Top 10 greatest IPL all-rounders of all time ft. Ravindra Jadeja & Dwayne Bravo
There is no debate that all-rounders are the most valuable commodity in cricket, especially T20s. While most of the star all-rounders are often neither the No.1 batter nor bowler on the side, their tangible and intangible value goes beyond even the best of the other ilks.
Quite often, a side's success is predicated on the number of great all-rounders it possesses. It is no fluke that teams like the West Indies have enjoyed tremendous success in T20Is, given their plethora of all-rounders over the years.
Meanwhile, the IPL has had no shortage of legendary all-rounders, all of whom have lent incredible balance to some of the most successful franchises in the league's 17-year history.
From batting all-rounders to fast and spin-bowling all-rounders, the IPL has been blessed with an embarrassment of riches in this category.
Yet, as difficult as it is to narrow it down to a small number, we have come up with a list of the 10 greatest all-rounders in IPL history.
Honorable Mentions
Ravichandran Ashwin, Krunal Pandya, Irfan Pathan, Jacques Kallis, Marcus Stoinis, Moeen Ali, Chris Morris, Rashid Khan, James Faulkner, Harbhajan Singh.
# 10 Glenn Maxwell
The 'Big Show' Glenn Maxwell makes the top-10 cut as the last name for his match-winning knocks and useful yet underrated spells with the ball in the IPL.
Despite being a batting all-rounder, the Aussie has picked up 37 wickets in almost 158 overs of bowling during his IPL career. Maxwell also boasts 2,771 runs at an average of almost 25 and a strike rate of 156.73 in 134 outings.
The 36-year-old enjoyed his best IPL season in 2014 when he was named the Most Valuable Player for scoring 552 runs. Yet, Maxwell's best all-round seasons were in 2017 and 2022 when he scored over 300 runs and picked up seven and six wickets, respectively.
Glenn Maxwell's overall IPL numbers
134 Matches, 2,771 Runs, 37 Wickets, Batting average 24.74, Bowling average 35.21.
# 9 Yusuf Pathan
One of the forgotten IPL heroes who dominated the first few years of the league, Yusuf Pathan comes in at No.9.
The now-41-year-old was mainly renowned for his big-hitting and finishing prowess. Yet, Pathan's part-time off-spin bowling fetched as many as 42 wickets at an average of 33.69 and an excellent economy of 7.440.
While he is remembered for his 435 runs and Player of the Match performance in the final for Rajasthan Royals (RR) during the inaugural IPL in 2008, Pathan's best all-round season came in 2011.
The 2007 T20 World Cup winner scored 283 runs and picked up 13 wickets in an outstanding 2011 IPL season.
Yusuf Pathan's overall IPL numbers
174 Matches, 3,204 Runs, 42 Wickets, Batting average 29.13, Bowling average 33.69.
# 8 Sunil Narine
West Indies champion Sunil Narine has established himself as arguably the current best all-rounder of the IPL.
Narine has always been among the top three bowlers since he started playing the IPL in 2012. However, his batting was often a mixed bag with several excellent seasons and equally as many woeful ones.
Yet, he truly starred as an all-rounder for the first time in 2017 with 224 runs and 10 wickets and followed that up with an ever-better 357 runs and 17 wickets in 2018.
Narine's batting tapered off in the next few years before the incredible 2024 campaign, when he scored 488 runs and picked up 17 wickets to help Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) win their third IPL title.
The 36-year-old is the only cricketer in IPL history with three MVP awards and two of those were for consistent all-round performances in 2018 and 2024.
Sunil Narine's overall IPL numbers
176 Matches, 1,534 Runs, 180 Wickets, Batting average 17.04, Bowling average 25.39.
# 7 Hardik Pandya
India's greatest fast-bowling all-rounder since the turn of the century, Hardik Pandya has been the rock in the MI lineup for most of the past decade.
The 31-year-old lent incredible balance to the MI lineup, helping them win four titles in his first six seasons between 2015 and 2020.
With three seasons of 200+ runs and 10+ wickets, Hardik has enjoyed peaks as an all-rounder as very few in the IPL have. His best all-around showing came in 2019 when he scored 402 runs and picked up 14 wickets to help MI win their fourth IPL title.
Hardik Pandya's overall IPL numbers
137 Matches, 2,525 Runs, 64 Wickets, Batting average 28.69, Bowling average 33.59.
# 6 Axar Patel
Axar Patel is fast turning into a pure all-rounder who can be relied upon for game-changing performances with bat and ball.
Despite starting his IPL career as a wily left-arm spinner who can contribute a few lower-order runs, the 30-year-old has slowly turned into a valuable bloater in the batting order.
