Former South Africa captain AB de Villiers has urged India head coach Gautam Gambhir to avoid excessive experimentation with player roles, even though he agrees with some aspects of Gambhir’s approach regarding batting order flexibility in ODIs. De Villiers said he supports changes based on match situations but believes there is a limit to how much a coach should tinker with defined responsibilities.
AB de Villiers Advises Gambhir to Avoid Overplaying with Player Roles
De Villiers was responding to Gambhir’s recent remark after India’s 2-1 series win against South Africa, where the head coach suggested that batting orders in ODIs are often overrated and players need to adapt to flexible roles apart from the opening pair.
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“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,” Gambhir said in the press conference.
De Villiers, however, feels flexibility is useful only to a point. He said that while a coach can be creative with floating roles, they should avoid disrupting the balance of the side by shifting players too often.
“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,” the 41 year old said.
Series Recap: India Dominate with Nine Wicket Win
India secured the series after a commanding victory in the third ODI on December six at the Event Centre. South Africa posted 270 before being bowled out, but India chased the target comfortably at 271 for one, sealing a nine wicket win.
De Villiers Applauds India’s T20 Consistency Ahead of World Cup
De Villiers also praised the Indian T20 team for maintaining impressive consistency with the T20 World Cup 2026 nearing.
“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,” he said.
India Begin T20I Series with a Massive Victory
India opened the five match T20I series with a spectacular win over Aiden Markram’s South Africa. Hardik Pandya smashed an unbeaten 59 off 28 balls to help India post 175 for six. The bowlers then produced a ruthless display, dismissing South Africa for just 74 in 12.3 overs, their lowest ever T20I score. India clinched the match by 101 runs at Barabati Stadium in Cuttack, with Pandya named Player of the Match for his all round show.
The second T20I will be played on December eleven at Mullanpur in New Chandigarh.
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