Ranking the current top 5 batters with the best cover drive

<p>‘The Gentleman’s Game’ as it has been called, made its way into the commonwealth countries like the nations in the Indian Subcontinent, the Caribbean Islands, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and many other countries. As a game requiring strict adherence to some rules, it pictured quite a contrast with the sport of baseball, a game requiring a similar skill set.</p>
<p>One of the important things which separates the game of cricket apart from baseball is the variety of shots being played in cricket. The cover drives, straight drives, pull shots, on-drive and square-cut are just a few in the wide arsenal of cricketing shots. Playing each cricketing shot requires a lot of determination, practice and perseverance on the part of the batsman.</p>
<p>The cover drive is one of the most elegant and effective shots to score runs. Here, we rank the top 5 current batsmen with the best cover drives based on their cricketing journey and their impact on the teams in the world of cricket.</p>
<hr>
<h3><strong>Here’s a list of the top five batters with the best cover drives:</strong></h3>
<h3>5. Shubman Gill</h3>
<figure class="image align-center" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/1737875587033_Shubman-Gill.jpeg" alt="Shubman Gill." width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img>
<figcaption>Shubman Gill. (Photo Source - Twitter/X)</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><strong>Shubman Gill</strong>&nbsp;is regarded as the next batting sensation from India. As the Kohli era is drawing close, the former cricketers are backing the youngster to take the baton from one of the legends of cricket and forge his name in the cricketing lore. His backfoot punch has been a forte shot of the batter and several pundits have exclaimed that no one does better than him in the current generation.</p>
<p><span><strong>Also Check:</strong> <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-appeal/top-indian-cricketers-who-represent-indias-culture/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Top Indian cricketers who represent India's culture</a></span></p>
<p>Speaking of Gill, the batter is being polished game after game and his technique is just flourishing with the amount of international exposure he is getting. He is one of the few young batters from Indian cricket, who is playing all three formats. In Tests, cover drive has been one of his go-to shots. While he plays such shots with ease, his placement of the ball between the fielders guarding the area has been impeccable. The body balance and head position of his while doing the same is a shutterbug's favourite click.</p>
<p></p>
<h3>4. Kane Williamson</h3>
<figure class="image align-center" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/1737875742820_Kane-Williamson.jpeg" alt="Kane Williamson." width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img>
<figcaption>Kane Williamson. (Photo Source - Twitter/X)</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-players/kane-williamson" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Kane Williamson</strong></a> is one of the complete batters New Zealand have ever produced. The former Kiwi Captain is counted as one of the fabulous four batters in the world. He has shown his prowess across formats and is known to play according to the conditions and go big when needed. His USP is stitching partnerships with the other batters and converting his stay into a marathon innings.&nbsp;</p>
<p>His skill is at par with any other top batter in the world and his cover drive is something which has been part of his arsenal. Anything pitched full and he dispatches it to the boundary line. He is one of the few non-Asian batters who is equally adept in playing deliveries directed on legs and bringing out those flick shots as he converts singles into doubles and sometimes times them to reach the boundary rope.</p>
<p></p>
<h3>3. Joe Root</h3>
<figure class="image align-center" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/1737875315589_Joe-Root.jpeg" alt="Joe Root." width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img>
<figcaption>Joe Root. (Photo Source - Twitter/X)</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-players/joe-root" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Joe Root</strong></a> is touted to be the best Test batter in the generation. In the era of Virat Kohli, Steven Smith and Williamson for that reason, he has been dominant in his effort to emerge out to be second to none. Former cricketers have been backing the Englishman to surpass the legendary Sachin Tendulkar’s all-time Test runs record as he is just less than 3000 runs short.&nbsp;</p>
<p>His ability to wait for the ball to punch through the covers makes the bowlers deflect from their drawing board plans. Having said that, he has the ability to play the spin very well but of late, he struggled in Pakistan during England’s tour on the spinning tracks. His cover drive looks elegant and it has been one shot that has helped him to get off the mark and break the shackles when the opposition have tightened their grips in the game.</p>
<p></p>
<h3>2. Babar Azam</h3>
<figure class="image align-center" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/1737875217247_Babar-Azam.jpeg" alt="Babar Azam." width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img>
<figcaption>Babar Azam. (Photo Source - Getty Images)</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The 30-year-old batter from Lahore still remains a notable player in the world of cricket right now. Often subjected to comparisons with his Indian counterpart, <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-players/babar-azam" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Babar Azam</strong></a> has been churning runs consistently at the highest level. Apart from the run-scoring capabilities, the elegance of his cover drive is often compared to one of the modern greats, Virat Kohli.</p>
<p>Notably, Babar made his international debut for Pakistan in the year 2015 and his journey has been quite impressive given that he has scored in tough conditions on several occasions. He has been the No. 1 T20I batter for a long time. Currently, he is placed sixth in the world rankings. Besides, the former Pakistan Captain is one of the few batters in the top 10 rankings in all formats of the game. It would be wise to say he is one of the best batters to play the cover shot in this generation.</p>
<p></p>
<h3>1. Virat Kohli</h3>
<figure class="image align-center" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/1737875484136_Virat-Kohli.jpeg" alt="Virat Kohli." width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img>
<figcaption>Virat Kohli. (Photo Source - Getty Images)</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The former Indian skipper and batting stalwart <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-players/virat-kohli/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Virat Kohli</strong></a> is unarguably the best player of the cover drive among all the current batters. His control over his bat and body while playing the shot is quite impressive and has often drawn the attention of spectators towards its elegance. Cricketing pundits all across the globe have heaped a lot of praise on the Delhi lad for his excellent footwork while playing the shot.</p>
<p><span><strong>Also Check-</strong> <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-appeal/virat-kohlis-charity-initiatives-whos-benefitting/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Virat Kohli's charity initiatives: Who's benefitting?</a></span></p>
<p>His control percentage while playing the shot is also an impressive 86.3 per cent. Kohli has played international cricket for over 16 years and has led the run-scoring charts in every format of the game for a significant time. Besides, Kohli is also one of the few batters to have a 50+ average in all formats of the game. Needless to say, Virat Kohli is the best player of cover-drive among all the current players.</p>

