ENG vs IND 2025: Gautam Gambhir's mother suffers heart attack, India head coach returns home

In an unfortunate turn of events, Gautam Gambhir's mother, Seema, suffered a heart attack and is currently in the ICU (Intensive Care Unit). The head coach of the Indian team has flown back home to be with his family in this critical time.

Multiple media outlets have confirmed that Gambhir wasn't present with the Indian team in Thursday's practice session at Beckenham, Kent ahead of the tour match. Now, it can be confirmed that the Delhi-born has returned home to look after the family mishap that took place on June 11.

Reports have also suggested that Gambhir is expected to rejoin the Indian camp on Tuesday, June 17, three days before the first match in the five-Test series against England. The 43-year-old will not be physically available to watch India's intra-squad game, which begins on Friday, June 13, in Kent. However, the likes of bowling coach Morne Morkel and assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate will be observing how the players perform in the four-day clash and giving feedback to Gambhir once he returns to the United Kingdom.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has informed that the intra-squad game will be played behind closed doors. So, media personnel have been barred from the unofficial practice match, which will be played from June 13 to June 16.

"June13-16: Closed Intra squad game. No vision access to Media/Broadcast. On the final day of the squad game, a player/member of support staff will be made available to the media," BCCI said in a statement earlier.
 
For the unversed, in the intra-squad game, batters can be recalled if they are dismissed early and the management feels that they need more time in the middle to prepare for the main series that is impending. The game will mainly serve as a match simulation for the players and help them get accustomed to the red-ball format, as many of them are coming from the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, which concluded on June 3.