Tillakaratne Dilshan - 5 reasons why Sri Lanka Cricket will be poorer without him

4) Innovative shot-making

Tillakaratne Dilshan playing the dilscoop

Straight drive, cover drive, dilscoop, pull shot, hook. Notice the anamoly? Such was Dilshan’s ability to manufacture a shot, that a shot was named after him. The ‘Dilscoop’, an aggresive shot played to a length ball over the head of the keeper became one of the most effective weapons in the limited overs formats of the game.

Many have tried to ape the shot, but no one has come close to pulling it off as effectively as the Sri Lankan batsman did. Apart from the dilscoop, Dilshan had the ability to cut and pull the ball very effectively, with a rapid bat-swing that made him very tough to bowl to.