SL vs AUS 2025: Sam Konstas released from squad, set to play next Sheffield Shield game for New South Wales

The Australian team won the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle convincingly and will be playing the second Test at the same venue starting from February 6. The side is being led by Steven Smith, taking over the reins from Pat Cummins who is on paternity leave for his second child. 

The first Test saw new and emerging faces in the XI including Josh Inglis, Beau Webster, Todd Murphy, and Matthew Kuhnemann. However, one of the players who the fans were looking forward to see was Sam Konstas who played some eye-catching knocks in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy while opening the batting. Konstas was eventually replaced by Travis Head for the first Test and the latter scored a quickfire half-century in the first innings.

Konstas will not be seen on the current Sri Lanka tour further as he will be going back to Australia to play the Sheffield Shield match for New South Wales on the weekend. Konstas made a great impression in his first-ever Test match against India in the Boxing Day Test where he scored a quickfire 60 runs at the MCG. Interestingly, he also ramped Bumrah for a six in the match. Meanwhile, the Sri Lanka Tests would have also been a great challenge and opportunity for him. 

Also Read: Tim Paine predicts Sri Lanka not 'getting close to Australia' in second Test

Head on Konstas’s future 

Travis Head talked about the teenager saying he is a big part of what the team’s plans are going forward and that Konstas has a huge chance to come and open the batting in red-ball cricket while he will be moving back to the middle order. 

“Sam's a big part of where we're going, there's no doubt about it, Disappointed that he missed out on the first Test but great for him to be here, great for him to be experiencing conditions. Most likely I'll go back in the middle order and Sam will open," Head said as quoted by The West Australian.