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The quality of a Cricket player is not identified by the length of sixes he/she hits but the techniques of playing any shot. A great player is identified by his/her techniques.
There are many Cricket players in the world who hits bigger sixes than Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Sachin Tendulkar and MS Dhoni but they cannot be compared with these legends because they are suitable for only one type of format whereas these Cricketers can adjust in any formats because of their techniques.
The shots played by these players looks very elegant and it touches everyone’s heart. Every Cricket fan wants to see the classic shots of Sachin or Virat rather than seeing a long sixes.
Cover drive is also one of the most classic & elegant shots and it is played by many big players like Virat or Sachin. The shot is much more harder to play than it looks.
So, in today’s article we will learn How to play cover drive exact like Virat Kohli.
So, basically a question arises that what is it & why should we play it. So, let’s see it in detalis.
What is Cover drive?
Basically, a cover drive is an attacking shot in Cricket which can be played on the front or back foot and ball are pushed in off direction for a right-handed batsman. It is played to let the ball go from the gap between the cover and mid-off. It is played when the ball is hitting 4th, 5th, or 6th wicket(virtually).
What is the target area for cover drive?
So, after knowing that when we should play cover drive, we have to know where exactly we have to target the ball in the cover drive?
So, basically when we play cover drive, we wish the ball to go into the gap between the cover and mid-off and if there is extra-cover then we wish the ball to go into the gap of those three.
But what is there is mid-off or cover?
Then it becomes more easier to play the cover drive, because it guarantees a single if there is no id-off or cover. Then, our main motive is to send the ball out of the boundary. It means that to send the ball in gap between deep-cover and long-off.
So, in the picture we will see basically where a batsman should target the ball when playing cover drive.
So, read on to know how to play cover drive like Virat kohli.
How to play cover drive?
Whenever you try to play cover drive the main problem is not able to predict correctly the line of ball.
All players make a mistake that they come into the position of playing cover drive before predicting the line of the ball.
So, our first point or factor for playing the perfect cover drive is
Predict the line of ball correctly
Almost all players in their initial stage make this mistake. They shift in the position of playing a cover drive before predicting the line of ball. In a nutshell, they think that they will play a cover drive before facing the ball.
So, this is very important point to play a cover drive, predict the ball first. If the ball is perfect for cover drive then only play cover drive.
Position of the foot & leg
This is another very important point as foot & leg position plays a vital role in Cricket. Almost all shorts depend on your position of foot. If your balance and position is not good, then you can’t play the shot effectively.
To play cover drive, take your foot inside the line of the ball not exactly in line of the ball. It means that your front foot is always nearer to the line of the stump otherwise you would not be able to play the shot. If your front foot will be in the line of ball then you would not get any room to play the shot and eventually you will lose your wicket.
Head Position
It is one of the most important factor one should remember. The head should be still and eye toward the ball. When playing any shot your head should follow the line of delivery. Always try to get your head over the ball. It gives a perfect balance and transfers the weight.
Kevin pietersen once said that,”Try to kiss the ball when you play a shot“. This is something you should always remember and try to do when playing cover drive.
Arm position
When playing a cover drive, your arm should move in the direction where you want the ball to go. Your elbow should always face the sky.
Bat grip
Your bat grip plays an important role in playing any shot. You can’t play any shot perfectly if your grip is loose or imperfect. Your bat grip should be strong and comfortable. It makes the movement of bat easier and helps you to play the shot easily.
Transfer of weight
It’s an untold factoR. You know, when we take our stance our weight should be balanced on both feet. But when we play front foot cover drive, our weight should get transferred from back foot to front foot.
When playing back foot cover drive our weight should get transferred to back foot.
Mistakes to avoid when playing cover drive
See, cover drive is a classic and hard shot. You have to practise it. You cannot become master by playing or practising two or three times. It takes time to master it.
Don’t force yourself to play cover drive
This is the mistake which almost every cricketer mekes. You should never force yourself to play cover drive. Let it should come naturally.
Yes, you have to practise it, but in match let it come naturally. If you will play it forcefully you will be out. Because there are certain limitations and conditions to play this shot. If you will try to play it in every ball, definitely you will get out.
Avoid to play cover drive when bowl is swinging
This is often told because when the ball is swinging and you try to play cover drive, the ball may get swing and hit the wicket.
Don’t stretch yourself too much
This is the most common mistakes seen in cricket when playing cover drive. This mistake is also made by professional cricketers. You should never stretch yourself too much because it increase the probability of having an edge and the ball may go to the sleep or keeper.
Some drills to improve your cover drive technique
- Hang the ball and practise the shot in your home
- Get into your stance and ask your coach or partner to sit against you in some distance and bowl vertically.
I hope you got answer for the question that How to play cover drive.
In cricket, perfection is achieved through practise. The more you practise, the better you play. So, practise the shot as much as you can and you will definitely play it like Virat Kohli.