No tickets required: Sri Lanka announces free stadium entry for fans in India Test series | Cricket News

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) board on Friday announced that free entry will be provided to fans for the upcoming two-match Test series against India in Galle and Colombo. The series between the subcontinental rivals forms a key part of the ongoing ICC World Test Championship 2025–2027 cycle.The two-match series begins on August 15 in Galle. The first Test will be played at the Galle International Stadium, while the second match is scheduled at the SSC in Colombo from August 23 to 27.“Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) wishes to announce that public admission to the upcoming Test Series between Sri Lanka and India will be free of charge thus providing cricket fans with an excellent opportunity to witness world-class Test cricket,” SLC said in a release.“Sri Lanka Cricket warmly invites cricket enthusiasts, young aspiring cricketers, families, and sports fans from across the country to take advantage of this initiative and experience the excitement of international Test cricket between Sri Lanka and India,” it added.Test cricket has struggled to attract crowds in Sri Lanka over the years, and even Indian teams in the past have often played in front of empty stands.Across the subcontinent, Test cricket has generally not drawn large crowds, except in a few big Test centres such as Kolkata, Chennai, Mumbai and Bengaluru.India head into the series placed fifth in the World Test Championship standings, while Sri Lanka are sixth. India last played a Test in June, when they faced Afghanistan in a one-off match in New Chandigarh. A strong performance in Sri Lanka will improve their chances of reaching the World Test Championship final.The tour will also mark the start of Subhadeep Ghosh’s tenure as India’s fielding coach after the BCCI decided not to extend the contracts of T Dilip and assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate.India dominated their previous Test tour of Sri Lanka in 2017, winning the three-match series 3-0. They won the opening Test in Galle by 304 runs, followed it with an innings and 53-run victory in Colombo, and completed the clean sweep with an innings and 171-run win in Pallekele.Sri Lanka, meanwhile, enter the series after losing their recent two-Test series against the West Indies 1-0. They suffered an innings and 216-run defeat in the first Test before drawing the second match.India vs Sri Lanka schedule:1st Test: 15–19 August 2026 – GICS, Galle2nd Test: 23–27 August 2026 – SSC, Colombo