Picking the most important all-rounder for each IPL 2023 franchise
IPL 2023 will start on March 31 with a clash between the Gujarat Titans (GT) and the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at the Narendra Modi Stadium. GT are the defending champions of the league, while CSK have won the championship four times.
One of the main reasons behind GT and CSK's success in the league is that both teams have some top-quality all-rounders in their squads. All-rounders provide a lot of balance to the playing XIs in T20 cricket.
If a bowler has an off day, the all-rounder can complete his quota of overs. Similarly, all-rounders can step up in the batting department if the specialist batters have a forgettable day in the office.
As mentioned earlier, all-rounders have a lot of significance in the IPL, and here's a look at the best all-rounder from each team in IPL 2023.
#1 Gujarat Titans - Hardik Pandya
Captain Hardik Pandya played a major role in the Gujarat Titans' success last year. He was GT's top run-getter in IPL 2022, with 487 runs in 15 matches at a strike rate of 131.26. With the ball, Pandya scalped eight wickets in the 10 innings where he rolled his arm.
Pandya starred in GT's IPL 2022 final win against the Rajasthan Royals with his all-round brilliance. Gujarat Titans fans will hope that their captain continues his top form in the upcoming IPL season.
#2 Chennai Super Kings - Ravindra Jadeja
All-rounder Ravindra Jadeja has been the backbone of the Chennai Super Kings in many IPL seasons. Jadeja did not have the best season of his career in 2022, but he has helped CSK win many matches with his all-round brilliance in the past.
CSK retained him as their number one player ahead of the IPL 2022 Mega Auction. While Jadeja failed to justify his massive price tag of ₹16 crore last year, he will be keen to step up and deliver the goods for the franchise this year.
#3 Punjab Kings - Sam Curran
Punjab Kings splurged an enormous ₹18.5 crore to acquire the services of Sam Curran at the IPL 2023 Auction. Curran missed the previous edition of the IPL because of an injury, but he made a roaring comeback to the T20 arena, winning the Man of the Series award in the ICC T20 World Cup last year.
Curran has played 32 matches in his IPL career, scoring 337 runs and scalping 32 wickets. It will be interesting to see how he performs in his second stint with the Punjab Kings.
#4 Kolkata Knight Riders - Andre Russell
Caribbean all-rounder Andre Russell was the highest wicket-taker for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in IPL 2022. He bagged 17 wickets in 14 matches and topped the bowling charts of KKR.
With the bat, Russell aggregated 335 runs in 12 innings at a strike rate of almost 175. He is the biggest match-winner present in the KKR squad, and with Shreyas Iyer set to miss the first few IPL 2023 games, Russell may even receive the team's leadership responsibilities.
#5 Lucknow Super Giants - Deepak Hooda
Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) stacked up their all-rounders' section with some big names at the mega auction last year. They have retained the majority of their all-rounders for IPL 2023, including India's rising star Deepak Hooda.
The off-spin bowling all-rounder has done a great job for India in the shortest format of the game. Last year in IPL 2022, Hooda played 15 matches for LSG, aggregating 451 runs and picking up one wicket. He will be keen to better his performance in IPL 2023.
#6 Delhi Capitals - Axar Patel
Delhi Capitals (DC) retained all-rounder Axar Patel ahead of the IPL 2022 Mega Auction, and the all-rounder repaid the team management's faith by scoring 182 runs in 10 innings at a strike rate of 151.66. He played multiple cameos for the team.
In the bowling unit, Patel accounted for six wickets while maintaining an economy rate of 7.43. DC are reportedly looking at him as a vice-captain candidate for IPL 2023. It will be interesting to see how the all-rounder performs in his new role.
#7 SunRisers Hyderabad - Washington Sundar
Washington Sundar is one of the top names present in the SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) squad for IPL 2023. He joined the Orange Army last season and played nine matches for the team. Sundar scalped six wickets and aggregated 101 runs in those nine games.
The off-spin bowling all-rounder can emerge as a top performer in IPL 2023 if he maintains his fitness. He missed five matches for SRH last season.
#8 Rajasthan Royals - Jason Holder
Jason Holder will play his first season for Rajasthan Royals (RR) in IPL 2023. RR signed him at the auction with the aim of having a balanced playing XI in the new season. The Jaipur-based franchise did not have too many top-quality T20 all-rounders in their squad last year.
Holder brings a lot of experience to the table. He has played 38 IPL games, scoring 247 runs and picking up 39 wickets. The Caribbean star will have the responsibility of shouldering the pace attack in the absence of Prasidh Krishna.
#9 Royal Challengers Bangalore - Glenn Maxwell
Glenn Maxwell has been the MVP for the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the last two IPL seasons. The Australian all-rounder has scored runs consistently for RCB and chipped in with the ball as well whenever the team needed his off-spin.
Unfortunately, Maxwell suffered a nasty injury at a party just a few months before IPL 2023. He made his return to domestic cricket last month, only to suffer another wrist injury. If Maxwell recovers in time for IPL 2023, he will be the main all-rounder for RCB.
#10 Mumbai Indians - Cameron Green
Mumbai Indians (MI) broke the bank and signed Cameron Green for ₹17.5 crore at the IPL 2023 Auction. Green has never played in the IPL before, but he has impressed the MI team owners with his all-round capabilities.
The Australian star is one of the few players in the world who can smack the ball out of the park and also bowl four overs of quality pace. Since Kieron Pollard has retired, all eyes will be on Green in MI's IPL 2023 campaign.