3 Most innovative batsmen in the cricketing world

#2 Jos Buttler (England)

Jos Buttler playing a paddle shot

The wicket-keeper batsman has evolved into a player who can play in all formats of the game. He is also one of the most creative and innovative players and can play shots all around the ground. He made high ground in last season's IPL when he opened the batting and scored 428 runs in six innings for the Rajasthan Royals enabling them to reach the playoffs.

He has slowly started his ascent in the ICC Rankings as well and has moved up from 42nd position to 19th position in ODIs and from 64th to 22nd in Test Rankings. He has become hot property in T20 leagues all over the world and is a vital cog in the England national side.

He can play almost every shot in the book and has a very good switch hit and paddle sweep. He also goes way outside off stump and scoops the ball above the keeper and always finds a way to score, which makes him a good finisher as well.

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#1 AB De Villiers ( South Africa)

AB De Villiers

Widely regarded as one of the best cricketers in the world, De Villiers can strike fear into the hearts of any bowler. His arsenal of shots is unmatched and he is one player who plays the same way on all pitches and is very consistent.

One of the IPL greats and a fan favorite in India, 'MR. 360' can play all the shots in the book while continuously inventing more. His records and contributions to the Royal Challengers Bangalore alongside Virat Kohli have made him a special cricketer.

He recently announced his retirement from international cricket but much to the delight of his fans, said that he'll continue playing T20 cricket in leagues all over the world. He has 8765 runs in test matches, 9577 ODI runs at an average of 53 and strikes rate of 101.50 which is phenomenal. He has an even better T20 record, 6649 runs at an average of 39 and strike rate of 152.

He plays the reverse sweep, switch hit, paddle sweep, paddle scoop and goes for the delicate flicks and chips over players standing in the circle and can also play the conventional shots very well. Known for his destructive big hitting, this star will look to perform for his side Tshwane Spartans in the Mzanzi Super League in South Africa where he smashed a 31 ball 93 in a warm-up game.