Cricket is a wildly popular sport in India with a substantial history. As the game has evolved over the years, so have the techniques adopted by players to keep up. And now in a most progressive way, researchers at Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IIT Kanpur) have unveiled an innovative twist to Knuckleball – a famous bowling technique in the field of cricket.
Knuckleball 2.0: Tech and sports go hand in hand
#discovery
Wind Tunnel experiments have led to researchers from #IITKanpur to discover a new pattern to the Knuckleball.Read full article at https://t.co/B9WGW4upza#iitk #research #experiment pic.twitter.com/WzqlvmuFO8
— IIT Kanpur (@IITKanpur) July 31, 2023
In the world of cricket, bowlers’ grip has given rise to various techniques, one such technique is knuckleball. Before diving into the intricacies of Knuckleball 2.0, it’s essential to comprehend the traditional knuckleball concept. Here the ball is gripped by the tips of the index and middle fingers, while the thumb balances the bottom of the ball. It is a slow-pitched ball thrown without any spin, resulting in an erratic and unpredictable trajectory.
Moving on to Knuckleball 2.0. This technique differs from its predecessor by taking on a unique zig-zag motion in the air creating an unusual turbulence for the batters to comprehend. Incidentally, such a technique, also exists in football, the 2.0 model will take goalkeepers for a ride. After years of experimentation, computer simulations, wind tunnel testing and aerodynamic analysis, the researchers at IIT Kanpur identified the optimal pattern to create the zigzag effect.
It is said that Indian pacer Zaheer Khan learned the secret Knuckleball technique from South African pacer Charles Langveld during 2010 IPL season. This exiting new discovery has send ripples of excitement across not only cricket but also football fans.
