The unorthodox batting legends in cricket

In an era of short-lived memories and busy lives of the people, cricket remains a favourite world sport in terms of spectator enthusiasm, media coverage and participant interest. Though cricket probably is going through a phase where the memory of the audience is slowly fading with respect to the history of the games, the interest in the game still remains unaltered due to the entertainment quotient that is prevalent in the modern day cricket.

The unique playing styles adopted by a few batsmen are a source of unimaginable extravaganza to the millions of fans who love to see their favourite cricketers perform well at the highest level. The batsmen who play the game the way it was never taught in the books have become darlings of the crowds.

The unorthodox style of batting has not only made the batsmen more popular but also has contributed to the success of the game in the recent past. We can definitely include those batsmen in the list of legends of all time for winning matches for their respective sides and also for potentiating the popularity of the game among the masses. Let’s discuss the batting styles of three such unorthodox yet very effective batsmen in world cricket who have already won the accolades of millions of fans across the world.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni: The then unknown ticket inspector, now an acclaimed dashing finisher

Mahendra Singh Dhoni unarguably is the most popular cricketer from India in the current generation of cricketers. Hailing from a small town Ranchi in the mining state of Jharkhand in India, Dhoni possesses unparalleled batting and wicket-keeping techniques that come from a different factory.

Dhoni announced his arrival in to world cricket with strong and memorable performances against Pakistan and Sri Lanka in the 2005/06 season. His knock of 183 not out in an ODI against Sri Lanka at Jaipur is the highest score by an Indian wicket-keeper till date. Experts had predicted that Dhoni would go on to play for India in all formats of the game for a long time and with no surprises, the prophecy has come true.

Dhoni is predominantly a back-foot player with a strongly marked bottom hand grip. With an ultra fast hand speed and hard hitting capability, Dhoni is an epitome of unorthodox style of batting in modern day cricket. Dhoni’s natural skill to hit the ball relatively long with minimal feet movement has made him popular among the crowds. The helicopter shot invented by Dhoni is as famous as the classical cover drive or the square cut.

Dhoni has a knack of accelerating the scoring rate at his will which is a rare phenomenon in a batsman. As he gradually came up through the ranks, Dhoni has acquired the reputation of a multi-faceted cricketer, who can finish the game with patience, rebuild the innings in crisis situations and hit those powerful sixers in the slog overs. His knock of 91 not out in the World Cup final against Sri Lanka in 2011 will be remembered by the fans for a long time. Having earned many rewards as a player and a captain, Dhoni is an inspiration to millions of aspiring cricketers across the world.

Chris Gayle: The new definition of thunderstorms and tsunamis

The name Gayle has become synonymous with violent electric storms as Christopher Henry Gayle has emerged as one of the most dangerous batsmen in the world with his brutal hitting and commanding presence at the crease.

A tall and imposing personality, this Jamaican left-hander, unlike his aggressive playing style, had a slow start to his international career which blossomed a little late when he scored three centuries in an ODI series against India in November 2002. Gayle’s marathon match saving innings of 317 in the last Test against South Africa in May 2005 proved his abilities to play in the longest format of the game. His match saving 165 not out in the second Test against Australia at Adelaide in Dec 2009 made him more dependable in that format.

Gayle’s biggest assets have been his hand-eye coordination and his brute power. He may not rely on traditional copy book shots and strong technique, but he counterbalances his game with other skills. His ability to gauge the length of the ball is commendable. Gayle was the first ever batsman to have scored a century in Twenty20 internationals. His 57 ball 117 against South Africa in the 2007 Twenty 20 World cup is a benchmark innings in the shortest form of the game. His recent innings of 175 not out in the IPL 2013 against Pune Warriors had an alarming impact on the bowlers who bowled to him.

With the thunderstorms he had created, Gayle would be remembered as the most dangerous batsman with an incomparable batting style to have ever played the game.

Adam Gilchrist: The Intelligent risk taker

Adam Gilchrist is one of the most invigorating cricketers of modern day cricket. Gilchrist has a special style of scoring runs at a brisk pace. Gilchrist’s assaulting batting style played a major part in Australia’s success. Gilchrist was a member of the Australian team that has won the 1999, 2003 and 2007 ODI World Cup campaigns. His 149 off 104 balls in the 2007 World Cup final against Sri Lanka still remains as the highest individual score in a World Cup final. After an illustrious international career that lasted for about 12 years, Gilchrist retired from international cricket in early 2008.

Employing a high handle grip, Gilchrist had a natural flair to find the gaps with an exceptional ease which made his batting look superior over the other opening batsmen. His cut shots and pull shots became instantly famous and made the bowlers to re-think the line they had to bowl to this tall wicket-keeper batsman. Irrespective of the format he played, Gilchrist’s applied the same technique to hit the ball. With his unfaltering balance, soft wrists and unusual high handle grip, Gilchrist redefined the style of batting in his own way.

Gilchrist’s exemplified Test batting skills often yielded positive results for Australia. His unbeaten 149 against Pakistan at Hobart in Nov 1999, his 213 ball 204 against South Africa at the wanderers in Feb 2002 showcase his match-winning capabilities in Test cricket. He played a significant role in the 2001 Ashes series victory. As Gilchrist announced retirement from all forms of cricket post IPL 2013, he would surely be remembered by cricket lovers as one of the most intelligent risk taking batsman in the history of the game.