During a practice match against Sri Lanka XI, Team India's vice-captain KL Rahul dropped a crucial catch, which went viral. The reprieved batsman, Ravindu Rasantha, went on to score 71, highlighting the cost of the error as India prepares for the vital World Test Championship series against Sri Lanka.
Team India Test vice-captain KL Rahul made a mess with his fielding during Day 1 of the practice match against Sri Lanka XI at Nondescripts Cricket Club Ground in Colombo on Friday, August 7.
KL Rahul took over captaincy duties after regular Test skipper Shubman Gill sustained a finger injury before the practice. Put into bowl first by Sri Lanka XI skipper Sonal Dinusha, Team India bowlers ground hard in the opening session and created several chances. In the morning session, the visitors took only one wicket, as the hosts posted a total of 139/1 in 29 overs.
India fought back strongly in the afternoon session, reducing Sri Lanka XI to 246/4 in 59.3 overs by picking up four wickets. Ravindra Jadeja, Gurnoor Brar, Kuldeep Yadav and Manav Suthar claimed a wicket each, but Rahul's costly dropped catch allowed one of the batters to make the most of the reprieve, denting India's momentum.
Related Articles
Also Read: Shubman Gill's finger injury a major blow for India vs Sri Lanka
KL Rahul’s Costly Drop Goes Viral
As Team India managed to make a comeback in the afternoon, taking crucial wickets of Pasindu Sooriyabandara, Ravindu Rasantha, and Pavan Rathnayake, after having a rough start to the opening day of the practice, video footage of KL Rahul's dropped catch quickly went viral across social media platforms.
The incident took place in the 26th over of Sri Lanka XI's first innings. Opener Ravindu Rasantha was batting on 43 off 71 balls when Kuldeep Yadav induced an outside edge with a delivery that turned away from the right-hander. The ball flew towards first slip, where Rahul was stationed, but the India vice-captain failed to hold on to the straightforward chance.
The costly lapse gave Rasantha a reprieve, leaving KL Rahul and the Indian fielders visibly disappointed by an easy catch which could have given the visitors a crucial breakthrough after they ground hard for wickets, allowing the hosts to build a solid foundation.
Ravindu Rasantha capitalised on the costly mistake by KL Rahul and went on to score 71 off 143 balls, including 6 fours and a six, before he was dismissed by Manav Suthar at 201/3 in the 50th over. After Rasantha’s dismissal, Sri Lanka XI lost two more wickets in Pavan Rathnayake and Ahan Wickramasinghe, while captain Sonal Dinusha and Anjala Bandara steadied the innings and took the hosts past the 250-run mark.
When KL Rahul dropped a catch, Sri Lanka XI were at 130/1 before reaching 201/3 by the 50th over, highlighting just how expensive that single fielding error proved to be during a hard-fought day of red-ball preparation.
Team India Shifts Its Focus to Test Cricket After Months of White-Ball Assignments
After 11 months of white-ball cricket, including ODI and T20I series against New Zealand, the 2026 T20 World Cup, and the recent T20I tours of Ireland, England and Zimbabwe, Team India has now shifted their focus to red-ball cricket, beginning with a three-day practice match in Colombo.
The upcoming two-match Test series against Sri Lanka, which begins in Galle on August 15, is crucial for Team India as both Tests are part of the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2025-27 cycle. The Shubman Gill-led side will be aiming to win both matches to improve their position in the WTC standings.
Currently fifth in the standings, India must make the most of the remaining fixtures, including the two Tests against Sri Lanka, the away series against New Zealand and the home series against Australia, to strengthen their chances of finishing in the top two and qualifying for the WTC Final.
The next nine months, starting from the opening Test against Sri Lanka on August 15 till March 2027, will present a grueling and defining stretch for the squad, culminating in the marquee WTC summit clash. Having missed out on the opportunity to qualify for the WTC final in 2025 following the Border-Gavaskar Trophy defeat to Australia, Team India will be eager to make amends by putting together a consistent run of performances in the ongoing WTC cycle.
With every Test carrying valuable points, the series against Sri Lanka could prove pivotal in shaping their road to the 2027 WTC Final at the Oval.
Also Read: All-rounder Ravindra Jadeja set for action in Sri Lanka Test series
