Gautam Gambhir Calls ODI Batting Orders "Over-Rated", AB de Villiers' Reply Can't Be Missed

India head coach Gautam Gambhir backed his philosophy of deploying a floating batting order in ODI cricket, with the positions not being fixed, especially in the middle order. Gambhir remains determined to continue with the same approach, even if certain ODIs haven't gone India's way because of this philosophy. AB de Villiers, one of the greatest batters in the history of the game, isn't entirely in disagreement with Gambhir's approach, but has cautioned him against crossing the 'fine line'.

"I do agree with him to a certain extent. I've always enjoyed a floating batting lineup in ODIs. But it's a fine line because you can't really play around too much with the players' roles. It's the top three, four to six, and then your tailenders who can hold the bat. It's almost like three segments, and you can really be creative with that. Play with right and left-hand combinations and certain situations of the game," De Villiers said about Gambhir's statement on his YouTube channel.

De Villiers was particularly impressed by India's consistency in T20 format, where Gambhir has adopted the same floating batting order philosophy.

"It has been incredible, especially for a T20 format. It's the most volatile format of the three, and to have that kind of consistency tells you there must be something going on that's heading in the right direction. I think it's got to do with the depth of Indian cricket," said De Villiers.

Gambhir's remarks about floating batting orders in white-ball cricket came after India sealed a 2-1 ODI series win against South Africa. Barring the opening combination, the India head coach doesn't think any batter needs to play in a specific position.

"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 after India beat South Africa 2-1 in the ODI series.

Topics mentioned in this article

India Cricket Team Virat Kohli AB de Villiers India vs South Africa 2025, India Cricket