Indian cricket has always been based on the straightforward rule of putting faith in the right players for the right positions. For quite some time, this very foundation was the reason behind India’s success in all forms of cricket.
However, the scenario under Gautam Gambhir has turned both the Test and T20I teams into a stormy and upsetting situation, where the definition of roles is getting lost, experimenting is turning into a practice, and the timing of these shifts is being viewed as more alarming than innovative.
With T20 World Cup 2026 just a month away, India should ideally be doing the final touches on combinations, fixing roles, and boosting the morale.
Rather, the team is still in the process of changing batting line-ups, promoting bowlers to non-traditional roles, and rotating key spots in the lower order.
And the question that is being posed by the fans, analysts, and former players alike is: Is India muddling through confusion with its experimentation?
The T20I Chaos: Changing a settled formula at the last minute
After coming out victorious in the T20 World Cup 2024, India waved goodbye to its core trio of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Ravindra Jadeja.
A fresh team then took the reins under Suryakumar Yadav’s captaincy, quickly settling in and making the most of each role, position, and even the bowling change till Gautam Gambhir came along.
Shubman Gill was made vice-captain without any credentials in the format, displacing Sanju Samson as the opener. This is the same Samson who, as an opener, scored three T20I hundreds in one year.
Latest in the sequence of incertitudes was Axar Patel batting at no. 3, Samson shifting from no. 5 to no. 8 a few times before being finally replaced by Jitesh Sharma, and Shivam Dube being demoted to no. 8. On top of that, Arshdeep Singh, the leading T20I wicket-taker for India, is also undergoing a hard time getting established in the playing XI.
It go without saying that the Indian team has unsettle main players in the squad now. Let us not forget that all these events are taking place with the T20 World Cup 2026 looming less than two months away.
The leading issue is not the team tinkering with their lineup. All teams do the same to some extent. The main issue is the timing and the number of changes made. A team with a strong foundation can simply try out new things without removing some parts of the structure.
The Test dilemma: All-rounders at no. 3?
In the longest format, Gautam Gambhir’s rotational method has opened up even bigger questions. Elevating Washington Sundar to the no. 3 position might appear bold at first sight, but it actually counters a place usually marked for technically sound batters who do the anchoring of innings.
Karun Nair and Sai Sudharsan’s drop following a few shortcomings has resulted in the no. 3 position, the most important one in the format, being shaky.
Such actions are not isolated instances. Over the 18 months of Gambhir’s tenure, India has fielded 24 Test players, which is a churn rate that exceeds recent coaching times.
Although the coach tried to portray his strategy as a part of a “transition phase,” the randomness on the field speaks differently.
Test cricket relies on stability. The no. 3 role is not to be tried out. It is the backbone of a batting order. Treating the position in this manner not only weakens but also destroys the entire structure of the team.
Why role clarity is more important than ever?
Cricket has turned into a role-based sport. Teams are winning when players come in and know exactly what is expected of them.
Role clarity adds confidence to players, and the dressing room becomes more stable, eliminating the need for hesitation in pressure situations, and the players are more likely to specialize rather than constantly adapt.
The batter is not sure of his role for the day and he is already half out. The greatest Indian white-ball teams, 2011, 2013, 2016, and 2024, produced masterful performances as every role was clearly defined, sharp, and consistent.
The current situation in India, particularly in the T20I format, indicates a team trying to find answers that it already knows.
The experiments are justified, but they should not be this way
Experimentation is to be valued if it is done at the right time, in a planned way, and with a good reason. But not in the weeks leading up to a World Cup. Not when it means losing your best players. Not when it means disturbing players who are already good in certain roles. Not when it comes to turning stability into musical chairs.
India has everything in terms of talent. It has everything in terms of firepower. All it lacks is clarity, which is the most important factor separating champion teams from the confused ones.
Gautam Gambhir is in need of a reality check.
Perhaps the aim of Gautam Gambhir is to modernise India’s cricket thinking and somehow make an instant revolution to take credit for. But even modern cricket relies on stable cores and clearly defined roles.
India doesn’t call for further experimentation, it requires guidance. With two main formats already revealing cracks due to constant tinkering, the team must urgently return to the basics.
Clarity of roles is not out of date. It is the cornerstone of success. And at the moment, India requires that cornerstone even more than an experiment.
