Ranking the 10 best men's all-rounders in world cricket right now ft. Hardik Pandya & Wanindu Hasaranga
Prominent all-rounders in cricket are like gold dust, for their ability to influence a game at all stages. Yet, their contribution to team success cannot be diluted to just that.
All-rounders help a side attain optimum balance in their playing XI and boast numerous options with bat and ball. Some of the most consistent and well-rounded teams in cricket history have often boasted one or more legendary all-rounders.
It includes the likes of Sir Garfield Sobers for the West Indies, Kapil Dev for India, Jacques Kallis for South Africa, and Imran Khan for Pakistan, among others. With the advent of T20s, all-rounders have become a necessity instead of a luxury as Team India showed in their recent T20 World Cup triumph with the presence of Axar Patel, Ravindra Jadeja, and Hardik Pandya.
How often have we heard the phrase - 'South Africa play with 13 or 14 players in their XI' during their dominant run in the 1990s and 2000s when Jacques Kallis, Shaun Pollock, and Lance Klusener were at the peak of their powers?
While all-rounders playing all three formats have dwindled due to packed international schedules and the emergence of T20 leagues, their impact has remained the same.
On that note, we rank the ten best current all-rounders across formats by weighing in numbers and other factors this year.
Honorable Mentions:
Andre Russell, Sikandar Raza, Rashid Khan, Glenn Maxwell, and Marcus Stoinis.
#10 Shakib Al Hasan
Bangladesh's greatest cricketer, Shakib Al Hasan, has dominated the all-rounder rankings for the past decade with incredible batting and bowling performances across formats. However, the 37-year-old hasn't been at his consistent best this year with a batting average of only 18 and a bowling average of 37 in 17 international games.
Nevertheless, with a half-century and two four-wicket hauls, Shakib has still made timely all-round contributions for Bangladesh, helping them qualify for the second round of the 2024 T20 World Cup. Shakib also helped Bangladesh triumph 2-0 in the recent away Test series against Pakistan.
The veteran has scored 324 runs and picked up 22 wickets this year, showcasing his ability to still impact a game with bat and ball even in a below-par season. Shakib is still third on the latest ICC Men's Test ranking for all-rounders even as his career is set to end in the upcoming home series against South Africa.
#9 Ben Stokes
An injury-plagued Ben Stokes has struggled to maintain bowling fitness this year, resulting in a drop in position from where his potential and past performances should warrant on the list.
Playing only Tests this year, the 33-year-old has scored 391 runs and picked up six wickets at batting and bowling averages of 27.92 and 31.33, respectively. Stokes has scored on a few crucial occasions, including a 70 in the first innings of England's famous first Test win over India in Hyderabad in January.
The champion cricketer scored a couple of useful 40s in the subsequent Tests on the India tour. Stokes also smashed three fifties in four innings, while picking up five wickets, in England's 3-0 home whitewash of the West Indies in July.
While he has been dealing with an injury since, Stokes still remains in the top ten of the latest ICC Test all-rounder rankings.
#8 Jason Holder
Former West Indian captain Jason Holder has endured a mixed bag as an all-rounder this year, with his batting on fire but the bowling not as penetrative. The 32-year-old has played five Tests in 2024 and scored 276 runs at an average of 34.50 with two half-centuries.
However, Holder has only picked up five wickets at an average of 67.40 in those Tests.
He also played three T20Is at the start of the year, scoring 62 runs without being dismissed even once and picking up three wickets.
Despite the moderate recent returns, Holder is still ranked sixth among Test all-rounders in the ICC rankings.
#7 Liam Livingstone
England's Liam Livingstone is arguably the most red-hot property among all-rounders in white-ball cricket right now. The 31-year-old is currently ranked the No.1 all-rounder in T20Is on the ICC rankings.
Livingstone has scored 198 runs at an average of 33 and a strike rate of over 157 in 12 T20Is, while also bagging 11 wickets at a stunning average of 13.36 and an economy of 7.
While his exploits in ODIs aren't as spectacular, a batting average of 36 with two wickets in five matches is nothing to sneeze at. England will hope Livingstone can continue his incredible all-round form, especially with the recent retirement of Moeen Ali.
