Fun & Favorite Cricket 5 Shots for Young Stars (With Simple Tips!)..

Every Cricket batsman wants to play well to become the best batsman. It takes blood, sweat, and hard work to reach the heights. Not all players play the same way; not everyone’s batting is perfect; it has to be developed. If we talk about our Indian team player Virat Kohli, his drives are naturally excellent. If we talk about some legends like Rohit Sharma, his pull short comes organically.

Here are a few Cricket shots you need to know and how you can improve them :

• Drive Shot
  • Square Drive
  • Cover Drive
  • On Drive
• Cut Shot
• Pull Shot
• Hook Shot
• Sweep Shot

Drive Shot :

First, when you want to hit a drive shot, you’ll need to practice hitting the ball with the middle of the bat. This shot requires hitting the ball along the ground, with a straight bat and a complete follow-through. To improve your drives, keep your base strong and use proper technique.

• Square Drive : In cricket, the square drive is considered a powerful shot; it is a front-foot shot. It is played on an overpitched ball or outside the off stump. The shot is aimed at hitting the ball through the covers. To do this, the front foot needs to be brought forward and slightly crossed. To help it pass the ball through the gap, the front knee needs to be bent, and a high backlift is used to create momentum for the bat swing, allowing it to swing horizontally.
  
  The best square-drive player in cricket was Virat kohli.

How to improve upon it : Raise the bat with a high backswing to create sufficient momentum. Shift your weight toward the shot with your head, and turn your front shoulder to show a slight back to the bowler. Step your front foot toward the pitch of the ball and bend your front knee to bring the shot close to your body.

• Cover Drive : A shot played through the off side, usually with a full face of the bat and a straight bat.
  
  The best Cover-drive player in cricket was Sachin Tendulkar.

How to improve upon it : The key to this shot is to keep your bat straight, and your eyes on the ball at all times, and especially to use good footwork to get into the correct position. Keep your front foot in line with the ball. Keep your head over your front knee to prevent the ball from flying. Move your hands through the target area.

• On Drive : To hit this shot, you typically use a full bat face and a straight bat. To improve your on-drive, focus on keeping the bat straight, keeping your eyes on the ball, and using good footwork to get into the correct position. This shot is played on the on-side.
  
  The best On-drive player in cricket was Ajinkya Rahane.

How to improve upon it : The on-drive is a cricket shot played on the on-side, hitting a full-length or good-length ball down the ground towards the long-on boundary, using a straight bat. To execute it, a batsman moves their head forward to the line of the ball, steps with the front foot, dips the front shoulder, and swings the bat with a high backswing.

Cut Shot :

This shot involves hitting the ball hard and across the line of the ball, using a horizontal bat and an angled follow-through. To improve your cut shots, practice getting your feet into position and using a clean, crisp action.

The best Cut-Shot player in cricket was Virat kohli.

Execution of a Cut Shot :

1. Footwork :
   The batsman moves their back foot backwards and across the line of the ball, while the back knee bends to create a strong, balanced position. 
2. Backlift: 
   A high backlift is used, allowing the bat to come down from a high to a low position, generating power from gravity and strong hand-eye coordination. 
3. Contact: 
   The ball is hit late, after it has passed the batsman, with a horizontal bat swing. 
4. Head Position: 
   The head remains over the ball, controlled and looking at the point of contact. 

Pull Shot :

A cricket pull shot is an aggressive back-foot shot played at a short-pitched ball, usually between waist and chest height. The ball is hit powerfully towards the leg side using a horizontal bat.

The best Pull-Shot player in cricket was Rohit Sharma.

How to Play a Pull Shot :

1. Recognize the Ball : 
   The pull shot is played to a short-pitched delivery that bounces short of the wicket and rises to between hip and chin height. 
2. Footwork : 
   Take a step backward and across with your back foot to get into a strong position. This movement helps you get your body in line with the ball. 
3. Body Position : 
   Rotate your upper body towards the stumps, aligning your trunk and pelvis with the short ball. 
4. Hands and Bat : 
   A high back lift is required, with the hands and back elbow raised high.

Hook Shot :

To play the hook shot, it is very important to have a vertical bat and a flicking stroke. There is not much difference between the hook shot and the pull shot, yes, but there are slight differences between the two. Hook shot is played on deliveries which are above the chest. This shot is more risky than the pull shot, because the ball goes very high and the chances of the batsman getting caught out increases.

The best Hook-Shot player in cricket was Kumar Sangakkara.

How to Play the Hook Shot :

1. Footwork: Get quickly into position by moving your back foot and opening up your body while staying behind the ball. 
2. Eyes on the Ball: Maintain constant eye contact with the ball to judge its bounce and line. 
3. Swing: As you swing the bat, extend your arms fully to make contact with the ball in the middle of the bat. 
4. Pivoting: Keep your weight on the back foot, allowing you to pivot and get around the ball to hit it square or fine on the leg side. 

Sweep Shot :

A sweep shot is a cross-batted front-foot shot in cricket, where the batsman kneels on one knee and swings the bat horizontally to hit a low-bouncing delivery, typically from a spinner, toward the leg side. It is an effective way to counter spin and rotate the strike but requires precise technique, timing, and the ability to read the bowler’s variations to avoid mistiming and getting out.

The best Sweep-Shot player in cricket was Joe Root.

Key Technique :

1. Stance and Weight Transfer : 
   As the ball is delivered, transfer weight forward and step towards the line of the ball. 
2. Knee and Head Position : 
   Kneel on your back leg, bringing the front knee down and bending it deeply. Keep your head and eyes focused on the ball, positioned over your front knee. 
3. Bat Swing : 
   Bring the bat down in a horizontal arc, from a high backlift to a high-to-low position through the ball.

Asia’s Indian Team List in Qbizaa.