India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir was forced to make an urgent return to India just before the senior team’s intra-squad match against India A, scheduled to begin this Friday in Kent. The Indian squad is currently in the UK, preparing for a five-match Test series against England, which kicks off on June 20 at Headingley.
Gambhir had to fly back after his mother suffered a heart attack. She is currently admitted to the ICU and undergoing treatment. This England series also marks the beginning of a new World Test Championship (WTC) cycle for India.
Gautam Gambhir left London early Friday morning to be with his mother. If her condition stabilises, he is expected to rejoin the team ahead of the opening Test. Meanwhile, in Gambhir’s absence, assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate will take over responsibilities along with batting coach Sitanshu Kotak and bowling coach Morne Morkel.
After taking over from Rahul Dravid following the T20 World Cup last year, Gautam Gambhir faced a challenging start to his tenure as India’s head coach, suffering Test series defeats against New Zealand and Australia. However, he achieved his first major milestone when India won the 2025 Champions Trophy under his guidance.
The ongoing England tour marks Gautam Gambhir ’s first assignment with the team as part of the support staff overseas. Meanwhile, India A — which includes eight players from the senior squad — has already played two warm-up matches against the England Lions, both ending in draws. The upcoming intra-squad match between India A and the senior team is the final opportunity for Gambhir and new skipper Shubman Gill to assess their squad before the Test series begins.
India A Squad:
Led by Abhimanyu Easwaran, the India A team features a mix of experienced names and emerging talent. The squad includes Yashasvi Jaiswal, Karun Nair, and vice-captain/wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel. Other notable players are Nitish Kumar Reddy, Shardul Thakur, Ishan Kishan (also as a wicketkeeper), and bowlers like Manav Suthar, Tanush Kotian, Mukesh Kumar, Akash Deep, Harshit Rana, Anshul Kamboj, and Khaleel Ahmed. The team also comprises Ruturaj Gaikwad, Sarfaraz Khan, Tushar Deshpande, and Harsh Dubey.
India Test Squad vs England:
The senior Test team is captained by Shubman Gill with Rishabh Pant serving as vice-captain. The batting lineup includes Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, and Karun Nair. All-rounders and wicketkeeping options include Nitish Kumar Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel, and Washington Sundar. The pace attack features Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, and Arshdeep Singh, while the spin department includes Kuldeep Yadav.