India’s recent ODI series win against South Africa has reignited discussions on team strategy, led by head coach Gautam Gambhir, a view that veteran AB de Villiers seems to partially endorse.
Gambhir advocates for a flexible approach in white-ball cricket, emphasising that rigid batting positions matter less than having a clear, adaptable game plan. His philosophy appears to be paying dividends, with India enjoying a strong run of victories in both ODI and T20I formats.
“I think in a one-day format, you should know the template you want to play with. I’ve always believed that in white-ball cricket, batting orders are very overrated, except for the opening combination,” Gambhir said during a press conference.
AB de Villiers backs a floating batting lineup
Reacting to Gambhir’s remarks, former South African great AB de Villiers shared his thoughts on his YouTube channel, supporting the idea of a floating batting lineup in ODIs.
“I agree with him to a certain extent. I’ve always enjoyed a floating batting lineup. But it’s a fine line, you can’t play around too much with players’ roles. The top three, four to six, and tailenders are like three segments, and you can be creative within that. Right-left combinations and specific match situations matter,” De Villiers said.
He also praised the depth of the Indian squad, particularly the T20I team, for its well-executed strategies.
“It’s been incredible, especially in T20s, the most volatile format. To maintain such consistency shows that something is heading in the right direction. It speaks to the depth of Indian cricket,” De Villiers added.
This flexible approach, however, has created selection dilemmas. The return of Shubman Gill displaced Sanju Samson from the opening slot, despite Samson’s strong performances. India captain Suryakumar Yadav explained that while Samson did well, Gill was the preferred choice.
As India navigates these selection puzzles, they are set to face South Africa in the 2nd T20I at Mullanpur on December 11.
