AB de Villiers agrees with Gautam Gambhir’s “batting orders are very overrated” statement in ODIs, but warns about potholes

The renowned South African batsman AB de Villiers concurs with India's head coach Gautam Gambhir that "batting orders are overrated" in white-ball cricket, particularly ODI cricket. De Villiers stressed that when implementing such adjustments, there must be a distinct balance.

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Although Gambhir's theories have been questioned in Test cricket, his performance in white-ball formats is still strong, as shown by his wins in the Asia Cup and Champions Trophy.

The batting order is one area where the Indian head coach's style is still criticized since, especially in white-ball cricket, he favors a rotating team over a set XI.

Gambhir commented on white-ball batting after India defeated South Africa 2-1 in the ODI series, stressing that the order—aside from the openers—should not be firmly defined.

"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.

De Villiers shared Gambhir's views on floating batting orders in ODIs, emphasizing the value of balance and clear roles within the team but also welcoming the flexibility.

"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 on his YouTube channel.

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De Villiers commended India's T20 consistency, saying that the team's steady performance in the unpredictable format shows the strong depth and structure of Indian cricket.

"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.

In the white-ball portion of the series against South Africa, India has performed admirably. India won the ODI series 2-1 and the first Twenty20 International of the five-match series, while losing the Tests 0-2. On December 11, 2025, the second Twenty20 International will take place at New Chandigarh Stadium.

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