'Mastermind' Gautam Gambhir demands closed-door intra-squad game to hide India’s secrets before ENG Tests

Gautam Gambhir's India national cricket team has decided to keep the intra-squad practice game behind closed doors ahead of the upcoming five-match Test series in England. As per schedule, the four-day game will begin on Friday, June 13, without any broadcast coverage, unlike the recent India ‘A’ fixtures.

Several Indian players missed the India ‘A’ matches due to the delay in the conclusion of IPL 2025. They now have just one chance for preparation - the intra-squad game. This match becomes crucial for the coaching staff, led by Gautam Gambhir, to assess key decisions, such as finalizing the batting order.

Gautam Gambhir Pushes for Closed-Door Warm-Up Game

According to news agency PTI, the Indian team will play just one warm-up match. The four-day intra-squad fixture against India A will be a full-fledged game, unlike previous tours where match simulations were held.

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Head coach Gautam Gambhir has insisted on maintaining a high level of secrecy to prevent England from gaining any tactical insight. A similar approach was used during India’s preparations for the 2024–25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia, where they held a closed-door session in Perth.

Gautam Gambhir has called for a "closed-door" intra-squad game, "to prevent the opposition from getting any ideas on the tactical front, emulating a long-established practice among European football clubs."

Despite India losing that series 3-1, the Gautam Gambhir-led team management remains committed to keeping their tactical plans under wraps, drawing inspirations from long-standing football strategies in Europe.

Jasprit Bumrah Set for Red-Ball Return After Six-Month Layoff

The 360 overs of competitive cricket will serve as crucial preparation. Notably, the team management will assess player readiness in red-ball conditions and evaluate a new batting order following the Test retirements of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.

The fixture will also provide the bowling unit with valuable game time, particularly in maintaining long spells. A key focus will be on Jasprit Bumrah, who returns to red-ball cricket after a six-month break.

Since recovering from a lower back stress injury, Bumrah has featured only in the IPL, and this match will be his first opportunity to bowl extended spells in red-ball format. Workload management is expected to limit his participation to three or four of the five upcoming Tests.

India to Face Ben Stokes-Led England at Headingley on June 20

India will take on England, led by Ben Stokes, at Headingley in Leeds on June 20. The series will mark the beginning of the fourth cycle of the World Test Championship (WTC). Ravichandran Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli have retired from Test cricket.

Ashwin announced his retirement midway through the Border-Gavaskar series earlier this year, while Rohit and Kohli stepped away just weeks before the England tour. With a new era underway, India will take the field with a youthful squad led by Shubman Gill.

“There are two ways of looking at 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," he told BCCI.tv, referring to the recent retirements of legendary spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, Rohit and Kohli.

Also read: Shreyas Iyer given a call by BCCI President to join team India in England