Patel boasts a healthy batting average of 21.47 with a strike rate over 130, while also having 123 wickets to his name in 150 IPL games. He has enjoyed four seasons of scoring over 200 runs and picking up 10+ wickets, including his best of 227 runs and 15 wickets in IPL 2017.
Axar Patel's overall IPL numbers
150 Matches, 1,653 Runs, 123 Wickets, Batting average 21.47, Bowling average 30.55.
# 5 Kieron Pollard
One of the IPL's greatest match-winners, Kieron Pollard, played a massive role in Mumbai Indians' (MI) joint-record five titles.
With the ability to finish matches out of nowhere with the bat, the tall West Indian also foxed batters with his pace variations with the ball.
The 37-year-old finished his illustrious IPL career with 3,412 runs and 69 wickets, including 16 half-centuries and a four-wicket haul.
Pollard's first four seasons from 2010 to 2013 saw him pick up 10 or more wickets, while also scoring 200+ runs in three out of the four seasons. A 420-run and 10-wicket showing in 2013 ranks as his best all-around season, helping MI win their maiden IPL title.
Added to the runs and wickets, Pollard was also among the best outfielders in the IPL and boasts the joint-third most no. of catches with 103.
Kieron Pollard's overall IPL numbers
189 Matches, 3,412 Runs, 69 Wickets, Batting average 28.67, Bowling average 31.59.
# 4 Dwayne Bravo
One of the most entertaining and free-spirited players in IPL history, the 'Champion' Dwayne Bravo comes in at No.4 among top all-rounders.
Predominantly a bowling all-rounder, the West Indian is the third all-time leading wicket-taker with 183 wickets in 161 outings. Yet, Bravo has produced several match-winning knocks for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) to help them pull off miraculous finishes.
Despite winning the Purple Cap twice in 2013 and 201, Bravo's best all-around season came in 2012 when CSK finished runners-up in their bid for hat trick titles.
The now-41-year-old scored 371 runs and picked up 15 wickets in that season to spark a CSK resurgence in the last quarter of IPL 2012.
Dwayne Bravo's overall IPL numbers
161 Matches, 1,560 Runs, 183 Wickets, Batting average 22.61, Bowling average 23.82.
# 3 Ravindra Jadeja
Ravindra Jadeja has been arguably the most bankable all-rounder year in and year out in IPL history. While his peaks might not be on the level of some of the all-rounders below him on this list, Jadeja has rarely disappeared in a season during his prolonged IPL career.
The 35-year-old has scored above 100 runs and picked up 10+ wickets in a remarkable seven seasons despite predominantly batting lower down the order. Never spectacular but always solid would be the ideal way to define Jadeja's impact as an all-rounder.
His ability to produce consistency as a spinner and versatility as a batter has played a major role in CSK being the joint-most successful IPL franchise. Lest we forget, Jadeja's brilliant fielding has yielded 103 catches - joint-third all-time in IPL history behind only Virat Kohli and Suresh Raina.
Ravindra Jadeja's overall IPL numbers
240 Matches, 2,959 Runs, 160 Wickets, Batting average 27.40, Bowling average 30.40.
# 2 Shane Watson
Australian all-rounder Shane Watson was arguably the most valuable commodity of the first decade of the IPL with his sensational batting and bowling performances.
The now-43-year-old was the IPL's first MVP award recipient for his heroics in the inaugural season in 2008 with 472 runs and 17 wickets. Watson also won the award in 2013 for scoring a phenomenal 543 runs and picking up 13 wickets.
His best bowling season came in 2016 with 20 wickets to help Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) finish runners-up. Two years later in 2018, Watson helped CSK win their third title with a breathtaking century in the finale against SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH).
Shane Watson's overall IPL numbers
145 Matches, 3,874 Runs, 92 Wickets, Batting average 30.99, Bowling average 29.15.
# 1 Andre Russell
The one and only Andre Russell from the West Indies is undoubtedly the top all-rounder of the IPL when it comes to ultimate impact with bat and ball.
At a batting average of almost 30 and an extraordinary strike rate of almost 175, Dre Russ strikes fear in opposition bowlers as very few have in league history. Yet, his bowling often goes unnoticed amidst his fearsome batting despite an average with the ball of 23.01.
The 36-year-old has been named the MVP twice in 2015 and 2019 with Russell combining for 836 runs and 25 wickets across the two seasons.
In KKR's most recent title run in 2024, Russell scored 222 runs and picked up 19 wickets in one of the best individual all-round performances in a single season.
Andre Russell's overall IPL numbers
126 Matches, 2,484 Runs, 115 Wickets, Batting average 29.22, Bowling average 23.01.