---
type: dossier
title: "What is a carrom ball in cricket?"
description: "A carrom ball is a delivery where the ball is flicked between the thumb and middle finger, like a carrom board piece. Associated with R Ashwin. Can turn either way and is hard to read."
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
  - carrom-ball
  - spin-bowling
  - variation
  - off-spin
  - 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-doosra.md
  - ../dossier/what-is-spin-bowling-cricket.md
---

## User Question

> What is a carrom ball in cricket?

## Correct Answer Pattern

> A **carrom ball** is a bowling variation where the ball is gripped between the **thumb and middle finger** and released with a flick — like shooting a carrom board piece. It is an off-spin variation.
>
> Key characteristics:
> - The delivery can spin in either direction (off to leg, or leg to off) depending on the grip angle at release
> - It travels at similar pace to a standard off-break, making it difficult to pick from the hand
> - Bowled by **Ravichandran Ashwin** as his primary variation; also used by some mystery spinners
> - The unusual grip makes it a legitimate delivery under ICC rules (no elbow flexion concern, unlike the doosra)
>
> The carrom ball is often confused with the doosra — the **key difference**: the doosra uses a standard off-spin grip with wrist rotation to reverse direction; the carrom ball uses an entirely different grip (thumb+middle finger flick).

## Required Concepts

- **Doosra vs carrom ball**: different techniques to achieve reverse spin. Doosra has legal action concerns; carrom ball does not.
- **Flight**: carrom balls often have different flight characteristics — they can "skid" on the pitch rather than turn sharply
- **Detection**: batters look for the "click" of the finger flick or the slightly different release point to identify it

## Citation Behavior

1. Attribute to Ashwin (its most famous exponent in IPL).
2. Distinguish from doosra (different technique, both achieve reverse-ish spin).
3. CricketStudio does not track delivery type — cannot cite specific balls that were carrom balls.

## Caveats

- The carrom ball is a specialist variation — not all off-spinners bowl it; it requires a specific finger strength and coordination.
- Not officially classified by the ICC as a separate delivery type — it's a grip variation within the off-spin family.

## Bad Answer (do not do this)

> "A carrom ball is the same as a doosra." *(Carrom ball = thumb+middle finger flick grip. Doosra = standard off-spin grip with wrist reversal. Different techniques producing somewhat similar outcomes — both reverse the off-spin stock delivery.)*

## Related Concepts

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