Top 5 unorthodox shots invented by the players in cricket

Gone are the days when a ball outside the off-stump was meant to be hit through the off-side. Cricket, as a game, has evolved tremendously over the years.

Batsmen have become innovative with time and the out-of-the-box thinking has led to the invention of some new shots.

These shots have been strange but impactful. The popularity of these shots has meant that more and more playeers have adopted them.

Let us look at some of the most exciting unorthodox shots invented by the batsmen.

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#5 The upper-cut (Sachin Tendulkar)

Sachin Tendulkar is among the few legends to have played the game. His records speak for himself. He had a textbook-perfect batting technique. He had all the orthodox shots in his armoury and his straight drive was a treat to watch.

Although Tendulkar could take on any bowler in the world with his conventional batting, he was never shy of experimenting new shots.

The most popular unorthodox shot played by the Mumbaikar was the upper-cut. He would sit under the rising short ball and guide it over the slips to the third-man boundary.

The Little Master frequently played this shot against the likes of Shoaib Akhtar and Brett Lee.

#4 The Marillier shot (Douglas Marillier)

Marillier played the ramp shot to perfection

Dougie Marillier did not have a very long international career but his name is well-known in the cricketing circles.

The Zimbabwe batsman is famous for his unorthodox ramp shot against the fast bowlers. Off-late, the shot has become a regular one in T20 cricket.

The shot is, fittingly, named after him and is played by flicking a full-length delivery over the fine leg region. The ramp shot requires a lot of practice and is not the easiest of shots

Among the modern-day cricketers, AB de Villiers and Brendon McCullum play this shot on a regular basis. Dinesh Karthik is among the Indian players who consistently play the ramp shot.

#3 The switch-hit (Kevin Pietersen)

KP used to change his stance against the left-handers to play the switch-hit

Kevin Pietersen is another batsman who is known for his flamboyance. He has been a match-winner for England over the years.

KP is famously known for his switch-hit against the spinners. He has executed this shot with utmost perfection on numerous occasions.

The shot is played by a change of stance at the last moment. So, a right-handed batsman changes his stance to a left-handed one and vice versa, and goes for a slog. The ball invariably lands in the point or the cover boundary.

Glenn Maxwell and David Warner play this shot on a regular basis nowadays.

#2 The reverse-scoop (AB de Villiers)

AB de Villiers can play any shot in the world

Mr. 360, as he is popularly known, can be really unorthodox at times. He has played some of the most astonishing innings of all times.

However, one shot which can be totally attributed de Villiers' innovation is the reverse-scoop. What makes the shot all the more special is the fact that AB can play it against the fast bowlers who are bowling at 150 kmph.

He just changes the grip on the bat and flicks the ball over the third-man region. The reverse-scoop has been very effective in T20 cricket but it is a high-risk shot and it takes a lot of talent and skill to execute it.

#1 The helicopter shot (MS Dhoni)

The helicopter shot is among the toughest shots to execute

MS Dhoni does everything in an unorthodox manner. Be it his batting or his wicket-keeping, his ways of doing things have been unconventional but effective.

Dhoni's batting technique is quite opposite to the textbook technique. He doesn't bat with a high elbow or cover-drive the ball on the front foot. He has his own shots for scoring runs.

However, the most famous shot of MS Dhoni is the helicopter shot. Played to a yorker length delivery, the strong bottom handed swat takes the ball over the boundary line.

Dhoni has used this shot effectively over the years against bowlers like Lasith Malinga and it goes for a six, more often than not.