The Helicopter Shot in Cricket Explained
The helicopter shot is MS Dhoni's trademark delivery — a wristy, spinning follow-through hit played to a full ball at the death, generating power through extreme wrist rotation. Here is how it works.
The helicopter shot is a T20-era batting stroke associated most closely with MS Dhoni, though it has since been adopted by several other power-hitters. It is played to a low full-pitched or yorker-length delivery on leg stump, generating extreme power through a rapid rotation of the wrists and forearms rather than a conventional bat swing. The follow-through is a complete overhead rotation of the bat — resembling helicopter blades — giving the shot its name.
How is it played?
As the ball arrives full and on leg stump, the batter drops their hands low and scoops the bat face upward with maximum wrist rotation, generating a powerful upward flick. The bat continues through in a full circular motion above the head. The timing window is narrow — the shot must be played late, when the ball is almost at the feet, to generate the upward momentum needed to clear the boundary.
When is it used?
The helicopter shot is primarily a death-overs stroke — used when the fielding side bowls yorkers and full balls aimed at the base of the stumps to prevent a conventional swing. By picking the ball up from a low position and generating power purely through wrist speed, the batter converts what should be a dot ball into a six. It is particularly effective to the leg side, where the ball is angled to make conventional hitting difficult.
Can others play it?
Several batters have attempted the helicopter shot with varying success — Kieron Pollard, Hardik Pandya, and Suryakumar Yadav have all played versions of it. It is widely taught in batting academies as a death-overs option, though coaches note that without Dhoni's extreme wrist strength and late timing, a mistimed version often results in a miscue or a top edge to fine leg rather than a clean six.