India Head Coach Gautam Gambhir Returns Home Due to Mother's Health Emergency: Report

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India head coach Gautam Gambhir has temporarily returned to India after his mother suffered a heart attack on June 11. According to TOI, Gambhir is currently attending to his mother, who is undergoing treatment in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at a hospital in Delhi.

Gambhir had travelled with the Indian team to England to begin preparations for the upcoming five-match Test series against England. However, he flew back to India on June 12 to be with his family during this critical time.

His return to the team setup will depend entirely on his mother's recovery and medical condition, though he is expected to rejoin the squad ahead of the first Test, scheduled to begin on June 20.

The Indian squad, led by Shubman Gill in the absence of senior players, has been training at Beckenham as part of their early preparations. The team has had several practice sessions and will play an intra-squad warm-up match starting June 13 to simulate match conditions and fine-tune combinations ahead of the series.

Following the four-day intra-squad fixture, the team will move to Leeds, where the series opener will be played at Headingley. This five-match series marks the beginning of the new World Test Championship (WTC) cycle for 2025-27. India will look to start strong under a new leadership structure, with Gambhir taking the reins as head coach and Shubman Gill stepping into a key leadership role.

Despite this sudden personal setback, team sources remain hopeful that Gambhir will be able to return in time to guide the team for the opening Test. His presence is considered crucial, given his aggressive cricketing mindset and his potential to usher in a new era for Indian Test cricket.

As the cricketing fraternity sends best wishes to Gambhir and his family, the Indian team continues its preparations with focus and determination ahead of the marquee series.