Overview
- In a BCCI interview released after the Australia T20I series, Gautam Gambhir said batting orders are overrated beyond the openers and restated that this has been his approach since taking charge.
- Shubman Gill and Abhishek Sharma remain the designated openers, with all other batting positions treated as flexible based on match situations.
- Gambhir emphasized judging selections by impact rather than runs, averages or strike rates, describing T20 cricket as 120 balls where every ball is an event.
- Recent India XIs have rotated Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube and Axar Patel through the middle order to target specific scenarios.
- Linking tactics to personnel, he highlighted spin all‑rounders such as Axar Patel and Washington Sundar as a selection advantage as India prepare for South Africa’s tour from November 14 and build toward the 2026 T20 World Cup.