New Delhi: With the conclusion of the Champions Trophy 2025, the Indian cricket team will not play any international matches for the next three months due to the Indian Premier League (IPL). The team’s next assignment will be the England tour starting on June 20. While most Indian players will be engaged in the IPL, head coach Gautam Gambhir will not be taking a break. Instead, he will be working on the blueprint for Team India’s campaign in the 2026 T20 World Cup, the 2027 World Test Championship (WTC), and the 2027 ODI World Cup.
India is set to play a five-match Test series against England in June, which will be a part of the new WTC cycle. According to a report by The Times of India, Gambhir has decided to travel to England with the India ‘A’ team before the senior team’s tour begins. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) currently does not have a designated coach for development teams. It remains to be seen whether Gambhir will travel as an observer or if the board will send VVS Laxman as the coach.
Under Rahul Dravid’s tenure as head coach, the responsibility of guiding India ‘A’ and the Under-19 teams was given to the National Cricket Academy (NCA) head. However, this will be the first time that the senior team’s head coach will travel with the India ‘A’ squad.
Preparing for the Future
Sources suggest that Gambhir is working on a roadmap for all three formats over the next two years, keeping in mind the 2027 ODI World Cup, the ongoing WTC cycle, and the 2026 T20 World Cup.
A BCCI official revealed, “Gambhir has been in discussions with the board since returning from Australia. He expressed his desire to travel with the India ‘A’ team to gain a clear understanding of the reserve pool. His emphasis on identifying wildcard players has already contributed to India’s Champions Trophy victory, and he is expected to continue making bold decisions.”
Since taking over as India’s head coach in July last year, Gambhir has experienced mixed results. While India suffered a 3-0 home Test series defeat against New Zealand and lost the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, they have also won multiple bilateral series and the Champions Trophy under his leadership.
Reviving India ‘A’ Tours
One of the key areas of focus for Gambhir is reviving India ‘A’ tours. A source stated, “Since Dravid left the NCA, only a few ‘A’ series have taken place, and most of them were shadow tours ahead of marquee series. Gambhir believes that more ‘A’ tours are necessary and wants to personally assess the situation.”
Besides Test cricket, Gambhir is also evaluating India’s future prospects in ODI cricket. With Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Ravindra Jadeja yet to announce their retirements, there remains uncertainty over their participation in the 2027 ODI World Cup. Gambhir will be closely monitoring potential successors and formulating a transition plan for Indian cricket.
