In a spiritual gesture ahead of a crucial assignment, India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir visited the revered Maa Kamakhya temple in Guwahati to seek blessings before the team’s challenging five-match Test tour of England. The series, set to begin on June 20, marks the start of the 2025-27 World Test Championship cycle and holds significant weight for both Gambhir and the Indian Test side.
This tour will also herald a new era in Indian cricket, with Shubman Gill stepping in as the new Test captain following Rohit Sharma’s retirement from the longest format. Gill will lead a relatively young squad, with Rishabh Pant named as vice-captain, as the team aims to rebuild after a string of disappointing results in red-ball cricket.
The pressure is mounting on Gambhir, especially after a dismal run in the format since he took over. India suffered a rare home series defeat to New Zealand—breaking a 12-year streak—and were comprehensively beaten 0-3 on home turf. Abroad, they surrendered the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia, losing 1-3, and failed to make the WTC final for the first time in their history.
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The team has undergone a major transition following the retirement of senior stalwarts Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Ravichandran Ashwin. New faces like Sai Sudharsan and Arshdeep Singh have earned maiden Test call-ups, while Karun Nair and Shardul Thakur return to the squad. However, notable absentees include Mohammed Shami, Sarfaraz Khan, and Harshit Rana.
#WATCH | Assam: Head coach of Indian cricket team, Gautam Gambhir, visits and offers prayers at Maa Kamakhya Temple in Guwahati. pic.twitter.com/oyk9XoBNwy
— ANI (@ANI) May 26, 2025
India now faces an uphill battle against an in-form England side that has climbed to No. 2 in the ICC Test rankings following recent series wins over West Indies, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, and Zimbabwe. The upcoming tour will be a litmus test for Gambhir’s leadership and the team’s new core.
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India’s squad for England tour: Shubman Gill (captain), Rishabh Pant (wk) (vice-captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav.
