Did Mohammad Azharuddin play helicopter shot before MS Dhoni? This video will give you a hint

Former Indian skipper MS Dhoni continues to remain one of the most loved and fan-followed cricketers in the country and the globe. It was his defying leadership qualities that have been acclaimed by many and he has helped India attain countless success at the international level.

Before being a leader, Dhoni rose to fame in international cricket for being a lethal batsman, known for his fiery hitting abilities. One of the highlights of his batting was his signature helicopter shot, which involved his batting motion rotate 360 degrees after it had successfully connected the ball.

On most of the occasions, his helicopter shot ended up awarding six runs. Consequently, some of the batsmen at the latter stage tried to mimic him for the shot, but none were as consistent as Dhoni, who has skillfully mastered it.

Owing to the same, some fans believe that it was Dhoni who invented the shot since anyone was hardly seen playing it before Dhoni burst into the international circuit. However, it seems like Dhoni is not actually the one to invent it.

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When India was playing South Africa at the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata during the second Test in 1966-67, then Indian skipper Mohammad Azharuddin has seemingly played the shot for the first time. It was in the over against pacer Lance Klusener, Azharuddin smashed five fours to bring up his century (109 off 77) that included the helicopter shot.

Watch the video of the same here:

Although Dhoni might be the master of the helicopter shot, it is evident that Azharuddin was probably the first Indian cricketer to have played it. However, the origin of the shot remains unknown. Nevertheless, we know that the shot was invented to counter yorker deliveries and needs strong wrists to play the shot, which both Azharuddin and Dhoni possessed.

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