Friday, March 29, 2024

Top 7 Power Hitters in Modern Day Cricket

Cricket has changed a lot. Bats are getting heavier, boundaries smaller, and the powerplay rules started to favour the batsman more. Wickets, nowadays, are made with the intent of providing entertainment, and most importantly, the use of two new balls in ODI seemed like a final nail in the bowler’s coffin.

With all these batsmen-favoring factors, the power-hitting in Cricket is still not an easy task. To be literally honest, the batsman are not against a street cricketer. International bowlers of the present know how to adapt to scenarios and are backed up with strategists and experienced mentors.

Of course, the six-hitting techniques of the batsmen have evolved in cricket– a big thanks to T20 cricket. But have you ever wondered what goes on the batsmen’s mind before he sends the ball out of the park with the accurate calculation? What kind of skill set is required to be the most destructive batsmen of this era?

Let’s get into the technical analysis and the factors that make our chosen seven modern-day cricketers’ six-hitting techniques and ability more special.

Top 7 Power Hitters in Modern Day Cricket

1. Rohit Sharma

Rohit Sharma has this superpower of clearing the boundaries without any fuss. He will just stand and deliver, like a hitman!

What makes him Special?

His flawless timing

Timing is the keyword with which you can define him. Rohit’s sheer timing helps him in making lofted straight drives effortlessly.

Rhythmic bat-swing

If you look at Rohit’s bat swing, you can see a complete arc of the bat with the stylish follow through. And the way he completes a shot had even helped him when he mishit the ball.

Natural hand-eye coordination

Incase of sighting the ball, the hitman is gifted with an x-factor like what Virender Sehwag had. No matter how fast the ball is bowled to them, they both could take extra seconds to play their shot. It’s because of their extraordinary hand-eye coordination.

Hitman’s Pull-shot

Pull shot is what the hitman is known for. Rohit adjusts his back foot toe in the direction where he wants to hit it in the legside. The front leg just has to transfer weight to the back leg. Meanwhile, he never takes his eyes out of the ball that helps him to balance the head position. Eventually, the x-factor will come into play.

Get detailed analysis on Rohit Sharma’s Pull shot and the stats in our in-focus special!

Like other batsmen, Rohit doesn’t have to wait on his back foot, pull shot comes naturally to him like defending or leaving a good length ball. In fact, he’s far away from predetermined shots. And that’s why he is more successful in pulling and hooking the cricket ball.

Well, six-hitting is not the only super ability he is possessed with. He is a master of playing the long innings in all formats. Once he gets a flow in a pitch, he can bash the bowlers all around the park. Rohit Sharma is the only batsman to hit 3 ODI double centuries and more than 200 sixes in ODI in a single decade. Along with Virat Kohli, Rohit is one of the best batsman of the last decade.

2. Andre Russell

Ruthless hitting is the identity of this Caribbean cricketer. Andre Russell just loves hitting the cricket ball as hard as he can.

What makes him Special?

Great athleticism

Russell is a great athlete with natural flexibility a batsman should have. It is almost like sending the ball out of the park is his primary mission. Moreover, that helps him hit monstrous sixes.

The Typical Jamaican is fit both physically and mentally. And that is why he is very good at handling pressure situations.

His macho bat-swing

If the bowler bowls it in his arc, then there is no alternative. Russell’s powerful bat flow can even send the greatest of the restricting deliveries beyond the boundary.

Robust contact-point

The power generated precisely at the point of contact with the ball is what is quirky about him. The bat swing takes an extra push just before meeting the ball.

The mid-wicket slogs

The hardest hitter of the cricket ball in the modern days, is specifically fond of the mid-wicket region to go over the roof. Especially his slogger sweep with magnificent bat swing is a delight for the eyes.

With the flexible batting techniques and the brutal power-hitting ability, Andre Russell has produced 52 sixes in just 14 matches he played in the IPL 2019. And the tournament showcased his six-hitting ability to a massive audience globally. He is a perfect finisher of the game that any franchise would wish to have.

3. Chris Gayle

Christopher Henry Gayle is the Sachin Tendulkar of T20 cricket in terms of the runs he has produced in this format, which wouldn’t have been possible without his six-hitting ability.

What makes him Special?

His quick hands

The Windies batsman picks the ball more comfortably than any other player in the game. The power he muscles for a boundary cannot be felt through his body language but with the distance the ball covers.

Amazing reflex

Chris Gayle stands tall, and he never hesitates to bend down for tackling the toe crushers. On the other hand, he never finds it difficult to react to the surprising bouncers. This kind of reflexes from a massive bloke is just amazing. He can also make wider balls look an easy task with his long hands.

His batting muscles

Gayle’s bat swing is quick, and that gets him under the ball quite easily. He is not the fastest in the ground, but when it comes to hard-hitting, he is the one with the strongest and quickest batting muscles.

The big bat swing

Christopher Henry Gayle doesn’t use his footwork much, but the swing of his bat is enough to make him the sixer king of cricket.

The Universe Boss is a pure entertainer, who has hit a whopping number of 978 sixes so far in his T20 career. Moreover, he is the only cricketer ever in International cricket who has hit more than 500 sixes in all formats.

4. Glenn Maxwell

A complete entertainer– Glenn Maxwell uses his bat like a sword.

What makes him Special?

