Gautam Gambhir flies back to India due to ‘personal emergency’

The Team India coach is slated to directly link up with the squad in Adelaide before the ‘Pink Ball Test’ starting December 6

Perth: India head coach Gautam Gambhir has flown back to India with his family due to “personal emergency” and is unlikely to be present during the the two-day pink ball warm-up game in Canberra starting November 30.

Gambhir, however, is slated to directly link up with the squad in Adelaide before the ‘Pink Ball Test’ starting December 6. It is understood that Gambhir has sought permission from BCCI brass with regards to his return.

“He left with his family on early Tuesday morning for India. It is an unavoidable personal emergency. He will be back in Adelaide before the start of the second Test match,” a BCCI official said.

The Indian team will leave for Canberra on Wednesday, November 27 where the entire team is expected to attend an official reception thrown in their honour by the Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. The two-day Pink ball match will give the Indian team a chance to get some game time under its belt.

PMXI is a squad full of youngsters but India will get some good match practice with pacer Scott Boland expected to play the game. The rules of the game will be decided by the two teams and it is expected that everyone will bat and ball as it won’t have an official status.