The head coach of the Indian Men's cricket team, Gautam Gambhir, is likely to tour with India A to get an idea of the young pool of talent ahead of India’s five-match Test series in England. With the 2026 T20 World Cup knocking the door also, the India head coach wants a closer look at emerging players who could be potential backups for the senior team. If this happens, it will be the first time a senior team coach will travel with an India A squad on a tour. According to a report from the Times of India, Gambhir has been in constant discussions with the BCCI since returning from Australia. He believes India A tours need to be revived to build a strong reserve bench. With the next World Test Championship cycle and the 2027 ODI World Cup in focus, the former opener wants to develop a clear roadmap for the team across all formats. A source close to BCCI has anonymously said to TOI, "Gambhir has been in discussions with the BCCI since he returned from Australia. He has expressed his desire to travel with the India 'A' team to get a clearer view of the reserve pool. "With India winning the Champions Trophy after Gambhir's insistence for certain wild card players, one may expect him to assert more in future. One of the crucial issues identified is reviving India 'A' tours. There have been only a handful 'A' series after Dravid left NCA and all of those were shadow tours for a marquee series. Gambhir too believes that there needs to be more 'A' tours. That's why he wants to take stock of the situation firsthand." Recently, Gambhir played a key role in India’s Champions Trophy triumph by backing certain players, and he may continue to assert his influence over selections. His primary focus during the A tour will be to assess promising Test prospects. The selectors have struggled to settle on a solid squad, especially after India’s disappointing performances in Test cricket over the past year. Read also:Shane Bond wants Jasprit Bumrah to manage his workload better Focus on Batting and Fast Bowling One of the key areas Gambhir wants to strengthen is the top order, with Rohit Sharma’s Test form still a concern. India needs a stable backup opener and a dependable middle-order batter. Players like Abhimanyu Easwaran, Sarfaraz Khan, Sai Sudharsan, and Karun Nair could get a chance to prove their worth in the A series. Fast bowling will also be a major area of focus. With uncertainties over Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami’s fitness for a five-Test series, the tour will serve as an opportunity to test other pace options. Gambhir’s proactive approach suggests he wants to build a squad with depth across all conditions. Apart from Test cricket, Gambhir is also working on shaping India’s white-ball teams separately. He has advocated for a specialized T20 team and wants to finalize the core of the ODI side for the 2027 World Cup. With crucial decisions ahead, his stint with India A could play a big role in shaping the future of Indian cricket.