Gautam Gambhir calls batting order ‘very overrated’; envisions a ‘flexible’ template over ‘rigid roles’

Gautam Gambhir emphasizes the importance of flexibility in one-day batting, prioritizing method over rigid batting orders.

Gautam Gambhir used India’s series-clinching win over South Africa to lay out, in no uncertain terms, what he believes modern one-day batting should look like - and why numbers on a scorecard matter far less than the roles behind them.

Virat Kohli and Washington Sundar run between the wickets during the first ODI between India and South Africa. (PTI)

“I think in a one-day format, you should know the template that you want to play with. I’ve always believed that in white-ball cricket, batting orders are very overrated, except the opening combination,” said Gambhir in the post-match press conference after India sealed a 2-1 ODI series win over the Proteas.

“In Test cricket, obviously, you’ve got to have a fixed batting order, but it is very, very overrated,” he added.

For Gambhir, the emphasis is clearly on clarity of method rather than rigidity of positions. The opening pair, he stressed, remains the only non-negotiable in terms of structure. Beyond that, he sees the one-day middle order as a fluid space, where players must be willing to move up or down to suit the situation, the opposition, and the team’s balance on the day.

The idea of flexibility naturally led him to praise one of the key figures in India’s current set-up, Washington Sundar. Without getting into labels of “specialist” or “bits-and-pieces”, Gambhir highlighted the versatility and temperament that the team management values so highly.

“See, you’re talking about someone who’s got 100 at Manchester, a 50 at Oval, who averages, what, 40-plus in Tests. Sometimes, you’ve to look at balance as well. I know it’s tough for someone like Washi, but then I think he’s done an incredible job, batting at No.3, No.5, No.8,” said Gambhir.

“That’s the kind of character he is, and that’s the kind of character we want in the dressing room, who are willing to do everything for the team with a smile on his face, which me, as a batter, knows how tough it is,” he explained further.

The repeated mention of “balance” was telling. Gambhir framed Washington Sundar not as a utility plug-in, but as a high-quality cricketer trusted to carry different roles in different phases of the innings. The willingness to accept those shifts, he suggested, is precisely what the current Indian side is trying to build its culture around.

“I’m sure he’s going to continue doing that, and we’re going to keep developing him because he’s got a massive future ahead for Indian cricket,” he added.

In one press conference, Gautam Gambhir managed to outline both the tactical template he wants India to follow in ODIs and the kind of player - flexible, selfless and technically robust - who will be central to that vision.