<p>‘The Gentleman’s Game’ as it has been called, made its way into the commonwealth countries like the nations in the Indian Subcontinent, the Caribbean Islands, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and many other countries. As a game requiring strict adherence to some rules, it pictured quite a contrast with the sport of baseball, a game requiring a similar skill set.</p>
<p>One of the important things which separates the game of cricket apart from baseball is the variety of shots being played in cricket. The cover drives, straight drives, pull shots, on-drive and square-cut are just a few in the wide arsenal of cricketing shots. Playing each cricketing shot requires a lot of determination, practice and perseverance on the part of the batsman.</p>
<p>The cover drive is one of the most elegant and effective shots to score runs. Here, we rank the top 5 current batsmen with the best cover drives based on their cricketing journey and their impact on the teams in the world of cricket.</p>
<hr>
<h3><strong>Here’s a list of the top five batters with the best cover drives:</strong></h3>
<h3>5. Shubman Gill</h3>
<figure class="image align-center"><img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/1737875587033_Shubman-Gill.jpeg" alt="Shubman Gill." loading="lazy">
<figcaption>Shubman Gill. (Photo Source - Twitter/X)</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><strong>Shubman Gill</strong>&nbsp;is regarded as the next batting sensation from India. As the Kohli era is drawing close, the former cricketers are backing the youngster to take the baton from one of the legends of cricket and forge his name in the cricketing lore. His backfoot punch has been a forte shot of the batter and several pundits have exclaimed that no one does better than him in the current generation.</p>
<p><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><strong>Also Check:</strong> <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-appeal/top-indian-cricketers-who-represent-indias-culture/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Top Indian cricketers who represent India's culture</a></span></p>
<p>Speaking of Gill, the batter is being polished game after game and his technique is just flourishing with the amount of international exposure he is getting. He is one of the few young batters from Indian cricket, who is playing all three formats. In Tests, cover drive has been one of his go-to shots. While he plays such shots with ease, his placement of the ball between the fielders guarding the area has been impeccable. The body balance and head position of his while doing the same is a shutterbug's favourite click.</p>
<p></p>
<h3>4. Kane Williamson</h3>
<figure class="image align-center"><img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/1737875742820_Kane-Williamson.jpeg" alt="Kane Williamson." loading="lazy">
<figcaption>Kane Williamson. (Photo Source - Twitter/X)</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-players/kane-williamson" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Kane Williamson</strong></a> is one of the complete batters New Zealand have ever produced. The former Kiwi Captain is counted as one of the fabulous four batters in the world. He has shown his prowess across formats and is known to play according to the conditions and go big when needed. His USP is stitching partnerships with the other batters and converting his stay into a marathon innings.&nbsp;</p>
<p>His skill is at par with any other top batter in the world and his cover drive is something which has been part of his arsenal. Anything pitched full and he dispatches it to the boundary line. He is one of the few non-Asian batters who is equally adept in playing deliveries directed on legs and bringing out those flick shots as he converts singles into doubles and sometimes times them to reach the boundary rope.</p>
<p></p>
<h3>3. Joe Root</h3>
<figure class="image align-center"><img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/1737875315589_Joe-Root.jpeg" alt="Joe Root." loading="lazy">
