A Study of Kinematic Analysis of Front Leg Actions During Cover Drives in Cricket Players of Sikar District

Abstract

Background: The cover drive is one of the most technically demanding front-foot strokes in cricket, requiring precise front-leg positioning, weight transfer, and joint control. Despite growing biomechanical literature on cricket batting, region-specific kinematic analyses of front-leg actions in semi-urban populations such as Sikar District, Rajasthan remain absent. Objective: This study aimed to (1) measure front-leg stride length and weight transfer timing, (2) measure front-leg joint angles (knee and ankle) at ball contact, and (3) identify common front-leg biomechanical faults during cover drive execution in Sikar District cricket players. Method: Thirty male right-handed cricket players (age 16–25 years) from Sikar District performed five cover drives against medium-pace bowling (90–100 km/h). Side-view video (60 fps) was analyzed frame-by-frame. Stride length, knee angle, ankle angle, and weight transfer timing were measured at ball contact. Performance was rated by two coaches on a 10-point scale. Pearson correlation, independent t-tests, and fault frequency analysis were used. Results: Mean stride length was 58.4 ± 7.2 cm (r = +0.52, p = 0.003), knee angle was 142.6° ± 8.9° (r = +0.61, p = 0.001), ankle angle was 112.3° ± 6.5° (r = +0.38, p = 0.038), and weight transfer timing was 4.2 ± 1.1 frames (r = –0.58, p = 0.001). Skilled batters showed significantly better values across all variables (p < 0.01). The most prevalent faults were delayed weight transfer (40%), premature knee lock (33.3%), and excessive stride (26.7%). Conclusion: Optimal front-leg kinematics — stride 58–65 cm, knee angle 140°–150°, ankle 110°–120°, weight transfer ≤3.5 frames — are significant determinants of cover drive quality in regional cricketers. All three hypotheses were accepted. Findings support biomechanically informed coaching interventions in grassroots cricket.