How to Play the Periscope Shot in Cricket

The periscope shot is played by holding the bat almost vertically and raising it to meet a short-pitched ball aimed at the chest or throat, deflecting it upward and over the leg-side infield. It is an inventive T20-era response to aggressive short-pitched bowling when a conventional pull or hook is too risky.

Why the Shot Exists

Fast bowlers in T20 cricket target the body deliberately — a cramped delivery makes it hard to pull properly, hard to drive, and hard to leave. The batter is left trying to survive rather than score. The periscope shot flips that dynamic: instead of being pinned back, the batter uses the pace of the delivery to loft the ball over the inner ring, often picking up runs where none seemed possible.

The name comes from the submarine instrument — the bat rises straight up, much like a periscope emerging from water.

When to Play It

Situation	Suitable?
Short-pitched ball at chest/throat height	Yes — ideal scenario
Full-length yorker or half-volley	No — use a drive or flick
Ball angled away outside off	No — leave it or cut
Spinner dropping short	Rarely — pull is usually better
Last few overs, field spread	Yes — high risk, high reward

The shot only works when the ball is genuinely short and directed into the body, giving you no room to play a conventional stroke.

The Technique Step by Step

1. Read the length early. As soon as you see the ball pitched short and aimed at your body, commit. Indecision leads to a top edge or a hit on the gloves.

2. Stay side-on. Rather than turning to face square, keep your body slightly side-on so the bat can travel in a clean vertical arc.

3. Raise the bat handle first. The grip lifts upward with the handle leading — this is the periscope action. The bat face turns to meet the ball at or above chest height.

4. Angle the face. Tilt the face slightly towards fine leg or square leg depending on where the gaps are. You are deflecting, not driving through the line.

5. Contact above the body. Ideally, make contact with the ball at chest height or just above, arms extended but not locked.

6. Follow through upward. The bat continues its vertical path after contact — do not cut the shot off, as this leads to top edges.

Risks and How to Manage Them

The periscope shot carries genuine risk, particularly the top edge — a ball clipped off a mis-angled bat face flies high and gives fielders at fine leg or square leg a simple catch.

• Stay tall. Crouching brings the bat face offline.
• Don’t over-hit. The pace of the ball does the work. Swinging hard turns a deflection into a top edge.
• Know your exits. If you are unsure, ducking under the ball or playing it down with a vertical bat defensively is always safer.

Drills to Practice

1. Hanging ball drill — suspend a ball at chest height on a rope, practice the vertical bat arc and angling the face repeatedly.
2. Short-pitch throw-downs — ask a feeder to throw into the body from 10–12 metres. Focus on picking the line and raising the bat cleanly.
3. Video analysis — review footage of the shot played in match conditions to understand the body position and bat path.

Quick summary: The periscope shot turns a difficult, body-targeting short ball into a scoring opportunity by raising the bat vertically and deflecting the ball over the leg-side infield. It demands early reading of length, a clean vertical bat arc, and soft hands — swing hard and a top edge is almost certain.