SLC announces selected free entry for India Tests in Galle and Colombo

The move comes after low crowd turnout in the Lanka Premier League

There will be selected free entry for the two-Test series between Sri Lanka and India, SLC has announced, with entry to the grass embankments at the Galle International Cricket Stadium (GICS) and Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) free to the public.

"Sri Lanka Cricket 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 media release, before clarifying that free entry would only be through select gates.

At Galle, gate 4 will offer free entry, while at the SSC it will be gates 3, 4, 5 and 7. The first Test will be played in Galle from August 15-19, with the second Test set for August 23-27 in Colombo. Both matches are part of the World Test Championship (WTC).

"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," the release said.

The move is a tacit acknowledgment from SLC over the trend of waning public interest in attending matches, though it is not a first. SLC has routinely opened its gates for free during Test series against teams like New Zealand, Ireland, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan. During the 2026 T20 World Cup, free entry was granted for non-host fixtures (such as Pakistan vs. Netherlands), and this has also been the case for women's international series.

The ongoing Lanka Premier League (LPL) has also seen consistently low crowd turnout, initially being ticketed before changing to free entry to drum up interest.