Top 5 classical shots executed to perfection by modern-day players

#4 Inside out loft - Smriti Mandhana

Smriti Mandhana

We have seen Gautam Gambhir and Suresh Raina play the inside out loft over cover fielders regularly in the first half of this decade. But Smriti Mandhana has been playing it longer and more effectively than either of them.

Since this is a very challenging shot, very few players try to play it and even fewer succeed. But the elegant left-handed batswoman has got a real hold of the shot, which she plays regularly against pacers during the powerplay overs.

The inside-out loft is Mandhana's go-to shot to release the pressure of the dot balls, which invariably clears the infield with ease. She is a world-class player through the off-side but the inside out loft is what makes her even more stunning to watch.

#3 Square cut - Kane Williamson

Kane Williamson

Kane Williamson is a true ambassador of the gentleman's game. He is as old-school a batsman as you can get, with all the traditional shots in his arsenal. Williamson can play the power-packed pull as well as the glorious cover drive with equal ease.

But arguably no one plays the cut shot - especially the square cut - as well as he does.

The 29-year-old has been carrying the Kiwi batting on his shoulders the last few years and has turned them into a mighty force. He has made runs all around the world in the toughest of situations and against the toughest of bowlers.

Williamson is a tremendously gifted player, equally effective on both sides of the wicket. And the square cut is perhaps his most destructive tool, capable of demoralizing even the best of bowlers.

If Williamson sees a slightly short of full length delivery in his arc, he shifts the weight on to back-foot and plays the cut away from the point fielder to keep the scoreboard ticking. There's no real counter to this shot when Williamson is in full flow.