Gautam Gambhir offers prayer at Mumbai's Siddhivinayak Temple ahead of India's Test tour of England

Indian cricket team's head coach Gautam Gambhir visited Shree Siddhivinayak Ganapati Temple in Mumbai on Thursday to offer prayers, following India's recent Champions Trophy victory in Dubai and ahead of crucial Test series against England.India Test squad for the upcoming tour of England is yet to be picked but the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is finalising the departure schedule of the players and support staff. It is reliably learnt that head coach Gautam Gambhir and first batch of Test players will leave for England on June 6 and the other batches will leave depending on the IPL 2025 commitments of the players picked in the squad.The Champions Trophy triumph came after a challenging period for Indian cricket. The team had failed to qualify for the World Test Championship final following a 3-0 series whitewash by New Zealand in the subcontinent.India's subsequent hopes for redemption in Australia were dashed despite a historic win in the opening Test at Perth. Australia reclaimed the Border-Gavaskar Trophy after 10 years with a 3-1 series victory.Quiz: Who's that IPL player?The team is now preparing for their World Test Championship 2025-27 campaign, beginning with a five-match series against England in June."The players who get free from the IPL during the league stage are likely to leave with coach Gambhir on June 6. The rest will leave after a short break post the IPL 2025 commitments," says a senior BCCI official.It is further understood that Gambhir will focus on preparations of the Test squad.India now faces the challenge of filling the void left by these two experienced batsmen as they prepare for their upcoming Test series against England.