India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir has returned home from England due to a family emergency, sources confirmed ANI on Friday. Gambhir, who had travelled with the Indian team last week to oversee preparations for the much-anticipated five-match Test series, was expected to play a key role in mentoring the young squad during their transition phase.
The Indian team was slated to play an intra-squad warm-up match on Friday as part of their build-up to the first Test, which is scheduled to begin on June 20 at Headingley, Leeds. However, Gambhir’s sudden departure has raised uncertainty over his availability for the rest of the tour.
“Team India’s head coach, Gautam Gambhir, is returning to India from England due to a family emergency,” sources said, without divulging further details.
India faces a formidable challenge in the English summer, especially in the absence of veteran batters Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, both of whom retired from Test cricket last month. Their departures have left a void in leadership and experience, pushing the spotlight on a fresh crop of players led by captain Shubman Gill.
The series marks the beginning of a new era for Indian Test cricket, with youngsters like Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sai Sudharsan, and Nitish Reddy expected to take up key roles. The matches are scheduled across iconic English venues — Headingley, Edgbaston, Lord’s, The Oval, and Old Trafford — and will run through August.
With Gambhir temporarily out of the picture, it remains to be seen how the young side adapts to the demanding English conditions in the lead-up to the first Test.
India’s Test squad for England series: Shubman Gill (c), Rishabh Pant (vc), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav.
England squad for first Test vs India: Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Sam Cook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jamie Smith (wk), Ben Stokes (capt), Josh Tongue, Chris Woakes