India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir has returned to India from England due to a family emergency, according to sources close to the team.
Gambhir had travelled with the Indian squad to England last week as part of their preparations for the upcoming five-match Test series, which kicks off on June 20 at Headingley in Leeds.
On Friday, the day India was scheduled to play an intra-squad practice match, sources confirmed that Gambhir was flying back home due to an urgent personal matter.
“Team India’s head coach, Gautam Gambhir, is returning to India from England due to a family emergency,” a source stated.
The Test series marks a crucial transitional phase for Indian cricket, following the retirement of veterans Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli from the longest format. Under the leadership of Shubman Gill, the revamped Indian squad is set to face a stern test in England’s challenging conditions.
The five Tests will take place between June and August 2025, with matches scheduled at:
- Headingley, Leeds
- Edgbaston, Birmingham
- Lord’s, London
- The Oval, London
- Old Trafford, Manchester
India’s Test Squad for England Series:
Shubman Gill (captain), Rishabh Pant (vice-captain), 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:
Ben Stokes (captain), Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Sam Cook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jamie Smith (wk), Josh Tongue, Chris Woakes.
Further updates on Gambhir’s return or the team’s coaching arrangements in his absence are awaited.