Ranking the 10 greatest Indian all-rounders of all time ft. Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin
India has produced some of the sport's finest all-rounders over the years. While the number of all-rounders emerging from India has been comparatively lesser as compared to batters or bowlers, there have been some quality players, some still playing in the present, who have shown their skills with both the bat and the ball.
All-rounders are a rare breed of players, who more or less, possess impressive skills and abilities with both the bat and the ball. Their multi-skillset allows them to make valuable contributions with both the bat and the ball if not one at least.
All-rounders bring balance to any team and complete the side. They often solve the missing links to any team's balance and also provide captains with the luxury of using the same player and making a better combination if needed.
Although Indian all-rounders have been limited over the years, they have given top-notch performances to be regarded among the very best.
Here, we take a look at the top 10 greatest Indian all-rounders of all time.
Ranking the 10 greatest Indian all-rounders of all time
#10 Irfan Pathan
Irfan Pathan was known as a great bowling all-rounder. The left-arm seamer built a reputation for being able to swing the ball both ways and was quite effective as well. He created history when he became the first Indian bowler to claim a Test hat-trick in the first three balls of a match, doing it against Pakistan.
Irfan played a key role in India's 2007 T20 World Cup triumph as well. Apart from his bowling, he is also known for his batting abilities, which have still been seen after his retirement while playing in tournaments such as Legends League Cricket, etc.
Irfan scored 1105 runs and picked up 100 wickets in 29 Tests. He also scored 1544 runs in ODIs and grabbed 173 scalps.
#9 Hardik Pandya
Hardik Pandya is probably the only well-established fast-bowling all-rounder in Indian cricket at this time. He is considered among the best in the world at present. Often known for his exploits and power-hitting with the bat, Hardik has made some vital contributions with the ball for the India side across formats too.
The 30-year-old all-rounder has played 86 ODIs, scoring 1769 runs and picking up 84 wickets while in T20Is, he has scored 1523 runs and grabbed 86 wickets from 102 games.
Hardik still has enough cricket left to be played and can gain a spot among the greatest all-rounders.
#8 Vijay Hazare
Vijay Hazare will always be remembered for his brilliant display on India's first tour of Australia in 1947-48, when he scored a century in each innings of the Adelaide Test.
He scored 2192 runs from 30 Tests for India and also picked up 20 wickets. However, his domestic stats show why he is considered as one of the best all-rounders from India.
From 238 first-class games, Hazare amassed 18740 runs and also bagged a massive 595 wickets.
#7 Yuvraj Singh
Yuvraj Singh is certainly among the best all-rounders to have played the game. The prolific left-hander is known for his fearless approach, power-hitting, and ability to smash sixes at will.
Yuvraj has put up many incredible and record-breaking performances, including his six sixes against Stuart Broad during the 2007 T20 World Cup. He played vital roles in both the 2007 T20 World Cup and 2011 World Cup wins with his match-winning all-round performances as he was also named the 'Player of the Tournament' in the 2011 World Cup.
Yuvraj scored 8701 ODI runs from 304 games and also picked up 111 wickets in his career.
#6 Mohinder Amarnath
Mohinder Amarnath was among India's most crucial performers during the historic 1983 World Cup. Although he began his career as a medium pacer, he did not take much time to develop his skills with the bat and transitioned into a fine all-rounder.
His average of 42.5 with the bat in Tests and 30.54 in ODIs, with 13 international hundreds, speak for his abilities.
Amarnath is definitely among India's cricketing legends as he was the Man of the Tournament in the 1983 World Cup and also won the Man of the Match award in the semi-final against England.
#5 Ravi Shastri
Known for his explosive and brilliant commentary today, Ravi Shastri is another player from the 1983 World Cup squad who is truly among the top all-rounders from India.
Shastri is remembered for getting big scores against tough opponents and also had impressive numbers as a left-arm orthodox spinner. He also created history when he slammed six sixes against Baroda in a single over.
Shastri scored 3830 runs and picked 151 wickets in his Test career apart from scoring 3108 runs and taking 129 wickets in ODIs.
#4 Vinoo Mankad
Vinoo Mankad was another exceptional all-rounder to have played the game. Mankad registered five Test centuries, two double-hundreds, apart from picking up eight five-wicket hauls and two 10-wicket hauls in his career.
He played 44 Tests for India and displayed his all-round abilities, scoring 2109 runs apart from also scalping 162 wickets.
Famously remembered for "mankading", it is only fair to remember him as a finely skilled all-rounder as well.
#3 Ravichandran Ashwin
Ravichandran Ashwin is probably the best Indian all-rounder at present, at least when it comes to the longer format. His recent performance in the first Test against Bangladesh, where he grabbed six wickets and scored a hundred as well, talk of his skills.
Ashwin is currently ranked the top bowler in Tests and is also present in the top 10 for the all-rounder rankings.
He has developed as not only a wicket-taking and clever bowler but also a reliable lower-order batter, particularly in Test cricket, having scored six Test hundreds already.
Ashwin currently has 523 Test wickets and 156 ODI wickets. He also has an impressive 3422 runs in Test cricket.
#2 Ravindra Jadeja
Ashwin's partner-in-crime, Ravindra Jadeja has emerged as the finest all-rounder not just for India but across the world, in all formats.
Jadeja, known for his ability to fox batters and pick up wickets, has also played some crucial knocks in difficult conditions when the team needed him the most, a recent example being his partnership with Ashwin in the first Test against Bangladesh.
Along with Ashwin, Jadeja is also present in the top 10 for the bowlers and all-rounders Test rankings at present.
Jadeja's Test numbers have seen him score 3122 runs along with 299 wickets. In ODIs, he has 2756 runs to go with 220 wickets.
#1 Kapil Dev
India's 1983 World-Cup winnings captain Kapil Dev is undoubtedly India's best all-rounder ever. He was known for bowling extremely long spells and is also among India's leading wicket-takers in Tests.
While primarily known for his bowling, Kapil's historic and magnificent knock of 175 in the 1983 World Cup is enough to talk about his abilities with the bat.
Kapil boasts 434 Test wickets along with 5248 runs while in ODIs, he has picked up 253 wickets and scored 3783 runs.
More than his skills with the bat and ball though, the way he led an 'underdog' Indian team to victory in 1983, which changed the complexion of the game in the country forever, makes him a true all-rounder in every sense.