Gambhir Returns Home From England For Family Emergency

The Indian team will be without head coach Gautam Gambhir at least for the start of the closed-door intra-squad warm-up fixture in Beckenham, starting Friday.

- STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE

The Statesman has learnt that Gambhir rushed back to India on Wednesday following a family emergency.

In the absence of Gambhir, assistant coaches Sitanshu Kotak and Ryan ten Doeschate, along with bowling coach Morne Morkel, will oversee the squad. Meanwhile, Hrishikesh Kanitkar is currently heading the India A side.

The warm-up game, which will run through until June 16, will allow the senior team to assess the form of players, as the team shapes up under new skipper Shubman Gill for the first Test against England, starting June 20 at Headingley.

While Gambhir's return date to England isn't yet known, his absence comes at a pivotal juncture as the Indian team is set to undergo a massive transition phase during the five-Test series against England, following the recent retirements of three of the team's stalwarts—Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Ravichandran Ashwin.