Mother still in ICU, Gautam Gambhir decides to fly back to England to join India squad before Test series

Hindustan Times

6 hours ago

When the going gets tough, the tough get going and there are few better examples of toughness than Gautam Gambhir. Someone who never gave an inch to the opposition and always put the team first during his playing days has once again set an example for the others. This time, as the head coach of the Indian cricket team. Gambhir, who had to rush back home hours before the start of the India vs India A intrasquad match at Beckenham due to his mother's sudden cardiac arrest, has taken the tough decision to fly back to England even though his mother, Seema, remains in the ICU in Delhi.
Hindustan Times can confirm that India head coach Gautam Gambhir will leave for the UK on June 16 (Monday) and will join the team in Headingley the next day.
'Gambhir will leave for the UK today. He will join the team in London and then the entire squad will travel to Headingley on Tuesday," a source close to Gambhir told Hindustan Times.
It is learnt that Gambhir's mother is currently out of danger and is recovering well but the doctors have decided to keep her in the ICU for better monitoring. Gambhir's mother suffered a cardiac arrest on June 11 (Wednesday). Upon hearing the news, Gambhir rushed back to India the next day.
As soon as Gambhir learnt that his mother hi stable, he informed the board that he would immediately fly back to England to join Team India in its preparation for the five-match Test series in England, which starts with the first Test in Headingley on June 20.
In Gambhir's absence, the Indian team was under assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate, batting coach Sitanshu Kotak and bowling coach Morne Morkel.
The four-day affair ended in three days with captain Shubman Gill, batter KL Rahul and all-rounder Shardul Thakur making useful contributions. The match was closed-door affair and did not bear a first-class status butt the Indian cricketers approached it like a normal game with high intensity as it was their only chance to get a match-like feel before the Test series begins.
Gambhir's decision to fly back to England at the first opportunity should not surprise anyone. The former India opener is always known to prioritise national duty. His presence in the dressing room is immensely important before the start of the series, which will mark a new chapter in Indian Test cricket's future.
After the retirement of stalwarts Ravichandran Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli, India will be led by new captain Shubman Gill for the first time. The team has experienced cricketers like KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, and Jasprit Bumrah in its arsenal, but the absence of Kohli, Rohit, Ashwin, and pacer Mohammed Shami (not picked due to fitness issues) is bound to leave any team weak.