India has the firepower to cross the 300-run mark in T20 cricket soon, head coach Gautam Gambhir has said, pointing to the special talent available in the team.
India's highest-ever T20I total is 297, which they scored against Bangladesh in 2024. Later that year, the reigning T20 World Cup champions also posted 283 for just one wicket against South Africa.
Gambhir spoke about India's ambition to breach the 300-run barrier while discussing Abhishek Sharma's sensational 30-ball century in the third and final T20I against Afghanistan on Thursday.
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"For me the biggest positive was when we got a 100 in the powerplay. That we have never done in my coaching tenure. So I think that was a very clear message that if you're going hard, just keep going hard," Gambhir said.
"That is what the message is and that is exactly the message that's going to be in future as well that we still haven't reached 300. So that's probably the next target because the kind of talent we have in that dressing room, we should be doing some incredible things," he added.
However, the head coach played down the importance of Abhishek's individual milestone and instead highlighted the impact of his innings. India had made a flying start and appeared capable of getting close to 300, but their scoring rate dropped significantly towards the end.
The team managed only 221 for seven after an ordinary final five overs, leaving them well short of the 300-run mark despite Abhishek's explosive innings.
"Look, I just want to say one thing. It's not about the 100 that he scored today. I can sit here and keep talking about his 100. But it's just the impact," said Gambhir.
Gambhir is known for focusing on the impact of performances rather than simply praising individual milestones.
"The only thing that we talk in that dressing room is about how much impact can we create with the bat and how much impact can we create with the ball. And that has been our ideology," the former India batter added.
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"That has been our philosophy since last two years. T20 cricket is not about runs or wickets. It's about how much impact can you create," Gambhir concluded.
India's next T20 assignment will be at the Asian Games, where the Shreyas Iyer-led side will look to retain the gold medal in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.
India won the gold medal at the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, with Ruturaj Gaikwad leading the side.
(With PTI inputs.)
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