India coach Gautam Gambhir addressed his squad in a BCCI-shared huddle video ahead of the 5‑match Test tour of England, confronting the absence of three senior stalwarts—Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Ravichandran Ashwin. Gambhir laid out two mindsets:
- Dwelling on the fact that “we are without our three most experienced players (Kohli, Rohit and Ashwin)”, or
- Embracing “a phenomenal opportunity to do something special for the country.”
He urged the young side led by Shubman Gill to channel their hunger, passion, and commitment:
“If we make sacrifices… come out of our comfort zones… start fighting… every session, every hour, every ball… we can have a memorable tour.”
Gambhir encouraged the players to begin this mindset immediately and enjoy the honour of representing India.
The article also notes:
Both Kohli and Rohit announced their retirements from Test cricket during IPL 2025, just before squad selection for the England tour. Their sudden decision came after unspecified discussions with the BCCI and selectors.
Ashwin retired during the Australia tour, concluding that he was no longer a guaranteed selection.
