IPL 2019: Best all-rounder of each team
All-rounders have always been an integral part of cricket and after the advent of the IPL, they have become highly sought after players and have earned the most from the auctions. Each season, the all-rounders for each side have produced few of the best performances in the league and have quite a fan following.
This season too, there'll be a few new all-rounders like England's Sam Curran who was bought for ₹7.2 crore by the Kings XI Punjab or the Mumbai lad Shivam Dubey who was paid ₹5 crore to play for RCB. All-rounders play a key role in selecting the team's playing XI as they give an extra bowling or batting option so that the captain can fit in another bowler or specialist batsman.
So without further ado, let's take a look at the best all-rounder for each team.
Chennai Super Kings - Kedar Jadhav/Shane Watson
Apart from his stellar contribution in the first game last season, DJ Bravo had a poor season in all standards and his famed "death" bowling specialist tag was broken due to the ferocious smashing of his bowling by the opponents' batsmen. Though he returned to form in the BBL, his form is certain to dwindle after suffering an injury and if asked who CSK's best all-rounder is, an instinctive response would be to go with either Shane Watson or Kedar Jadhav.
Both of them have been in great form and Watson especially comes off from a good BBL season. He is going strong in the Pakistan Super League and has been a driving force for the great form of the Quetta Gladiators. Though he hasn't been among the wickets in BBL and PSL, he will be used by Dhoni as a seam-bowling option just like in last season and can excel in that role. He brings vital experience to the side and is essential to its hopes.
Another player who CSK will be glad to see will be Kedar Jadhav who heroically finished off the season opener but missed the entire remainder of the season due to injury. He returns as a World Cup surety and a great part-time bowling option with Dhoni behind the stumps. Jadhav possesses a wide array of shots and is the best middle order batsman they can have to partner MS Dhoni. His slinging round-arm bowling has posed a problem to many and can prove to be a different option in T20 cricket.