The 14th edition of Vivo Indian Premier League is kicking off on 9 April 2021 and cricketers are ready for championship. South African star middle order batsman David Miller has said that to hit sixes and win matches, one doesn’t need to have a strong and muscular body. It’s the batsman’s mindset that plays a huge role in dominating bowlers and opposition team.
Studying the ball is the key to hit big sixes. Factors like the force of the strike, bat speed and the type of shot can lead to a six.
“You can always get the power through the gym and getting strong, but you look at Nicholas Poorannow, even AB de Villiers, they’re not as big and strong. I’m not necessarily big on the weight of a bat, but makes a massive difference in the mental side of things,” Miller said in an interview to Betway.
Being athletic and simply hitting the ball hard does not always lead to success. It is one of the risks of attempting to slog the ball. There’s a certain amount of force you need for the ball to sail over the boundary. Attempting to over-hit the ball doesn’t always bring about more runs.
“It’s something that you’re constantly grooving and constantly working on. Gone are the days of getting yourself in. Players are realizing that they can score at 13 or 14 runs an over,” he added.
Former English captain and batting sensation Kevin Pietersen also highlighted the same point and supported Miller while talking with him and other top cricketers like Australia’s Darren Lehmann. Kevin said that India’s Hardik Pandya doesn’t have a muscular body but he’s capable enough to hit six at any direction, any moment to any bowler. That all because Pandya has got terrific timing and eye-hand coordination.
Chris Gayle and Kieron Pollard are muscular batsmen who are known for smashing big sixes and they’ve both got pretty muscular bodies that help them generate power. AB De Villiers, Hardik Pandya, Rishabh Pant, Rohit Sharma and several other batsmen in the list can hit sixes with ease, but they don’t have a muscular body.
India’s former cricketer Yuvraj Singh who is known as “sixer king”, didn’t have incredible athleticism, but he did have tremendous back lift that helped him clear boundaries with ease. He smashed 6 sixes in an over bowled by Stuart Broad during 2007 T20 world cup that set world record.
So, the conclusion is you don’t need a strong muscular body to hit sixes. Your mindset will allow you to clear the boundary.
Interview found via the Betway Insider.
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