Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Shubman Gill led a special flag-hoisting ceremony in Galle on Friday as the Indian team marked the country’s 80th Independence Day ahead of the historic first Test against Sri Lanka.
Team India celebrates Independence Day in Galle
The Indian cricket team came together at the Galle International Cricket Stadium on August 15 for a memorable Independence Day celebration. Gambhir and Gill jointly led the flag-hoisting ceremony, with the rest of the squad and support staff gathering to honour the national occasion.
The ceremony added a special emotional touch to an already significant day for Indian cricket. With the Tricolour flying at the venue, members of the team stood together to celebrate the sacrifices and contributions that have shaped the nation.
Here’s the video:
On the occasion of Independence Day, #TeamIndia gathered at Galle to hoist the Tricolour 🇮🇳 ahead of the First #SLvIND Test.#IndependenceDay pic.twitter.com/tHKIggV6AU
— BCCI (@BCCI) August 15, 2026
Historic day for Indian cricket
The celebrations in Galle came just hours before India took the field for a landmark Test match. The clash against Sri Lanka marks India’s 600th Test appearance, putting the team in an exclusive group in international cricket. India became only the third team in the history of the game to reach the milestone, joining England and Australia. It is also a particularly notable achievement for Asian cricket, with India becoming the first team from the continent to reach 600 Tests.
For Gill, the occasion carried an added sense of pride. The young captain acknowledged that leading India in its 600th Test, and doing so on Independence Day, was a huge honour and privilege. The timing made the occasion even more meaningful, as the players had the opportunity to celebrate India’s national day before representing the country in one of the sport’s most traditional formats.
Shubman Gill opts to bat first in Galle
After the flag-hoisting ceremony, Gill’s attention shifted towards the challenge on the field. The Indian captain won the toss and elected to bat first, believing the Galle surface offered favourable conditions for batting. India entered the contest with Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul at the top, followed by Devdutt Padikkal, Gill and Rishabh Pant. Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel and Manav Suthar provide further all-round and spin options, while Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna complete the bowling attack.
Sri Lanka, meanwhile, named Lahiru Udara, Nishan Madushka, Dinesh Chandimal and Kamindu Mendis among their top-order options, with Dhananjaya de Silva leading the side.
