Gautam Gambhir reveals India’s new strategy in T20Is

India has dominated and humiliated England in the recently concluded 5-match T20I series, securing a commanding 4-1 victory. The success of the series can be attributed to coach Gautam Gambhir’s bold “Gamball” approach, which has proven nearly invincible, with the only blip being a one-match wobble at Rajkot.

Since taking over as head coach of the Indian men's cricket team in July 2024, Gautam Gambhir has led the side to 10 wins in 11 T20Is. His leadership has seen India adopt a fearless, all-out attacking style, posting stunning totals such as 297 and 247 in their last two series.

Gambhir, a hero of India’s 2007 T20 World Cup triumph, shared his vision for the team, which focuses on playing high-risk, high-reward cricket. The goal, according to the coach, is to consistently target scores of 250-260 in every game. 

“That’s the kind of T20 cricket we want to play,” Gambhir said in a post-match presentation. “We don’t want to fear losing a game of cricket. We want to play high-risk, high-reward cricket. And these guys have adopted that ideology really well. We want to try and get to 250-260 regularly. And in trying to do that, there’ll be games where we’ll get bundled out for 120-130. And that is what T20 cricket is all about,” he stated. 

He emphasized the importance of sticking to this aggressive mindset, particularly in major tournaments. "Unless and until you don’t play that high-risk cricket, you won’t get those big rewards as well... We don’t want to fear losing anything," Gambhir added.

Gambhir credited the team’s success to a culture of "selflessness and fearlessness," noting that players have embraced this philosophy over the past six months.

One player who particularly caught Gambhir’s attention was 24-year-old Abhishek Sharma, whose blistering 135-run knock in the fifth T20I earned him special praise from the coach. “We want to keep backing players like Abhishek Sharma… I haven’t seen a better T20 hundred against bowlers who are bowling at 140-150 kph consistently,” Gambhir said.

The fifth T20I was a spectacle of contrasts. India batted first and unleashed destruction, with Abhishek Sharma blasting the second-fastest T20I century by an Indian. Sanju Samson set the tone with a first-ball six, while Shivam Dube (30) and Tilak Varma (24) chipped in with quick runs. Despite struggles from Suryakumar Yadav, Sharma’s fireworks propelled India to a total of 247/9, including 19 sixes.

In reply, England’s batting crumbled under pressure. Phil Salt fought a lone battle, but the visitors were bowled out for just 97 in 10.3 overs, giving India a dominant win in the final T20I of the series.