“We are without our three most experienced players” - Gautam Gambhir delivers rousing team talk ahead of ENG vs IND 2025 Tests [Watch]

Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir addressed the entire contingent comprising squad members and the support staff to kick-start the decisive stages of preparation for the England tour. Following the conclusion of India A's matches against the England Lions, the entire group now focuses their attention on the intra-squad game, followed by the five-match Test series.

Gambhir welcomed the new strength and conditioning coach, Adrian le Roux, into the group, alongwith the latest red-ball call-ups in Sai Sudharsan and Arshdeep Singh. The head coach reserved special praise for Karun Nair's spirit as he makes his comeback to the side after a seven-year absence. Lastly, he congratulated the pair of Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant, the new members of the leadership group.

During his talk, the former player highlighted the absence of stalwarts Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Ravichandran Ashwin, following their respective retirements ahead of the 2025-27 World Test Championship (WTC) cycle.

"Guys, all I want to say is, there are two ways to look at this tour. One is, 'We are without our three most experienced players', the other is, 'We have got this phenomenal opportunity to do something special for the country'. When I look around this group, I see the hunger, the passion, and the committment to do something special," Gambhir said in a video released on bcci.tv.

"We make sacrifices, if we come out of our comfort zone, if we start fighting, not every day, but every session, every hour, and every ball, I think we can have a memorable tour. So, make sure that we start that from today only," Gambhir added.

Have a look at the resounding speech here.

While Ravichandran Ashwin had announced his retirement midway through the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar series, the pair of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli retired in the span of a week ahead of the England tour.

Team India's intra-squad clash against India A scheduled to begin on June 13

The final stages of the Men in Blue's preparation will be in the form of an intra-squad clash against India A. The four-day clash is set to begin on June 13 in Beckenham.

Team India's first Test against England will begin on June 20 at Headingley, Leeds. The series kickstarts the fourth cycle of the World Test Championship (WTC).