Cover shots, straight shots, pulls, straight shots, and straight cuts are just a few of the many arsenals in cricket batting. It takes a lot of determination, practise, and strength on the part of the batter to hit every ball in cricket. The ranking is based on objective parameters such as batters' average batting average, possession, and percentage of hits. Presenting to you the Top 10 cricketers who are experts in cover drives:
1. Michael Vaughan
In the 2002/03 Ashes, Michael Vaughn was at the top, perhaps the most important player in the world. In this series, he scored three centuries and 633 runs for the team against an all-star Australia. Although there are many shots, the Yorkshire resident is best when he moves his front foot to free his range, and there is nothing better than clearing his cover face. After completing an Ashes run as England captain in 2005, his career came to a halt in 2009, and he has since found a comfortable home in the commentary box.
2. Babar Azam
The 25-year-old batsman from Lahore is currently a sensation in the cricket world. Babar was often compared to his Indian counterpart, Virat Kohli, and was followed at the highest level. In addition to his ability to run and score goals, his analytical skills are often compared to those of the former Indian captain. But more than 21 percent of his runs ended on the cover drive. Babar made its international debut in 2015, and it was an impressive 5-year journey.
3. Mark Waugh
While less successful in history and statistics than his twin brother Steve, Mark Waugh is the more competitive of the two. With a lot of cutting and pulling, the kicker had a good running speed, but his cover drives and succinct hits will stay in the memory the longest. Waugh retired in 2004 after achieving 20 test centuries and a 52.04 grade average.
4. Virat Kohli
The 31-year-old batsman and former captain of India undoubtedly has the best cover drive of any batter right now. Cricket experts around the world lauded the Delhi boy's offensive performance. He is also one of the few hitters to average more than 50 runs across all formats of the game. Virat Kohli currently has the best scanning ability of any player.
5. Damien Martyn
He was one of the most underrated cricketers of his generation, and Damien Martyn was a pure cricket fan's dream. His method in cricket yielded more than 4,000 test runs with an average of 46.37. All of this could have been greater had it not been for his long absence from the Australian squad in the middle of his career. Following his unplanned retirement in 2006, Martin has recently resurfaced in the commentary box.
6. Shikhar Dhawan
He is a left-handed batsman from India who has played more than 200 matches in international cricket. Dhawan is currently leading the Punjab Kings in the IPL this season. He has a beautiful cover drive against fast bowlers, and moreover, he steps out against spinners to play drives in the cover region. While playing a cover drive, he leans down his body and gets in a perfect position to play the shot.
7. Shane Watson
Shane Watson is generally known for his strong shots in limited edition cricket and evolves into a more classic style batsman in the longer format of the game. He has a variety of shots in his bag, but his favourite shot is through the covers. He slices the ball towards covers against seamers as well as spinners.
8. Ian Bell
An Ian Bell match is a must-watch for any cricket fan, and the 2013 Ashes were the perfect showcase. The right-handed batsman scored three centuries and two and a half centuries to win the Player of the Series award. His cover drives shots were a treat to watch; he used to delicately place the balls towards covers.
9. Tamim Iqbal
The 31-year-old left-handed batsman from Chittagong is one of the underrated players of this generation. He has been playing international cricket for 13 years and has had extraordinary performances for Bangladesh. The left-handed hitter has one of the best strikeout techniques. He also scored almost 21 percent of his runs with cover drives.
10. Quinton de Kock
The 27-year-old, little-known batsman from Johannesburg is one of the most successful players of his generation. Now, he is arguably the best batsman in South Africa. He is one of the top 15 batters in cricket history. However, he was more successful with this shot than any other batsman. His cover skills were praised by cricket experts and fans alike.
