Cover drive in cricket is a great and beautiful shot that many cricketers have mastered to take the game to the next level. It is a classical short that requires the use of excellent techniques, careful timing, and mastery of footwork. In this article, we are going to get the full knowledge about cover drives slowly and thoroughly. 

Let’s eagerly learn what cover drive is, how to play it, what are the different positions in cover drive and what are the most common mistakes people make, along with who is the king of cover drive in cricket.

What is a cover drive in cricket?

A cover drive is a stylish and elegant shot played by a batsman in cricket during which he hits the ball straight down the ground to the off-side of the field. 

An interesting point here is that if a player has good cover drive skills then it is not difficult for him to play against the fastest bowlers. 

An important feature of the short is that the skill can be acquired by the player through repeated practice. Here it is worth noting that many people are unaware that if a tall cricketer, it is best for him to play the cover drive as he has an edge to the bowler.

How To Play Cover Drive In Cricket?

Only a few batsmen can master the cover drive completely but below are some steps to follow to play the cover drive.

Step 1: First you should adopt the best correct batting stance, 

Step 2: As soon as the bowler releases the gain step forward and go towards the line of the ball with your front foot.

Step 3: Now you have to maintain your ball contact with the middle of the bat and swing the bat in a horizontal arc while shifting your weight to your front foot.

Step 4: in this last step,follow through with your shot keeping your head down and your eyes on the ball.

Target Area For Cover Drive In Cricket

 While you are playing cover drives it is very important to take care of the target area. The target area for cover drives is the gap between the fielders at extra cover and mid-off.

Usually, this area is left empty by the fielding team, where it is advantageous for the up batsman to hit the ball and make sixes and fours. 

However, on the other hand, if you see a good fielder in this area, you should try to hit the ball in the air, but it should also be kept in mind that hitting the ball high in the air in a big cricket stadium will create problems.

Positions For Cover Drive

It is very important to be aware of your positions while playing the cover drive because without it one cannot get the perfect skill in cover drive in cricket.

Ideal head position for cover drive

Head position is also very important when playing cover drives as it plays a role in stability and power. There are two ideal positions for cover drives:

1. Head over the ball

In this position we keep our head over the ball to ensure that our contact is with the middle of the bat.

2. Head slightly back

In this position the head is slightly back to ensure power while playing cover drives.

Ideal foot position for cover drive

It is very important to have good footwork if you want to make a name for yourself in the cover drive at a ground. Let’s discuss them !

There are two common foot position for playing cover drive in cricket:

1. Front foot position

In this front position, the batsman puts his front foot forward around the ball and drives the ball along the ground towards the off side of the field.

2. Back foot position

In this position the batsman keeps his back foot and drives the ball towards the off side of the field.

Ideal elbow position for cover drive  

The ideal elbow position when playing a cover drive is that your front elbow is straight while your back elbow is towards the ground. The advantage of this position is that it will help you swing the bat in a horizontal arc and on the other hand it will cause the ball to hit right in the middle of the bat. 

What Is Bat Gripping Style For Cover Drives?

The ideal bat holding style while playing a cover drive is to have both hands close together and the top hand slightly over the bottom hand. This position provides aid to batsmen to generate power.

5 Common Mistakes Of Cover Drives In Cricket

There some common mistakes of cover drives in cricket:

Not Managing the timing during shot 

Timing is very important to keep in mind while playing Cover Drive. If you don’t take timing into consideration, then you won’t be able to take good shorts.  

Tightly grip the bat

Holding the bed too tightly can also affect your swimming and timing, so try to have a relaxed grip.

No hitting the ball correctly

One of the biggest mistakes players make when playing cover drives is hitting the ball in the air. This way your head will not be over the ball so try to get your head over the ball so that your ball hits along the ground.

Faulty footwork

If your foot work is incorrect you will not be able to adopt a good position for shots. This may affect your cover drive skills.

Poor flow-through

A poor follow-through can affect your shot’s accuracy while playing cover drives in cricket.  The power is also effective due to this mistake.. 

Who is the king of the cover drive in cricket?

The question is often raised as to who is considered the king of the cover drive, so in the eyes of the majority, Virat Kohli is considered the king of the cover drive. Virat Kohli, who is a great cricket player, perfected this shot at the international level.  The former Indian skipper has this big effective short and statistics also acknowledge this.

Some Famous Cover Drivers In Cricket

Let’s take a look at the names of some famous cover drives !

Babar Azam (Pakistan)

Babar Azam Pakistan’s elegant batsman who makes big scores in the game is famous for cover drives. For him the cover drive is a very productive short and also if you look at the average in Test cricket Babar Azam scores more than 21% runs with the cover drive.

 Shortly, it is good to say that Babr Azam is an exceptional player in cover drives.

Kane Williamson ( New Zealand)

New Zealand’s player Kane Williamson has perfect batting skills and is also known for his excellent cover drive skills. If you see him playing in a cricket match, you will be amazed by his cover driving skills.

 He throws the ball high in the air with complete care of timing. 

But if we look at the statistics, it is not as high as Joe Root.

Joe Root (England)

If you want to see a perfect cover drive being played, I suggest you watch Joe Root.

 Joe Root is England’s skipper who, when he was a freshman, did not have such a high status in this short, but now he has a prominent position in cover drives.

David Warner (Australia) 

David Warner is a left-handed player of Australia who excels at lofted cover drives. He has full command of it and is also known for his power shots. He is also capable of hitting the ball along the ground if it is in his slot.  

Quinton De Kock (South Africa)

Quinton De Kock is a popular South African power hitter who also has expertise in cover drives. He scores quick runs and now focuses on white ball.   

Bottom lines

A cover drive in cricket is a stylish and great short that a batsman plays during cricket but it requires perfect skill as well as experience.

I hope that through this entire post you will be well aware of the cover drive and will also be aware of the importance of cover drive in cricket.  Learn more about cricket by visiting the link given below.