Gambhir calls for fitter, sharper India ahead of T20 World Cup

"We're still not where we want to be in three months down the line. Because the bigger picture is not the series, but the World Cup as well. So hopefully, by the time the World Cup comes, I think we are in that space where we want to be before the World Cup," Gambhir told BCCI.TV.

Gambhir stressed on the importance of fitness and outlined his expectations for the team. "From the fitness point of view, I think we still aren't where we want to be come the T20 World Cup and that is exactly the conversation that we've had with the boys as well. We want to be absolutely sharp.

"We want to be fit. We want to move quicker. We want to... the fitter we are, the more mentally strong we are because come the pressure games, come the pressure situation, the more physically strong we are, the more mentally strong we are. So hopefully guys know the importance of being fit. So we still have three months to be where we want to be," he said.

"Obviously, two openers are permanent. Rest, I think everything shuffles because it's not the amount of runs that matter in T20 cricket. It's the impact that matters. And people sometimes miscalculate or do not differentiate between the batting order, the runs and the impact. See, runs are different and impact is different. In T20 cricket, it's all about the impact. It's 120 balls. Every ball is an event. Every ball needs to have the maximum impact that we can have.

"And that's the reason from day one, I think it has been a very fluid batting order. And that is how we want to play this game. We don't want to play a game thinking about averages, strike rates and all that stuff," he added.

"I think a lot of people relate to this T20 side as a very aggressive batting lineup. For me, I think bowling Jasprit [Bumrah] for three overs in the first six was an even more aggressive option with the ball. We don't want to be a side which is only known as an aggressive batting order, we want to be a side which should be known as an aggressive side overall.

"I thought that the Asia Cup, it has really worked well for us because bowling just Bumrah in the first three obviously makes us win the powerplay most of the time. And then obviously, we got two wicket-taking options in the middle with Varun and Kuldeep. So it gives them a lot of leverage to bowl with freedom in the middle phase. And we can take wickets all the time. And that was one of the reasons. So I felt that I think it was a very aggressive move, not only with the bat, but also with the ball as well. And that is how we want to play the game as well," he said.

Shivam Dube has had somewhat of a resurgence as a bowler and has been trusted with different roles under Gambhir. In the Asia Cup final against Pakistan, he was trusted with the new ball and he delivered - conceding just 12 runs of the two overs he bowled in the PowerPlay. On the recent tour of Australia, Dube picked up vital wickets in the middle overs.

"Just throw guys in the deep sea, as simple as it can get. We did the same with Shubman [Gill] as well. When he was appointed as a Test captain for an England series, we had pushed him in the deep sea. He came out as a proper professional swimmer. The same was with Shivam [Dube] as well. You've got to put them under pressure, extreme pressure and see how these guys react and see what Shivam did.

"Imagine if he wouldn't have been thrown in that deep sea, we would have never got to know what kind of a character and what improvement he has when it comes to pressure situations. And imagine the Asia Cup final against Pakistan, bowling the first and the third over for 12 runs. Imagine the amount of confidence he must have got after those two overs. He might not have ever got it in the past with the ball in hand. So sometimes when you push people in those situations, they come out flourishing.

"I just felt, I think there is so much from Shivam's point of view, he can contribute to the team. Sometimes what happens is that you only look at a player and say that he can hit, he can be useful against a certain bowler, he can break open the game with the bat. I think someone who's six foot tall, who can bowl at a decent pace, who's got bounce, who's got different variations, it's only about giving him confidence as well," said Gambhir.

"It's not only with Abhishek. I think we've given freedom to everyone. I think it's going to be unfair on me as a head coach if I only talk about giving freedom to Abhishek just because his style suits that kind of a play. But for me, I think freedom is for everyone. And high risk, high reward. Ultimately, if you don't take risks, you will never have high rewards as well. The 15 people in the dressing room, they've got all the freedom to go out there and express themselves and don't fear making a mistake.

"Because I've always been a big believer, the more you think about making a mistake, fear making a mistake, the more you will make mistakes. It's okay to drop a catch. It's okay to bowl a bad ball. It's okay to play a bad shot. Human beings are bound to make mistakes. And we will give them the liberty to fail. And we will give them the liberty to make mistakes. Because the more we start telling them not to make mistakes, they will make more mistakes," Gambhir explained.

"That's the toughest job I have. I know that there is so much of quality sitting on the bench, and I know everyone deserves to be part of the playing XI, but ultimately you can only pick XI thinking that which is the best combination to do the job on that particular day.

"If you tell someone that he's not playing, that's probably the toughest conversation for a coach and a player as well because I know that the player would get upset when he deserves to be part of the playing XI. But if you're honest, if you're straightforward, if you know that what you're saying is saying it from your heart and there is nothing beyond that, so I feel that some players do understand. And it's a communication between a player and a coach," Gambhir said.

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