In cricket, for a batsman to maintain a strike rate is very important. Because higher the strike rate of the batsman is equally tied up with how quick the team score rises. Also, the batsmen with good strike rates are always sent ahead in the batting order. 

So it is always important to maintain a good strike rate in cricket more importantly in the limited over matches. So in this article let us see how one can maintain their batting strike rate during the game.

To maintain a good batting strike rate following steps can be followed

Don’t Worry About A Slow Start

If you are starting your innings on a slower side it is not necessarily a bad thing. The bad thing is being impulsive and choosing the wrong ball to hit big which will result in getting out. By getting out it is not possible to increase your strike rate. 

Instead of panicking and going for the wrong shot take your time and get used to the pitch. With that, you can time your shots perfectly. Also in all matches starting a game with a high strike rate is not possible. The reason is the opponent bowler is bowling exceptionally well or the pitch supports the bowling team. 

There can be any reason for a slow start that is not the problem. The main problem will be panicking and taking a shot at the wrong time. So take your time building your innings and then you will get your time to increase your strike rate. All it takes in one good over to erase the slow start. 

Develop A Wide Range Of Scoring Options

The next main thing to improve your strike rate is to have a wide range of shots in your arsenal. It is good to have orthodox shots which are stylish and great to watch but as the game evolves so does the fielding team who will guess your choice of shots if they are limited. 

So in order to confuse the bowling team, some batsmen tend to change their batting hand from right to left to confuse their opponent. This might not always result in great outcomes but they don’t always go out in vain. 

So having a variety of shots in your playbook is always a better option in cricket. The player who is well known for his variety of shots is none other than Mr. 360 AB de Villiers. He has tormented his opponent with more unorthodox shots than any player. 

Dedicate Practice Sessions To Power Hitting

To have a good strike rate it is important to have good batting skills. That required skill to hit fours and sixes comes from practice. So it is advised to always have good training sessions that will help you to time the shots more perfectly so that you can hit them to gain more runs and increase your strike rate. 

Practicing always doesn’t have to be tedious and very strict. On the other hand, fun tasks like trying to hit all the balls and trying to time all the balls perfectly during the practice session can be a good choice to keep yourself focused in the training session. 

Using the speed of Fast Bowlers To Your Advantage

The pace of the bowler is always the best tactic he will use against the batsman. However, the batsman can use that to his advantage with some selected shots. The bowler has to put lots of concentration on the ball to go in perfect deviation. 

A slight change in angle will always result in the ball either going as wide or being a perfect pitch for the batsman to smash it into the pavilion. So, the batsman has to pick his ball carefully. Because no bowler can bowl all his balls with perfect length and deviation. 

Also, the fastballs are easy to score. The batsman has to just time the ball and deflects it then the ball will easily beat the fielders and go straight to the boundary. So using the pace of the bowler against him is a very easy way to maintain the strike rate.

Using the field placements to your Advantage

Learning to assess the field setting and taking it to the batsman’s advantage is a very good skill. All the veteran players have always used their opponent’s field setting to their advantage to shine in their careers. So it is very important to know the fielding before playing the shot. 

Once you have learned to assess the fielding setup and start finding the required gaps then the run starts flowing from your bat. Once you start finding the gaps to place your shots the fielding team starts to panic. Because they have to come up with a new plan to tackle this attack. 

In the meantime, you can pick your choice of bowler and keep playing the cool cricketing shots to keep your strike rate at a high level and increase your team score as well as your personal score.

Conclusion

These are some of the effective ways to keep your strike rate on a higher note. These techniques and some patience from the batsman is all that is needed for the batsman to settle in the game. Once he is settled then the fireworks he can generate is really a nightmare for the bowling team.