket XI made a strong start to their three-day warm-up match against India, reaching 363 for 8 at stumps on the opening day at the Nondescripts Cricket Club Ground in Colombo.
Having won the toss and elected to bat first, the SLC XI produced a solid batting performance, with several of their top-order batters making valuable contributions against a strong Indian bowling attack.
Nishan Fernando set the tone with an aggressive 66 off just 65 balls, striking 11 fours and a six. He put on 110 for the opening wicket with Ravindu Rasantha, who anchored the innings with a patient 71 from 143 balls, including six fours and a six.
After Nishan was run out for 66, Pasindu Sooriyabandara added 35 before being dismissed by Ravindra Jadeja. Pavan Rathnayake then provided some impetus with a brisk 39 off 47 balls, including three fours and two sixes.
Ahan Wickramasinghe contributed 31, while captain Sonal Dinusha played an important innings of 52 from 72 balls, hitting five fours and a six. Dinusha was the eighth wicket to fall late in the day, with the SLC XI reaching 354.
Ramesh Mendis added a useful 32 off 49 balls before falling for the seventh wicket.
At stumps, Keshara Nuwantha was unbeaten on 9, with Dilum Sudeera on 1. The SLC XI had scored at a healthy run rate of 4.03 an over from their 90 overs.
For India, the spinners enjoyed the most success. Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja claimed two wickets each, while Manav Suthar also picked up two wickets. Gurnoor Brar took one wicket.
The match provides valuable preparation for India ahead of their two-Test series against Sri Lanka, while the SLC XI offers an opportunity for several emerging Sri Lankan players to test themselves against an experienced international attack.
India fielded a strong line-up featuring Shubman Gill, KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Devdutt Padikkal, Sai Sudharsan and Rishabh Pant, along with senior bowlers including Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Jadeja and Kuldeep.
The warm-up match will continue on Saturday, with the SLC XI looking to build on their strong first-day total.
Chief Scores
Sri Lanka Cricket XI – 363/8 in 90 overs
Nishan Fernando 66, Ravindu Rasantha 71, Pasindu Sooriyabandara 35, Pavan Rathnayake 39, Ahan Wickramasinghe 31, Sonal Dinusha 52, Ramesh Mendis 32, Keshara Nuwantha 9*.
India bowling: Kuldeep Yadav 2, Ravindra Jadeja 2, Manav Suthar 2, Gurnoor Brar 1.
Match: SLC XI vs India, Tour Match
Venue: NCC Ground, Colombo
Dates: August 7–9, 2026
Stumps, Day 1: SLC XI 363/8