<figcaption>Joe Root. (Photo Source - Twitter/X)</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-players/joe-root" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Joe Root</strong></a> is touted to be the best Test batter in the generation. In the era of Virat Kohli, Steven Smith and Williamson for that reason, he has been dominant in his effort to emerge out to be second to none. Former cricketers have been backing the Englishman to surpass the legendary Sachin Tendulkar’s all-time Test runs record as he is just less than 3000 runs short.&nbsp;</p>
<p>His ability to wait for the ball to punch through the covers makes the bowlers deflect from their drawing board plans. Having said that, he has the ability to play the spin very well but of late, he struggled in Pakistan during England’s tour on the spinning tracks. His cover drive looks elegant and it has been one shot that has helped him to get off the mark and break the shackles when the opposition have tightened their grips in the game.</p>
<p></p>
<h3>2. Babar Azam</h3>
<figure class="image align-center"><img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/1737875217247_Babar-Azam.jpeg" alt="Babar Azam." loading="lazy">
<figcaption>Babar Azam. (Photo Source - Getty Images)</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The 30-year-old batter from Lahore still remains a notable player in the world of cricket right now. Often subjected to comparisons with his Indian counterpart, <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-players/babar-azam" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Babar Azam</strong></a> has been churning runs consistently at the highest level. Apart from the run-scoring capabilities, the elegance of his cover drive is often compared to one of the modern greats, Virat Kohli.</p>
<p>Notably, Babar made his international debut for Pakistan in the year 2015 and his journey has been quite impressive given that he has scored in tough conditions on several occasions. He has been the No. 1 T20I batter for a long time. Currently, he is placed sixth in the world rankings. Besides, the former Pakistan Captain is one of the few batters in the top 10 rankings in all formats of the game. It would be wise to say he is one of the best batters to play the cover shot in this generation.</p>
<p></p>
<h3>1. Virat Kohli</h3>
<figure class="image align-center"><img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/1737875484136_Virat-Kohli.jpeg" alt="Virat Kohli." loading="lazy">
<figcaption>Virat Kohli. (Photo Source - Getty Images)</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The former Indian skipper and batting stalwart <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-players/virat-kohli/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Virat Kohli</strong></a> is unarguably the best player of the cover drive among all the current batters. His control over his bat and body while playing the shot is quite impressive and has often drawn the attention of spectators towards its elegance. Cricketing pundits all across the globe have heaped a lot of praise on the Delhi lad for his excellent footwork while playing the shot.</p>
<p><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><strong>Also Check-</strong> <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-appeal/virat-kohlis-charity-initiatives-whos-benefitting/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Virat Kohli's charity initiatives: Who's benefitting?</a></span></p>
<p>His control percentage while playing the shot is also an impressive 86.3 per cent. Kohli has played international cricket for over 16 years and has led the run-scoring charts in every format of the game for a significant time. Besides, Kohli is also one of the few batters to have a 50+ average in all formats of the game. Needless to say, Virat Kohli is the best player of cover-drive among all the current players.</p>

‘The Gentleman’s Game’ as it has been called, made its way into the commonwealth countries like the nations in the Indian Subcontinent, the Caribbean Islands, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and

The cover drive is one of the most elegant and effective shot to score runs.

Ranking the current Top 5 batsmen with best cover drive

Best Cover Drive in Cricket: Check out the top cricketers of 2025 with the best cover drives and their impressive batting techniques, along with a ranking of current batsmen known for their cover drives.