5 batsmen who can continue the "Dilscoop" legacy

T20 cricket has necessitated the advent of unorthodox shots to come up with more innovative ways of outfoxing the bowlers and scoring runs. One such shot, which is more effective and aesthetic, is the scoop shot which opens up the leg-side behind the wicket.

Though first popularized by Douglas Marillier against India before the age of T20 cricket, it was Tillakaratne Dilshan who perfected the shot as the most effective way of scoring runs behind the wicket.

Though many modern-day batsmen try to play the cheeky shot, the 'Dilscoop', as it has come to be known after Dilshan, has been perfected the most by very few batsmen in modern cricket. Let us look at five such batsmen who can execute this difficult shot perfectly and continue the legacy of the 'Dilscoop'.

---

#5 Sarfaraz Khan

One of the finds of the IPL 2015 season was the Indian teenage sensation Sarfaraz Khan. Having been signed up for Rs. 50 lakhs by the Royal Challengers Bangalore, Sarfaraz became one of the youngest players to feature in the IPL.

Undaunted by his young age or the grand occasion, Sarfaraz carved out masterful performances with the bat throughout the season. Playing primarily the role of a finisher, his short cameos helped the RCB in quite a few successful run-chases that season.

The most eye-catching aspect of his game was the unorthodox aspect of it. He was never frightened to get down on one knee to sweep or scoop the faster bowlers. Things went downhill for him in the 2015 season as he was dropped from the RCB team by the skipper Virat Kohli because of his alleged fitness issues.

Sarfaraz has however also performed well at the U-19 level where he has combined his unorthodoxy with his consistency. If he seals a berth in the Indian side in the near future, we might get to see a lot of scoops from this talented right-hander.

#4 Suryakumar Yadav

One of the best and most underrated players for the Kolkata Knight Riders is Suryakumar Yadav. Yadav who usually stays under the radar with his calm and composed persona, has been a terrific player for his IPL franchise over the last few seasons.

The best thing about Yadav is that he gets the job done in an almost unnoticed manner by scoring quickly with cheeky shots. He particularly favours the leg-side having perfected the exotic scoops and flicks to a tee. He uses his strength to walk across the stumps and lap balls for sixes over the fine leg boundary.

Yadav has time and again proven his skills as a great finisher and brings commitment along with performance to his side. He has certainly grown as a player over the last few seasons of the IPL.

#3 Dinesh Karthik

Before MS Dhoni made his debut and went on to establish himself as the permanent wicket-keeper for India, Dinesh Karthik was one of the men with the gloves who hoped to establish themselves in the team. He got quite a few chances during which he made a name for himself more for his athletic keeping than batting.

Much later, he made an unlikely comeback to the Indian team for a brief period solely as a specialist middle-order batsman. During that period, though he was in and out of the team, he remained a much sought-after player in the IPL, attracting astronomical bids from the various franchises.

Over the years, Karthik evolved into a commendable batsman who can improvise and score some quick runs in T20 cricket. The scoop shots, executed with a great degree of cleverness, remain his speciality yielding him big runs. He can also play contrasting styles of knocks depending on the situation of the match.

#2 Jos Buttler

It cannot be denied that England have turned over a new leaf ever since their failure in the last World Cup. The team has undergone a makeover and the new breed of young English cricketers play fearless cricket. The result was there for everyone to see in the World T20 this year.

Jos Buttler who epitomizes this new-look, fearless brand of English cricket is a vital cog in their wheel. He can hit the ball a country mile and then switch himself on at any moment whenever the team needs to score fast runs. His reputation for big hitting fetched him bids for astronomical sums in this year's IPL.

The best thing about Buttler is his ability to play unconventional shots. He prefers the leg-side where he skilfully manoeuvres the ball with his deft scoops and unorthodox sweeps. His skill was on display when England recently posted the world-record score of 444-3 against Pakistan.

Though Alex Hales was brilliant at the top, it was Buttler with his unorthodox shots who powered England to the ridiculous total. The team management rate him highly and he is slated to lead England in Morgan's absence in the Bangladesh tour.

#1 AB de Villiers

What can one say of AB de Villiers? The South African maverick is so good that many ardent fans like to believe that he is the best batsman in the world at present. For the outrageous skill that he possesses, he has earned the sobriquet of 'Lionel Messi of cricket'.

Of all the modern day batsmen, De Villiers is perhaps the most unconventional. He can go down on his knees to sweep and scoop fast bowlers at will. In fact, when he is on song, his scoops make him an impossible batsman to bowl to.

His 162 off 66 balls against the West Indies in the 2015 World Cup was the example of one such innings, when he was at his devastating best. Though he can play the scoop in many ways, each of them are as effective for Mr. 360.