#6 Ravichandran Ashwin
Ravichandran Ashwin is arguably the one of the two best Test all-rounders in world cricket at the moment along with his Indian teammate Ravindra Jadeja. However, his absence from the white-ball formats sees him at No.6 in the overall all-rounders list.
The 38-year-old is ranked No.2 in the latest ICC Test all-rounder rankings, thanks to his sensational bowling numbers and valuable batting heroics. Ashwin is the fourth leading wicket-taker in Tests this year with 37 scalps at an average of 23.16, including three five-wicket hauls.
He scored several crucial 20s and 30s in India's home series win over England earlier in the year before smashing a sixth Test century in the first Test of the recent Bangladesh series in Chennai.
With a batting average of over 25 and a bowling average in the low 20's, Ashwin remains one of the best all-rounders in world cricket even at his advanced age.
#5 Hardik Pandya
India's Hardik Pandya is the only fast-bowling all-rounder in the top five of this list, thanks to his incredible performances in T20Is.
The 31-year-old delivered game-changing runs and wickets during India's title run in the 2024 T20 World Cup, including a three-wicket haul in the final against South Africa.
Hardik boasts astonishing T20I numbers in 2024 with a batting average of almost 49 and a bowling average of 22.35 in 13 outings. It is no surprise that he finds himself at No.3 in the ICC T20I all-rounder rankings.
#4 Wanindu Hasaranga
Sri Lankan bowling all-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga makes the top five on the back of strong performances in white-ball cricket this year.
The 27-year-old is the second leading wicket-taker in ODIs this year with 20 in seven matches at an average of 16.20. He has also added useful runs lower down the order, evidenced by his average of over 17 in ODIs in 2024.
Hasaranga has produced similar numbers in T20Is with 24 wickets at an incredible average of 16.20, while also scoring 143 at an average of 13 with the bat.
His excellent white-ball showing has him ranked No.6 in T20Is and 15th in ODIs in the ICC all-rounder rankings.
#3 Ravindra Jadeja
Ravindra Jadeja continues to be the far and away best all-rounder in the world in Tests, evidenced by his 110 point lead over second-placed Ashwin on the ICC Test all-rounder rankings.
The 35-year-old averages a stellar 36.22 with the bat and 21.96 with the ball in the red-ball format this year. Jadeja is the only all-rounder with over 300 runs and 25 wickets in Tests this year.
While his T20I numbers took a hit during the 2024 World Cup, he prodivided India with some crucial overs with the ball and a few cameos with the bat.
#2 Mohammad Nabi
Afghanistan's Mohammad Nabi is the epitome of the famous sporting phrase - 'Age is just a number'. At 39, the spin-bowling all-rounder continues to produce outstanding performances with bat and ball.
Nabi's quickfire cameos and miserly bowling was crucial to Afghanistan making their first-ever semi-final of an ICC event in the 2024 T20 World Cup. His overall T20I numbers this year reads an impressive 289 runs at an average of almost 21 and eight wickets at an average of under 32 and an economy of 7.69.
However, Nabi's best have come in the 50-over format this year with a stunning batting average of 36.71 and a bowling average of under 31 in eight outings.
Among the only cricketers to be in the top ten of the ODI and T20I all-rounder rankings, Nabi is No.1 in the former as per the latest ICC rankings.
#1 Axar Patel
One of the key reasons behind India's dominant title run in the 2024 T20 World Cup was Axar Patel's consistency with the ball and spark with the willow.
The 30-year-old is among the few all-rounders to regularly play all three formats this year, bosting an overall batting average of 28.54 and bowling average of 23.03. The highlight of Axar's all-round abilities was his three-wicket haul in the T20 World Cup semi-final and a game-changing 47 in the final.
Axar averags an excellent 33.25 with the bat in five Tests this year, while also picking up five wickets. His T20I numbers read a remarkable 25.50 average with the bat and 16.52 with the ball in 12 matches.
Even as India suffered a shocking 0-2 defeat in the ODI series in Sri Lanka, Axar shone brightly with batting and bowling averages of 26.33 and 28, respectively.