In a significant development just days ahead of the much-anticipated Tendulkar-Anderson Trophy, Indian men’s head coach Gautam Gambhir has had to return home from England due to a personal emergency. As per reports from Sportstar, Gambhir’s mother, Seema, suffered a cardiac arrest and is currently admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), prompting his immediate departure.

Gambhir, who had travelled with the Indian team to England on June 7, was gearing up for his fourth Test assignment as head coach. However, he missed the team’s scheduled training session on June 12 and has since left the camp. While there is no official confirmation yet on his return date, early indications suggest he might rejoin the team by next week, depending on his mother’s condition.

His departure coincided with India’s crucial intra-squad match at Leeds, a closed-door red-ball practice fixture involving members of both the senior and India ‘A’ squads. The match is not being broadcast, and no scorecard is expected to be released, in line with the team management’s strategic discretion.

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In Gambhir’s absence, assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate has taken over the reins for the match, supported by bowling coach Morne Morkel and batting coach Sitanshu Kotak. This match serves as the final preparatory outing for several IPL-returnees who are set to feature in the five-Test series starting June 20 at Headingley.

🚨 𝑩𝑹𝑬𝑨𝑲𝑰𝑵𝑮 🚨

Head Coach Gautam Gambhir has flown back to India due to a family emergency.

His mother has reportedly suffered a heart attack and is currently in the ICU. 🙏#ENGvIND #GautamGambhir #Cricket #Sportskeeda pic.twitter.com/Y6626JwNEa

— Sportskeeda (@Sportskeeda) June 13, 2025

Before his departure, Gambhir had delivered a powerful pep talk to his young squad, urging them to embrace the opportunity of writing a new chapter in Indian Test cricket in the post-Rohit, Kohli, and Ashwin era.

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“There are two ways of seeing this — either we look at it as missing our experienced trio, or we view it as a golden chance to create something extraordinary,” Gautam Gambhir said in a BCCI video. “I see the hunger and passion in this group. If we fight for every ball, every hour, we can make this a tour to remember. Let’s start today, and play with pride — there’s no greater honour than representing India.”