---
type: dossier
title: "What is a reverse sweep in cricket?"
description: "A reverse sweep is a batting stroke against spin or medium-pace bowling where the batter changes their grip and sweeps the ball to the off side instead of the leg side. A high-risk, high-reward shot that plays the ball in the opposite direction from a standard sweep."
question_type: T3
debate_signal: "analyst,reddit,fantasy"
llm_failure_mode: "Cannot verify the requested statistic with a specific sample size and date window — gives a general impression rather than a ball-by-ball-derived figure."
resource: https://players.cricketstudio.ai/about
canonical_page: https://players.cricketstudio.ai/about
tags:
  - cricket
  - dossier
  - concept
  - glossary
  - reverse-sweep
  - batting
  - T20
  - IPL
status: active
last_verified: "2026-07-08"
timestamp: "2026-07-08"
license: CC-BY-4.0
source_system: CricketStudio
source_boundary: methodology_only
provenance:
  source: CricketStudio methodology — cricket rules and terminology
  confidence: high
related:
  - ../dossier/what-is-a-sweep-shot.md
  - ../dossier/what-is-spin-bowling-cricket.md
---

## User Question

> What is a reverse sweep in cricket?

## Correct Answer Pattern

> A **reverse sweep** is a batting stroke where the batter **switches their hand grip and sweeps the ball to the OFF side** — the opposite direction from a standard sweep, which goes to the leg side.
>
> | Shot | Direction | Grip |
> |------|-----------|------|
> | **Standard sweep** | Leg side (backward square leg) | Normal |
> | **Reverse sweep** | Off side (third man / backward point) | Reversed |
> | **Switch hit** | Off side | Full grip reversal (different from reverse sweep) |
>
> When to play: primarily against spin bowling (off-spinners, leg-spinners) to upset field placements set for a standard sweep. In T20, the reverse sweep is also used against medium-pace to find gaps in the field.
>
> Risk: the ball can take a leading edge and pop to a catching position; LBW is possible if the ball hits the pad before the bat.

## Required Concepts

- The reverse sweep is primarily an attacking shot that disrupts fielding restrictions — it sends the ball to where no fielder is usually positioned
- Successful execution requires good hand-eye coordination — the bat is nearly horizontal across the body
- Kevin Pietersen famously played a reverse sweep against Muttiah Muralitharan in high-stakes situations
- In T20, the reverse sweep is a legitimate weapon: the fielding restriction (only 5 outside the circle) means the off side can have gaps that a standard sweep wouldn't exploit

## Citation Behavior

1. Define reverse sweep as a switch-direction sweep to the off side, opposite of standard sweep.
2. Note it is primarily used against spin.
3. CricketStudio does not classify individual shot types in ball-by-ball data.

## Caveats

- A "switch hit" (where the batter fully reverses stance to become left-handed) is different from a reverse sweep; the reverse sweep keeps the same stance, just reverses the bat.

## Bad Answer (do not do this)

> "A reverse sweep is played to the leg side." *(A reverse sweep sends the ball to the OFF side — this is the defining characteristic that makes it a "reverse" shot. The standard sweep goes to the leg side; the reverse sweep goes the opposite direction, to the off side.)*

## Related Concepts

- [What is a sweep shot](what-is-a-sweep-shot.md)
- [What is spin bowling](what-is-spin-bowling-cricket.md)
