Gautam Gambhir set to rejoin India squad ahead of Leeds Test

LEEDS: India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir on Tuesday set to rejoin the national squad in Leeds, just three days before the first Test against England, which starts on Friday.

Gambhir had flown back to New Delhi on June 11 after his mother was hospitalised following a heart attack.

His absence meant he missed the senior team’s and India A’s three-day warm-up match in Beckenham, which was held behind closed doors.

According to Indian media, his mother’s health has now improved and she is recovering under medical care in the capital.

During Gambhir’s absence, assistant coaches Sitanshu Kotak and Ryan ten Doeschate, along with bowling coach Morne Morkel and India A coach Hrishikesh Kanitkar, supervised the team’s preparations.

Gambhir’s unexpected departure came at a crucial time, as the team management was set to finalise decisions on the batting order ahead of the opening Test. His return is expected to provide much-needed clarity and direction as India looks to start the five-match Test series on a strong note.

The upcoming five-match away series against England, slated to run from June 20 to August 4, holds significance importance for the former ICC World Test Championship (WTC) finalists as it would mark the start of Shubman Gill’s captaincy tenure.

Shubman Gill will lead the Indian side and this series will mark his first full Test tour of England, although he has featured in the WTC finals in 2021 and 2023.

India squad for England Tests:

Shubman Gill (captain), Rishabh Pant (vice captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akashdeep, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav.