'We don't think about averages or strike rates': Gautam Gambhir reveals fearless blueprint behind India's new era

NEW DELHI: India head coach Gautam Gambhir has shed light on the fearless and flexible philosophy driving the national team's T20 resurgence, stressing that his focus lies on impact rather than numbers like averages and strike rates.

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Speaking in a BCCI video interview after India's 2-1 T20I series win against Australia, Gambhir underlined that his ideology hasn't changed since taking over as head coach following the 2024 T20 World Cup. He said that while the openers have defined roles, the rest of the batting order will always remain fluid.



“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. Batting orders are very overrated, except the openers, obviously. The two openers are permanent, the rest shuffles, because it's not the amount of runs that matter in T20 cricket — it's the impact that matters,” said Gambhir.

Under his leadership, India have introduced a dynamic approach built on adaptability and aggression, with players like Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson, and Axar Patel freely switching positions in the order. Gambhir insisted this flexibility is by design, not experimentation.


“That's the reason from day one, it has been a fluid batting order, and that is how we want to play the game. We don't want to play thinking about averages, strike rates, and all that stuff. It's about how much impact a person can create in what situation,” he added.

The former opener also said that his coaching philosophy is rooted in staying ahead of evolving T20 trends.

“With time, T20 cricket will evolve. We as coaches must evolve too. We want to be ahead of T20 cricket, ahead of time. The most important thing is that these young boys have adapted and hopefully continue evolving in future,” he said.

Gambhir concluded by noting that while individual brilliance is appreciated, he would never celebrate a series loss.

“As a nation and as individuals, we should never celebrate a series loss,” he said.

India next face South Africa at home in a full tour beginning November 14.

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