Smart batsman

Maxie is always aware of the field placements. Adding to that, he has got a complete package of shots to take the lead against the bowlers.

A good batsman doesn’t go over the fielder for a six. Instead, he will find gaps to go in the air. Maxie is one of that kind, and he is also fantastic in inventing shots for the maximums.

His shot making

The Victorian cricketer has the strength to whack the fastest of bowlers over the roof of the mid-wicket region. And at the same time, he can make switch hits to send the ball over sweeper cover and point region.

His cricketing book contains scoop shot, reverse scoop, hook shot, and switch hit. When it comes to hitting down the ground, he uses his power along with sheer timing. Moreover, he is able to convert his shots worthwhile.

His wrist work

Pliant wrists are the base of his improvisation of shots. Infact, he uses his wrist at the last fraction of second to guide the ball towards the spot where he wants to hit.

Brutal knocks from Maxwell have made him one of the toughest hitter of the cricket ball. He is also one of the very few batsmen to hit 3 T20 international centuries.

5. AB De Villiers

The edge of the seats is where the audience belongs when this 360-degree batsman is on display. One can definitely assure that AB De Villiers is the batsman who has the most number of shots among the top batsmen list.

What makes him Special?

The scoop-ish sweeps

Flexibility is the key to his unreal batting. Infact, he can even make a clear hit over the wicketkeeper for a six. The scoop-ish sweep that he makes to guide the ball between fine leg and long leg is the most amusing thing you could witness in a cricket field.

His quicker shuffles

ABD uses the whole crease box when he gets into the flow. And also he is so quick to move hither and thither. Besides, he has got the inborn reflexes that help him to tackle the ball without any pressure.

The lofted straight drives

When it comes to bookish shots, ABD can deliver them in his style too. The RCBian is equally strong with his lofted straight drives. The amount of bat and energy he involves when he smashes the ball down the ground, followed with the completion of shots behind the shoulder is something exceptional.

Wide range of shots

When a batsman contains three to five shots for a single delivery, he becomes impenetrable for bowlers in the shorter formats. 

That makes setting fielders for ABD, a headache for the opposition skippers. He can have your third man and the fine leg up in the boundary line with his lap scoops, which will push you to bring your midwicket, sweeper cover, or straight fielders inside the circle.

ABD can always find places in the field to take the lead with his wide range of shots. And that makes him the lethal batsman to bowl to.

Not just the insane six-hitting skills, De Villiers, with his multiple qualities in batting, can adapt to any formats and conditions. And, that is why he is one of the only two players in the game to have 50+ batting average in both ODI and Test Cricket.

6. Eoin Morgan

Eoin Morgan is a kind of player who fancies to go for six rather than picking singles. The way the English batsman reaches downtown is something unique.

What makes him Special?

His high handle-grip

Morgan is a batsman who enjoys the long handle shots like how Adam Gilchrist does. On the other hand, it has helped him to be more aggressive. And also, his grip has provided him a larger arc to cover.

Top hand domination

What makes his shots more delightful is his mighty top hand. Even the pull shots from him reveal some extraordinary use of the top hand, and it is flexible too.

His flexile hip

The Ireland-born English cricketer is good at rotating his hips while making shots in the legside, which makes his pull shots performed, more effectively.

The exceptional straight drives

The English skipper has got the quickest hands to produce impactful lofted straight drives. It looks like that the sweet spot of his bat is placed a little lower than the other batsman. His powerful contact with the ball has always been magical.

This modern-day cricketer has set a new tone of bashing in modern Cricket. He also holds the world record for the most number of sixes hit in a single ODI innings – 17.

7. Hardik Pandya

The Indian all-rounder who obtains more exposure from IPL has turned out to be the monstrous hitter of the cricket ball. His six-hitting ability has gone to the pro-level in recent years. A lean body with an unbelievable flow of energy has always been his strength.

What makes him Special?

His higher back-lift

Hardik creates momentum for his shots with his higher bat lift. And that produces the more than necessary power for his big shots. Especially against spinners, his bat lift is even more elevated and effective.

His bat swing

It is definitely the most crucial factor he owns. His bat swing is both powerful and quick. In addition, that enables him to wait for the ball. Especially for spinners, he just waits for the ball to reach his arc.

The natural timing

The sharp timing that comes in with the masterly bat flow is a deadly combo. When Hardik produces the combo, it’s like bursts of crackers. Moreover, when Hardik hits it, it is more stupendous to watch the ball sail over the fence.

The shots to downtown

The Baroda all-rounder doesn’t go for fancy shots like scoop or switch hits. Instead, he is more reliable on the power-hitting shots down the ground with his bottom hand. Similarly, he is one of the right executors of helicopter shots, especially in the mid-wicket region.

Waiting for his comeback? Are you? If there is one thing that is stopping this Indian all-rounder, it is his fitness. Playing in all three formats, Hardik has to be very cautious in keeping his body fit. With him being out of the Indian side for quite some time, he must be raring to go now. Get set to witness the miracles that this supreme talent is about to attain.

Conclusion

To conclude, we can see the bat swing and timing have been more common among all those players on the list. More than anything, it must be their aggressive mindset that sets them apart from others. After all, Cricket is mostly a mind game rather than physical. The way they plan to dominate the bowlers with the use of the skillset makes them the great six hitters.

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