Gautam Gambhir’s decision to shuffle India’s batting order in the second T20I against South Africa has triggered sharp criticism from experts. Former India cricketer Robin Uthappa and South Africa legend Dale Steyn both called it a “major mistake” that could hurt India when it matters most.

What Gambhir did in the Mullanpur T20I

In the second T20I at Mullanpur, India were chasing 214, and Shubman Gill got out for a golden duck in the very first over. Instead of sending in captain Suryakumar Yadav at No. 3, Gautam Gambhir sent Axar Patel. Axar came in as early as the first over, tried to bat through, but scored only 21 off 21 balls before getting out. Suryakumar followed Axar and came in at No. 4, scoring just 5 runs off 4 balls before being dismissed.

The move left experts confused. In a big chase, you normally send your best batters in early to build the innings. But Axar, who is more of a lower-order hitter or pinch-hitter, was promoted over the captain, and the plan fell flat. India collapsed to 32/3 and eventually lost by 51 runs.

Robin Uthappa: “Something feels off, India must fix it”

Robin Uthappa, who played with Gautam Gambhir for India and Kolkata Knight Riders, did not hold back. He pointed to Gambhir’s own comments before the series, where the coach said the opening pair is fixed but everyone else can be flexible. Uthappa disagreed strongly with that approach, especially in high-pressure chases.

He said that when you are chasing a big score like 214, your solid batters – your best batters – should walk in early to stabilize the innings. If Axar was sent as a pinch-hitter, then he should have gone hard from ball one and gotten out trying, not scored 21 off 21. But even that plan did not make sense to Uthappa, because after losing a top batter in the first over, India needed stability at the crease, not more risk.

Uthappa ended by saying, “Something feels off here, and India must fix it before it becomes a habit.” He warned that this constant experimentation could hurt India at a crucial stage of a major tournament, like a World Cup, and that is the last thing you want.

Dale Steyn: “That’s a major mistake”

Dale Steyn backed Uthappa’s view and went even further. He said that Suryakumar Yadav is supposed to be your best batter, and sending someone else ahead of him in a big chase is “not a trial-and-error situation – that’s just a major mistake.”

Steyn added that if Abhishek Sharma had gotten out and you wanted to maintain a left-right combination, sending Axar could make sense. But Gill (a right-hander) got out, and India ended up with two left-handers – Abhishek and Axar – at the crease instead of their best player. He also said that while sending Axar as a slogger from ball one could be a plan, it was not clear what his role was in this case.

The South African great concluded by saying that in a match where India could have gone 2-1 up, the team management should have kept things simple and sent their best batters.

Uthappa’s message: Fix the top three

Robin Uthappa urged the team management to have a fixed batting order for the top three positions, whether India is setting a total or chasing one. He said those are specialist roles, and you cannot build a foundation when players do not know their roles on a given day.

He also said that flexibility has its place, but it should come after the first six overs once you have built a base. Using a pinch-hitter is fine only in the right scenario, not as a regular tactic. Uthappa ended by saying that this constant experimentation has been going on for a while now, and he is worried it will cost India at a big tournament.

Suryakumar and management defend the move

Despite the criticism, Suryakumar Yadav defended the decision in the post-match press conference. He said they sent Axar up because he had been batting well across formats, and they wanted him to repeat that form. Assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate also backed the experiment, saying it was a tactic to extend India’s batting order and give more depth.

Earlier, Gautam Gambhir had said that batting order is “very overrated” in white-ball cricket except for the openers. He believes players should be flexible and ready to bat anywhere depending on the match situation. But that philosophy is now under the scanner after this loss.