Gautam Gambhir calls batting order overrated, lays out his ‘ideology’ from day one: ‘People sometimes miscalculate…’

By Admin

11 Nov, 2025

India’s new head coach Gautam Gambhir has never shied away from challenging conventional cricketing wisdom   and his latest remarks on India’s T20 batting philosophy perfectly reflect that mindset. Since taking over after the 2024 T20 World Cup, Gambhir has redefined India’s approach to the shortest format, prioritising impact, flexibility, and fearless intent over traditional batting structures.

A New Era of T20 Thinking

When Gambhir began his tenure with India’s tour of Sri Lanka, it marked the start of a new leadership era. Under his guidance, Team India adopted a bold and fluid approach, breaking away from the rigidity of fixed roles. This philosophy not only encouraged aggressive cricket but also opened the door for young talents like Abhishek Sharma and Varun Chakaravarthy, who have since become consistent performers and even climbed the ICC rankings.

“Batting Orders Are Overrated”

Reflecting on the shift, Gambhir made his stance crystal clear in an interview with BCCI after the Australia tour.

“That has been the ideology from day one when I took over as the head coach, from Sri Lanka till now. It has not changed. I think batting orders are very overrated, except the openers, obviously. The two openers are permanent, the rest, I think, everything shuffles, because it is not the amount of runs that matter in T20 cricket, it's the impact that matters. People sometimes miscalculate or do not differentiate between the batting order, the runs, and the impact,” he said.

In recent series, Shubman Gill and Abhishek Sharma have taken up the opening responsibilities for India, while the rest of the batting lineup   including Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Sanju Samson, and Axar Patel   have been moved around strategically, depending on the game’s context and conditions.

A Philosophy Built on Flexibility

Gambhir further elaborated that this fluid batting order is not a matter of coincidence but a well-thought-out strategy. He believes that in modern T20 cricket, adaptability and situational awareness are more crucial than sticking to fixed numbers or chasing averages.

“That's the reason from day one, I think it has been a fluid batting order, and that is how we want to play the game. We don't want to play a game thinking about averages, strike rates, and all that stuff,” Gambhir added.

Impact Over Numbers

This shift highlights India’s commitment to modern T20 principles, where the focus lies on delivering impactful performances rather than accumulating runs for personal milestones. Gambhir’s ideology resonates with the evolving demands of world cricket   where flexibility, intent, and adaptability define success.

As India continues its journey under Gambhir’s leadership, the message is clear: it’s not about who bats where   it’s about who makes the biggest impact when it matters most.