IPL 2018: 5 inventive 360-degree batsmen to watch out for

The T20 format has been an absolute entertainment package for fans all over the world. It has also encouraged ambitious batsmen to try various creative, innovative and unorthodox shots to score runs and entertain the fans. These flamboyant shots which would have been considered outrageous 25 years ago are now the bread and butter for T20 specialists who thrive in using unique shots in order to have scoring opportunities in every part of the field. Unique shots like the helicopter shot, dilscoop, switch-hit etc have been developed and used frequently over the last decade. These original and inventive shots have added spice to the modern approach to batsmanship in cricket and have become the essence of T20 batting.

Let's take a look at 5 batsmen to watch out for in IPL 2018 who have a plethora of innovative shots in their repertoire:

#5 Heinrich Klaasen

Heinrich Klaasen the South African wicketkeeper-batsman has been signed by Rajasthan Royals for IPL 2018 as a replacement for Steve Smith. Klaasen who was relatively unknown 4 months ago burst into fame after he played a couple of prominent match-winning performances in the ODIS and T20s against India after he replaced the injured Quinton de Kock in the South African team. The elite Indian spin duo of Kuldeep and Chahal troubled all the South African batsman except Klaasen who was the only one who successfully countered the spinners in an effective manner throughout the series.

Klaasen has a unique array of inventive shots in his arsenal which he used effectively to combat the Indian spinners. He found gaps in the field and efficiently placed the ball in the gaps using sweeps, reverse sweeps etc. Klaasen is an excellent player of spin and can light up the IPL using his enterprising shots.