"We should be doing incredible things" - Gautam Gambhir sets 300 target for Team India

India head coach Gautam Gambhir has set a bold new batting benchmark for his side, declaring that the team must breach the 300-run mark in T20I cricket. Gambhir made the statement after India completed their T20I series against Afghanistan, expressing the belief that the talent available in the squad makes such a target entirely achievable.

In the final T20I against Afghanistan on September 17, 2026, Abhishek Sharma struck a 30-ball century, the first powerplay hundred recorded during Gambhir's coaching tenure. India also scored 100 runs without loss in the powerplay, their highest-ever powerplay total in men's T20I cricket. Despite that explosive start, India finished on 221 for seven, losing momentum in the final five overs.

India's highest T20I total currently stands at 297, scored against Bangladesh in 2024. The team also posted 283 for one against South Africa in 2024 as T20 World Cup champions, underlining their capacity for big scores. Gambhir said crossing the 300-run mark is the next step he wants the side to take.

"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," Gambhir said, as quoted by NDTV.

What did Gambhir say about India's powerplay performance?

Gambhir highlighted the powerplay effort as the standout positive from the match, pointing to the 100-run opening as a clear signal of what the team can achieve when they commit to aggressive batting from the first ball. He acknowledged that the side did not sustain that intensity through the full innings but focused on the message the powerplay sent. Gambhir also made clear that his coaching philosophy prioritises collective impact over personal statistics. He stressed that T20 cricket demands players think beyond their own numbers and focus on what they contribute to the team's total effort

"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. T20 cricket is not about runs or wickets. It's about how much impact can you create," Gambhir said.

Why did India fall short of 300 despite a record powerplay?

India's innings against Afghanistan illustrated both the promise and the gap that Gambhir wants to close. The side reached 100 without loss in the powerplay, a record for Indian men's T20I cricket, but were unable to carry that momentum into the back half of the innings, eventually finishing on 221 for seven.

Abhishek Sharma's 30-ball century was the centrepiece of the powerplay burst and the first such powerplay hundred in Gambhir's tenure as head coach. However, the collapse in the last five overs cost India the chance to push close to or beyond 300, which remains the target Gambhir has now set publicly for the team.

India's previous best T20I totals of 297 against Bangladesh and 283 for one against South Africa show the side has come close to the 300-run barrier before. Gambhir's challenge to his players is to convert that potential into a landmark score, using the squad's depth and special talent to go where no Indian men's T20I side has gone before.