Innovative T20 Batting Shots: Ramp, Scoop, Paddle, and Reverse Sweep
T20 cricket's batting revolution has produced shots that didn't exist 20 years ago — the ramp over the wicket keeper, the scoop to fine leg, the paddle off a bouncer, and the reverse sweep. This guide covers these innovative shots, how they work technically, and which batsmen have mastered them.
T20 cricket's batting evolution has produced a set of shots specifically designed to exploit field placements that were fixed by conventional cricket thinking: if the bowling team expects only orthodox shots, they can set defensive fields that cover the traditional scoring zones. Innovative T20 shots exploit gaps in those traditional field settings — the ramp over the wicket keeper exploits the open fine leg area; the reverse sweep exploits the off-side field when the bowling team stacks the leg side; and the scoop deliberately hits against the ball's natural trajectory to exploit backward positions.
The Ramp
The ramp shot is played to a short or good-length delivery: the batsman either ducks under the ball (for a short delivery aimed at the head) or presents the bat face at a steep angle (for a full delivery), using the ball's own pace to direct it over the wicket keeper's head. The ball effectively 'ramps' off the bat face, gaining elevation, and lands behind the wicket at fine leg or third man for four or six. The ramp's danger: a mistimed ramp on a full delivery can be caught by the wicket keeper; an aerial ramp can be caught by any nearby fielder if not directed correctly.
The Scoop and Paddle
The scoop (or switch-scoop) hits the ball over fine leg from a full delivery — the batsman moves outside off stump, faces the ball from an open stance, and uses a scooping motion (bat angled upward) to direct the ball to fine leg. The Dilscoop (named after Tillakaratne Dilshan, Sri Lanka, who pioneered it) is played to a full delivery outside off — the batsman crouches and scoops the ball over their own head. The paddle is a softer shot version: a gentle push with the bat angled downward to deflect the ball to fine leg for a single — lower risk than the scoop (it stays low) but generates only singles rather than boundaries.
Reverse Sweep and Switch Hit
Reverse sweep: the batsman switches the bat grip so the bottom hand becomes the top hand, essentially becoming a left-handed batsman for one delivery. This converts the off side into the leg side and vice versa — if a spinner has a packed off-side field to contain a strong off-side player, the reverse sweep hits through the now-open leg side. Switch hit: an extreme version of the reverse sweep where the batsman completely changes their stance (right-handed batsman becomes left-handed) mid-delivery — this is legal under current Laws but controversial. Ben Stokes and Moeen Ali are England's switch-hit specialists; Kusal Perera (Sri Lanka) is the pioneer.
Frequently asked questions
What is the ramp shot in cricket?
The ramp shot is a T20 batting shot that directs the ball over the wicket keeper's head using the ball's own pace. For a short delivery: the batsman ducks under the ball and angles the bat face at the moment of contact, using the rising ball's momentum to send it backward over the keeper to fine leg or third man. For a full delivery: the batsman presents an angled bat face that ramps the ball up steeply. The shot exploits the field position behind the wicket — if fine leg or third man is in the ring (catching position), the ramp clears them for a boundary.
What is the Dilscoop in cricket?
The Dilscoop is a batting shot invented by Tillakaratne Dilshan (Sri Lanka) — the batsman moves outside off stump and scoops a full delivery over the wicket keeper's head to fine leg by crouching and angling the bat upward at contact. It is most effective against a full delivery just outside off stump bowled by a pace bowler. The shot's risk: the ball is close to the head, and a mistimed scoop can hit the batsman's body or be caught by the wicket keeper. Dilshan used the shot prolifically in T20 cricket, making it famous in the 2009 World T20.
Is the switch hit legal in cricket?
The switch hit (where a batsman completely changes their handedness mid-delivery — a right-hander becomes a left-hander) is legal under the Laws of Cricket as they currently stand. The batsman can change stance between the bowler starting their run-up and the moment of delivery — the field setting and mode of dismissal do not change (the bowler's LBW would still be assessed against the original stance). However, the legality has been contested — some argue the bowler cannot adjust their field or delivery type once the switch is made, creating an unfair advantage. The ICC has not banned it but ongoing debate exists.