Gautam Gambhir set to rejoin Team India before ENG vs IND 2025 1st Test: Reports

Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir returned home from England last week after his mother reportedly suffered a heart attack. Recent reports suggest that the 43-year-old will join the Indian contingent ahead of the opening encounter of the five-match Test series.

As per the Times of India, Gambhir will reach England on Tuesday, June 17. The much-awaited red-ball series between the cricketing giants is set to kick off at Headingley, Leeds, on Friday, June 20.

Gambhir missed India's intra-squad practice match due to a family emergency. The four-day game between India and India A was played at the Kent County Cricket Ground. The match was called off by the Indian team management midway through Day 3 (Sunday, June 15).

A new-look Indian side will be seen in the Test series, sans senior stars Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, who announced their Test retirements during the recently concluded IPL 2025. Top-order batter Shubman Gill has been appointed as the new Test captain, with wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant serving as his deputy.

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"They just want me to be able to express myself as a leader" - Shubman Gill reveals Gautam Gambhir and Ajit Agarkar's message on red-ball captaincy

Team India's new Test skipper Shubman Gill has disclosed the message that Gautam Gambhir and chief selector Ajit Agarkar gave him. The 25-year-old said there's no pressure from their side for his maiden assignment in the leadership role.

Speaking to former India keeper-batter Dinesh Karthik on Sky Sports, Gill said (from 2:21):

"The expectations, I've had this conversation I think numerous times with Gauti bhai and Ajit bhai. They just want me to be able to express myself as a leader. That's what they've told me, 'There are no expectations.'"

"They are not expecting me to do something I am not capable of. In terms of that, I don't think that there are any expectations or pressure from them but you definitely have some kind of expectations from yourself as a leader and a player. So those are the expectations that I have from myself but not from them," he added.

The five-match Test series against England marks the beginning of India's World Test Championship (2025-27) cycle. The side missed out on a place in the final in the recently concluded cycle, finishing third in the standings.