IPL: Top 5 all-rounders of all time

After a decade of some scintillating and successful cricket, IPL will be back in action with a lot of zest. The Indian Premier League is set to hit the ground running from 23rd March at Chennai. The defending champions, Chennai Super Kings, will host the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the opening game of the tournament.

With the ICC World Cup arriving, IPL will play a crucial role to prepare the players for the mega event in England. All the IPL franchises would be hoping to get maximum game time from their key players.

In the T20 format, the significance of an all-rounder is paramount as not only can he give four overs to his skipper but can also bat down the order for his side. There have been some remarkable all-rounders who have lit up the stage of IPL over the years. Many world-class all-rounders have taken center stage in the IPL to made a mark for their team including the likes of Albie Morkel, Jacques Kallis, Andrew Flintoff, and Sanath Jayasuriya.

Now we will take a look at the best all-rounders in the history of the IPL.

Honorable mentions: Ben Stokes, Hardik Pandya, Sunil Narine, Shakib Al Hasan, and James Faulkner.

#5 Kieron Pollard

Kieron Pollard has been a cornerstone in all the three championships season for the Mumbai Indians. He joined the Maharashtrian franchise in 2010 when the team was struggling without a quality all-rounder. The big Trinidadian’s role was pivotal for Mumbai’s success in 2013, 2015 and 2017.

He has scored 2476 runs in 132 IPL games at an average of 28.13 along with an impressive strike rate of 145.73. Pollard gives his captain high flexibility with the bowling options as he is also handy with the ball in the middle overs. He has 56 dismissals to his name with an economy rate of 8.85.

The 31-year-old can again lead Mumbai Indians to another title win with his all-round abilities.