Stories
Gambhir Defends Dube Promotion and Stresses Flexibility in T20s
N
News18•10-10-2026, 10:00
Gambhir Defends Dube Promotion and Stresses Flexibility in T20s
- •India head coach Gautam Gambhir defended Shivam Dube’s promotion to No. 4 despite his low-scoring dismissal against the West Indies.
- •Gambhir reiterated that only the opening spots are permanent in T20 cricket, while the rest of the batting order must remain flexible.
- •The West Indies successfully chased down a target of 250 to level the five-match series 1-1, led by stellar innings from Shai Hope and Sherfane Rutherford.
- •Gambhir praised fast bowler Mayank Yadav for his fiery opening spell and urged him to stick to his natural strength of bowling with high pace.
- •The coach refused to blame the toss or dropped catches for the defeat, taking full responsibility for failing to defend the massive total.
Key Questions Answered
Head coach Gautam Gambhir defended Shivam Dube's promotion to No. 4 as part of the team's long-standing strategy for tactical flexibility in the batting order, noting that only opening positions are permanent in T20 cricket.
Gambhir refused to blame the toss, dewy conditions, or dropped catches for the loss, stating that the team must take full responsibility for failing to defend a total of 250 against a strong West Indies side.
Gambhir praised Mayank Yadav's fiery opening spell where he consistently clocked speeds above 140 kmph and rattled the top order, asserting that a fast bowler's duty is to stick to their natural strength and bowl fast.
