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India head coach Gautam Gambhir has returned home due to a family emergency concerning his mother's health. His return to England for the upcoming Test series remains uncertain, with the rest of the coaching staff overseeing preparations.
Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir left the squad in England and rushed back home due to a family emergency on June 12, Thursday. Gambhir was in Kent, where the Indian squad was having their training session, and scheduled to four-day Intra-squad match between India and India A as part of their preparations for the England Test series, starting on June 20.
Before the scheduled Intra-squad match, Gautam Gambhir flew back home from England, leaving the responsibility to batting coach Sitanshu Kotak, bowling coach Morne Morkel, and fielding coach T. Dilip to supervise the training sessions and oversee preparations in Gambhir’s absence ahead of the all-important Test series opener at Headingley. Gambhir was not part of the squad’s training session on June 12 as he reportedly left for home in Delhi on Wednesday.
It has been reported that Gautam Gambhir’s mother, Seema Gambhir, suffered a cardiac arrest and was admitted to the ICU in Delhi. Upon hearing the news of his mother’s health condition, Gambhir immediately flew back to Delhi to be by her side, prioritizing family over professional commitments during this difficult time.
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Uncertain over Gambhir’s return to England
Currently, Gautam Gambhir is with his family after returning home due to his mother’s cardiac arrest. However, the uncertainty clouds over Gambhir rejoined the India squad ahead of the first Test against England at Headingley in Leeds.
As per the report by Hindustan Times, a source close to the BCCI confirmed that Gambhir flew back home due to a family emergency, but his return to the United Kingdom (UK) will depend on his mother’s recovery.
“Gambhir had to return to India because of a family emergency. He left for India on Wednesday. Our prayers are with his family,” a BCCI source said.
“As of now, his exact date of arrival in the UK is not certain, and it all depends on his mother's recovery. If everything goes well, he should be back for the first Test in Headingley," the source added.
Before leaving for home due to a family emergency, Gambhir oversaw the team’s training and preparation at Lord’s and Kent and had a team huddle, where he welcomed Sai Sudharsan, Karun Nair, and Arshdeep Singh to the red-ball squad gave a speech, emphasizing the importance of unity, discipline, and seizing the opportunity to perform on English soil.
India eyes first Test series win on England soil in 18 years
Team India will begin their new World Test Championship cycle with the five-match Test series against England. India failed to qualify for the WTC 2023-25 final after finishing third on the points table following their Border-Gavaskar Trophy defeat to Australia. Moreover, Team India is going through a transition period after the retirements of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Ravichandran Ashwin.
Rohit and Kohli stepped away from the longest format of the game before the England Test tour, while Ashwin announced his international retirement in the middle of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy after the Gabba Test ended in a draw. The BCCI appointed Shubman Gill as the new Test captain, with Rishabh Pant as his deputy.
Gautam Gambhir has a big task on hand to build and guide a relatively young Indian Test side through a challenging transition period. After a series defeat against New Zealand and Australia, Team India, under the leadership of Gambhir and Gill, will be eager to script a strong comeback in England.
Moreover, Team India will aim for the first series win over England since 2007, when Rahul Dravid led the side to a historic 1-0 victory. It remains to be seen whether India can achieve glory in England Tests with a new-look squad after 18 years/
