Along with fierce rivalries, cricket also brings the joy of entertainment to the people. Ever since its inception, the sport has continuously evolved. The evolution not only refers to the rules and formats here but to the playing styles as well. We all have witnessed some jaw-dropping creativity and dynamism in the sport, especially from the batsmen. Thinking way beyond the normal book of batting shots, some chose innovation as their path. Honestly speaking, people have gone bananas whenever they come across something unconventional! The ability of the players to leave the audience in awe is simply amazing. Some batsmen have introduced us to shots that we can never get bored of and watch them on repeat. Hailing to all the groundbreaking shots, we bring you a list of 10 best innovative cricket shots ever played!
10. The Marillier Hit
A kind of pioneer to play the scoop shot, Dougie Marillier, a former Zimbabwean cricketer, adopted an unconventional approach way back. He is often considered to be the inventor of the ramp shot. Marillier introduced it even before the boom of T20s began. A ramp shot is not exactly same, but however, is similar to a scoop shot. The batsman outstretches the bat as a ramp in front of him and flicks the ball backwards. It was not extant in any cricket dictionary a few years back but now almost every batsman has gotten the hang of it. The English cricketer, Jos Buttler is among the ones to play it with utmost perfection.
9. Paddle Sweep
In a paddle sweep the ball is diverted towards fine leg while extending the bat horizontally towards the bowler. On the other hand, a normal sweep is a cross-batted shot played to a low-bouncing and turning ball. Although it’s unclear who came up with this shot, but nonetheless, it has been of utmost use against the spinners. However, some credit the late English cricketer Colin Cowdrey behind this useful innovation. Greats like Sachin Tendulkar, Yuvraj Singh, etc. are famous to make use of this cheeky shot.
8. Reverse Sweep
In contrast to the normal cross-batted sweep, the Reverse Sweep is played in the opposite direction to the standard sweep. Hence, the ball is swept to the off-side, towards a backward point or the third-man. This shot is present in almost every batter’s arsenal in the modern game. The former Pakistani all-rounder Mushtaq Mohammad introduced this shot to the cricketing world. And we all know how well this shot has progressed over the years! The Reverse Sweep is effectively used by the likes of Eoin Morgan, AB de Villiers, Glenn Maxwell, etc.
Also Read: 10 Greatest Finishers in Cricket History
7. Switch Hit
The Switch Hit is a modern-day innovation the world of cricket has seen. The batsman changes the stance from a right-hander to left-hander and vice-versa, just before the bowler delivers the ball. Moreover, the implementation of this shot requires considerable amount of strength. It is more like an explosive advanced version of the reverse sweep. Former England Captain, Kevin Pietersen invented this shot. In 2006, Pietersen demonstrated it for the first time in a test match against Sri Lanka while facing Muttiah Muralitharan. One of the most difficult shots, players like David Warner and Glenn Maxwell have also learnt how to ace it.
6. Short Arm Jab
A powerful arm is the pre-requisite for a batsman to nail this shot. If one has this in the armoury, lack of space shall never stop the batsman from scoring big. All in all, the short arm jab is a slog, only without the massive bat swing. Despite being short, a thunderous jab of the bat holds the potential to drive the ball out of the ground. There is a setback that it can lead to a soft dismissal due to the cross-bat swing. Nevertheless, if one knows their way around it, then that is enough. And who knows what risk might pave the way for a new innovation!
5. Periscope Shot
We have Soumya Sarkar’s Periscope Shot as well among the best innovative cricket shots ever played. The Bangladeshi player found an opportunity where most batsmen struggled to play a swinging ball at rib height, just outside the off-stump. With little space to face the delivery, Sarkar used his bat to lob the ball over the in-field. Sarkar played this shot against the South African Kyle Abbott over the third man area. Not to forget, it is an impeccable skill to have up your sleeve during the power-play!
Also Read: Virender Sehwag’s Six Unbreakable Cricket Records
4. Upper Cut
An Upper Cut lets you hit an off-stump bouncer towards the third-man region. The batsmen position themselves under the short delivery and direct it over the slips to the third-man boundary. Time and again, the Upper Cut has been helpful against fast bowlers to counter their short deliveries. In addition to this, batsmen make use of it when the third-man is inside the ring. Now the batsmen know how to respond to a fast-swinging shoulder-length ball! The Master Blaster, Sachin Tendulkar is the man behind the creativity of this shot. His first time execution against Pakistan in the 2003 World Cup was outstanding.
3. Dilscoop
The Dilscoop is eponymous to the former Sri Lanka cricketer Tillakaratne Dilshan as he invented the shot. Whether it is a length or short length delivery, the stroke requires a cricketer to go down on one knee. It is played against a fast or medium-paced bowler. The aim to is to chip the ball over the head of the wicketkeeper and make it traverse through the boundary. This subtle scoop when used against the pace of the bowlers really left them frustrated! Dilshan bid farewell to the days where batsmen were invited to play straight while the slip quadroon waited for the prey.
2. Reverse Ramp Shot
Out of all the innovations, this is the one that has been played only once! The Australian Dan Christian has pulled it off so far. In a Big Bash League game between Brisbane Heat and Melbourne Stars, he moved to his off-side, thereby creating room for playing the ramp shot. Noticing his movement, the bowler followed and delivered a full toss outside off-stump. Christian improvised at the nick of the moment, and played a stupefying reverse ramp shot. This definitely is one of those moments in cricket that left the audiences spellbound Short of words here, checkout the video below and you’ll know why it is a loop-worthy watch.
Also Read: Top 5 Players with Most Sixes in International Cricket
1. Helicopter Shot
You already knew this was going to be number 1 in this list of best innovative cricket shots ever played! Undoubtedly, this is one of the most prominent shots in the world of cricket. In simple words, ‘Yorker, who?’ defines the Helicopter Shot. It comes into play against fast or medium-paced bowlers for hitting boundaries on the yorker and full-length deliveries. The batsman flicks the ball towards the leg side, effectuating the stroke by twisting the bat in an overhead circle. Honestly, this shot is not easy to play and requires humongous strength. Playing this shot since his early days, we all know Mahi kaise maarta hai!
For more such engaging content, stay tuned with thesportslite.com
Comments are closed.