'Come out of comfort zone': Gautam Gambhir addresses Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli voids; urges Shubman Gill and Co to make history in England

India's head coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Shubman Gill are set to lead a revamped Indian squad to England for a challenging 5-match Test series, marking the new regime's most significant test to date. The team will be missing prominent players such as Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Ravichandran Ashwin, all of whom have retired from this format, while pacer Mohammed Shami has been ruled out due to fitness concerns.

In a video released by the BCCI on Thursday, Gambhir and Gill discussed their objectives for the upcoming series and welcomed newcomers Sai Sudharsan and Arshdeep Singh to the red-ball team. They also praised Karun Nair, who has been selected for the national team after a lengthy absence of 7 years.

“All I want to say is that there’s two ways of looking to this tour. One is, we are without our three most experienced players or we got this phenomenal opportunity to do something special for the country. When I look around in this group, I think the hunger, the passion, the commitment to do something special. I think if 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,” Gambhir said.

Words that inspire 

!#TeamIndia | #ENGvIND | @GautamGambhir | @ShubmanGill

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— BCCI (@BCCI) June 12, 2025

“Let’s make each and every net session meaningful and let’s prepare like that. And let’s put ourselves under a little bit of pressure when we are going out there. It’s not about going out there and surviving, let’s try to find out our game How we are going to play when we are put under pressure. Be it our bowlers or batters. Let’s play every ball with a purpose,” Gill said.

During the practice session, Gill, Rishabh Pant, and KL Rahul were observed putting in significant effort in the nets. Pant and Dhruv Jurel engaged in wicket-keeping drills, while Jasprit Bumrah and Prasidh Krishna bowled at full speed, accompanied by all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy.

India’s Test series against England is set to commence on June 20, with the fifth and final Test beginning on July 31.

India tour of England, Full schedule

1st Test, 20–24 June 2025 – Headingley, Leeds

2nd Test, 2–6 July 2025 – Edgbaston, Birmingham

3rd Test, 10–14 July 2025 – Lord’s, London

4th Test, 23–27 July 2025 – Old Trafford, Manchester

5th Test, 31 July – 4 August 2025 – The Oval, London

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