India have strengthened their preparations for the upcoming two-match Test series against Sri Lanka by adding promising young wrist-spinners Vipraj Nigam and Shivang Kumar to the touring squad as net bowlers. The duo will assist the senior side during the red-ball assignment, which begins on August 15 in Galle.

Before the Test series gets underway, India will play a three-day warm-up match starting on August 7. The touring party is scheduled to depart from Mumbai on Tuesday as preparations gather pace for the crucial World Test Championship fixtures.

According to Cricbuzz, leg-spinner Vipraj Nigam and left-arm wrist-spinner Shivang Kumar will travel with the squad alongside off-spinner Tanush Kotian and left-arm spin-bowling all-rounder Harsh Dubey. The combination provides the Indian batters with four different spin variations to prepare for the challenging conditions expected in Sri Lanka.

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Vipraj has established himself as a dependable leg-spinner who can also contribute valuable runs lower down the order. He recently represented India A in the tri-nation series in Sri Lanka, gaining useful experience in subcontinent conditions. Shivang, meanwhile, emerged as one of the breakout performers of IPL 2026 and is widely regarded as one of India’s most exciting young spin prospects.

Kotian has remained a regular feature in the India A setup over the past few seasons, while Dubey earned recognition after consistently impressive performances in the Ranji Trophy and was part of India’s squad for the one-off Test against Afghanistan earlier this year.

Vipraj Nigam, Harsh Dubey and Tanush Kotian will be travelling to Sri Lanka with the Indian team as net bowlers.

All three are white ball spinners and none can turn a bit
– what will Indian batters get from these

Bring someone who is actually a spinner
– Not these idoits pic.twitter.com/hiGAYJDxsj

— Raja (@_raja_kumar) August 3, 2026

The report also revealed that openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul have been fine-tuning their game against spin ahead of the Sri Lanka challenge. The pair has been training together for the past few days at the Wings Sports Centre in Mumbai’s Bandra West, a facility run by former India cricketer Jatin Paranjape.

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Interestingly, both batters have focused almost exclusively on facing spin bowling, reflecting India’s strategy to prepare for the turning tracks expected in Sri Lanka. Tanush Kotian, who shares the Mumbai dressing room with Jaiswal in domestic cricket, was also involved in the practice sessions as one of the bowlers.

India’s tour begins with the opening Test at the Galle International Stadium on August 15, while the second and final Test will be played at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo from August 23.