Cricket keeps getting more exciting as players come up with new ways to score runs. With helmets protecting their heads, modern batsmen can be bolder and try out never-before-seen strokes. One such innovation is the switch hit where a batsman changes their stance to hit the ball from the opposite side.
Kevin Pietersen
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Kevin Pietersen gets the credit for bringing the switch hit to the big stage. Unlike a reverse sweep where you just adjust your grip Pietersen would completely switch to a left-handed stance almost like a natural lefty. This surprised bowlers and gave him an edge.
David Warner
Seeing Pietersen’s success other batsmen like David Warner started using the switch hit. Warner, a powerful hitter like Pietersen loves to smash sixes. But he also uses the switch hit cleverly to confuse the bowler’s field placement often sending the ball sailing over the boundary in white-ball cricket.
Colin Munro
New Zealand’s Colin Munro is another master of the switch hit. He changes to a right-handed stance, especially against bowlers who spin the ball away from him. This makes the ball come towards him instead of going away giving him a better chance to hit it cleanly.
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He famously smashed a six over the point boundary using the switch hit against India’s Ravichandran Ashwin in a T20 World Cup match.
AB de Villiers
AB de Villiers is known for his incredible range of shots. While he doesn’t use the full switch hit often, he has a special trick up his sleeve. He plays a “reverse lap” shot where he subtly changes his grip without changing his stance.
This allows him to hit the ball behind the wicketkeeper and the fielder at short third man for runs. But de Villiers can also unleash the full switch hit when needed.
Rishabh Pant
India’s young talent, Rishabh Pant is another exciting switch hitter. Though he has not used it much in international cricket he has shown great control over the shot while playing in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Cricket fans are looking forward to seeing more of his switch-hitting skills in the future!
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