India, Oct. 15 -- India's head coach Gautam Gambhir was notably absent as the first batch of Indian cricketers, including senior players Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli and new captain Shubman Gill, departed for Australia early Wednesday morning for the upcoming three-match ODI series starting October 19.

While fans gathered at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi caught glimpses of Kohli, Rohit, and captain Shubman Gill, among others, Gambhir and several members of the coaching staff were not part of the travelling group.

According to sources close to team logistics, Gambhir, some support staff members like Morne Morkel, Ryan ten Doeschate, T Dilip, and a few squad members like Kuldeep Yadav are scheduled to leave later in...