Flexibility will be key to India’s batting line-up: Kotak

Beyond the opening pair of Shubman Gill and Abhishek Sharma, India’s batting order will have to be malleable going into next year’s T20 World Cup.

That was the essence of batting coach Sitanshu Kotak’s message to his players ahead of the all-important Group A clash in the Asia Cup against Pakistan at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday.

A case in point is Sanju Samson’s revised role in this line-up. While the wicketkeeper-batter had made his mark as opener over the past year for India, he is having to acquaint himself with the middle-order now that Shubman Gill is back in the fold as vice-captain at the top of the order.

“See, Sanju has not batted a lot at No. 5 or 6,” Kotak said on Friday. “But that doesn’t mean that he can’t do it. So Sanju is a good enough player to bat at any number. So, according to the requirements of the team, captain and head coach, we will decide. And he is more than happy to bat at any number.”

It is not merely Samson that India expects elasticity from.

Considering the innumerable twists and turns compressed into a T20 innings, the likes of Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube and Axar Patel will also be used as floaters to negate bespoke plans of the opposition. To be clear, all of the world’s top T20 teams expect their batters to exhibit similar traits.

“If you look at our batting line-up, everyone is capable of going in at any number and finishing the match. We have four to five aggressive players. More or less, everyone is prepared to bat at any number. So, it is not fixed. Everyone knows their role. So, they will be ready according to the situation,” Kotak said.

Enabling this approach for India is the perfect blend of batters in the top eight. While Gill, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya and Sanju Samson are right-handers, the styles of Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube and Axar Patel are embellished by characteristic left-handed flamboyance.

It means that Suryakumar’s men can have a left-right combination at the crease all the way through. It forces bowlers to constantly readjust their lines and captains to keep altering their fields.

“For the openers and No. 3, we think about particular players. But after that, if required, all the players now are prepared mentally and skill-wise to bat at any number. And I think that’s a good sign,” he said.

Such flexibility notably worked well for India in its triumphant T20 World Cup campaign in 2024. In the final against South Africa, Axar was promoted to No. 5 to maintain a left-right-duo as well as to ensure that Hardik and Dube were reserved for the latter overs.

The move was vindicated as Axar’s 47 off 31 deliveries injected a bit of spark while allowing Virat Kohli to stick to his tried-and-trusted method.

When the 2026 T20 World Cup commences in February, it is only logical for India to want more of the same.