Just when Team India was ready for the Test series in England, head coach Gautam Gambhir had to fly back home.
According to reports, Gambhir is back in India due to a family emergency. This happened on Friday, the same day India was to start a four-day intra-squad match.
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He was there to watch India A’s match against England Lions in the two-match unofficial Test series.
Everything was going as planned till this sudden development happened. According to reports Gambhir had to leave urgently for personal reasons.
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Earlier too, he had flown back from Australia during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy due to a similar situation.
In Gambhir’s absence, assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate will handle team duties. He’ll lead the team during the intra-squad match starting Friday.
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He’ll be supported by bowling coach Morne Morkel and batting coach Sitanshu Kotak.
Sources say Gambhir will be back within a week before the England series begins on June 20.
This England tour is big for India. For the first time in years, the team is without Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. Both legends retired from Test cricket last month.
Now a new generation is taking charge — with Shubman Gill as captain and Rishabh Pant as vice-captain.
The team has Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, and Karun Nair.
It’s a mix of young talent and experienced bowlers like Bumrah and Siraj.
The five-Test series starts June 20 at Leeds and will go on till August. Other matches will be played in Birmingham, Lord’s, The Oval and Manchester.
England has Ben Stokes, Joe Root, Ollie Pope and Harry Brook. They’ll be tough to beat, especially at home where the ball swings a lot.
This series is not just about winning — it’s about proving the new team can handle pressure.
Gambhir’s absence is temporary but it’s at a sensitive time. This team is young, new roles and big shoes to fill. The coming weeks will show if they are ready for the challenge.
Fans will hope for Gambhir’s quick return and a good start to this new phase of Indian cricket.
