Unique shots by T20 batters

0 0 0 332 0

The T20 format has introduced several changes to the game, including unconventional shots by several batters:

1) Suryakumar Yadav’s helicopter flick: Yadav’s technique is an improvisation of the helicopter shot associated with MS Dhoni and involves wristwork to send the ball mid-wicket. Generally delivered with panache, a memorable example was during India’s fourth T20I against West Indies in early 2022 to a ball bowled by Obed McCoy, as well as the match against Hong Kong in the 2022 Asia Cup, to a ball bowled by Ayush Shukla.

2) Glenn Maxwell’s switch hit: While this shot was popularized by Kevin Pietersen, Maxwell has been one its most frequent hitters, who can effortlessly execute it against both fast bowlers and spinners. He recently demonstrated the shot against Kuldeep Yadav at an ODI in Manuka Oval in 2020, where the ball proceeded 100m into the stands. According to Maxwell, the only way for bowlers to tackle such shots is to adapt in tandem with the batters and their evolving game.

3) Rashid Khan’s snake shot: Khan’s infamous snake shot requires a flexibility of the wrist that can be hard to comprehend and is known to rotate back with an agility that has been likened to the motion of a snake. Khan has hit the shot often, including against Alzarri Joseph at the 2020 CPL and against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the 2022 IPL, in a shot which won the match for his team.

4) Ollie Pope’s wrong foot sweep: Pope’s unorthodox shot defies logic and has not been demonstrated too often. However, he has played it a few times, including against Rashid Khan and Shadab Khan. The shot involves moving the backfoot before the front, followed by the sweep. Pope himself has been unable to explain the effectiveness of the shot, which he has so far executed based on instinct, rather than logic.

5) Suryakumar’s techniques against the short ball: While other batters prefer to tackle short balls with a duck or a direct hit, Yadav can calculate the length of a ball and accordingly hit it with one of various shots. These include a hook, which was demonstrated against a ball bowled by Jofra Archer, a last moment scoop shot, and a direct ramp which sends the ball over the keeper’s head.