Cricket Batting Techniques: Every Shot and Stroke Explained

Cricket batting is the most technically varied skill in any team sport. A batter must play a full range of strokes to score in all conditions — traditional Test technique drives off the front foot, while T20 demands scoops, ramps, and reverse sweeps. This guide covers the full vocabulary of batting shots.

Foundational Batting Stance and Grip

Good batting starts before the ball is bowled. The stance should be side-on, balanced weight on both feet, knees slightly flexed. The grip should be with both 'V' shapes of thumb and forefinger pointing down the back of the bat handle — not a fist grip. Head position should keep both eyes facing the bowler.

Off-Side Attacking Strokes

• Cover drive — played off the front foot to a full delivery angled towards cover
• Off drive — straight-ish front-foot drive through the off side, slightly straighter than cover drive
• Square drive / square cut — horizontal-bat shot played off the back foot to a short wide ball; sends ball through point
• Upper cut — late variant of the cut played to a very short ball; lofts it over gully/third slip
• Extra cover drive — slightly wider cover drive, angled between cover and mid-off

On-Side / Leg-Side Attacking Strokes

• On drive — front foot drive angled through mid-on; requires high elbow and inside-out swing
• Flick — wrist-driven leg-side shot to deliveries on leg stump or angling in
• Glance / leg glance — fine touch angling a delivery down to fine leg using minimal force
• Pull shot — back-foot horizontal bat stroke to a short ball; hits towards mid-wicket/square leg
• Hook shot — variant of the pull to a bouncer aimed at the body or head; risk of top edge

Straight Bat Defensive Strokes

• Forward defensive — front foot forward, bat angled down, no follow-through; deadens the ball
• Back defensive — back foot moved back and across, bat angle tight to pad; absorbs good-length balls

Modern T20 / Unorthodox Strokes

• Sweep — front foot forward to spinner, horizontal bat, hits towards backward square leg
• Reverse sweep — same as sweep but bat is reversed; hits the ball to the off side unexpectedly
• Switch hit — batter changes hand position mid-delivery to play as a left-hander
• Slog sweep — high-power variant of the sweep aimed for the leg-side boundary
• Ramp / scoop — ball flicked up over the keeper's head towards fine leg; used against pace
• Ramp over extra cover — similar to scoop but ball is launched over the off side cordon
• Helicopter shot — MS Dhoni's signature; bottom hand wrist rotation at impact sends ball into the crowd
• Dilscoop — named after Tillakaratne Dilshan; played outside off, lifts ball over backward point
• Paddle sweep — gentle edge-of-bat deflection towards fine leg against spin

Front Foot vs Back Foot Play

Full deliveries (pitching up near the batter's feet) are best played off the front foot — stepping forward to meet the ball. Short deliveries (pitching near halfway) are played off the back foot — stepping back and across to create room. A good batter decides front or back foot in the first half-second of a delivery based on length.

Bowler delivers a ball that pitches just outside off stump, back of a length. Batter reads 'short' and shifts weight to back foot. The ball rises to hip height and angles towards the off side — perfect length for a square cut. Batter plays a back-foot cut, opening the face of the bat, ball streaks through point to the boundary.

Attacking vs Defensive Intent

Tests demand a batter can switch between attack and defence fluently. A score of 50 in 180 balls in Test cricket is normal; the same batter in T20 must score 50 in 30 balls. Stroke selection reflects format, match situation, pitch, fielding positions, and partnership needs — not just which shot feels good.