5 all-rounders who could take the World T20 by storm

With the ICC World T20 2016 just around the corner, cricketing fans will be expecting fireworks from batsmen and bowlers throughout the tournament. If there is one thing the T20 format can promise is entertainment. In the short and crisp format that predominanly involves power hitting, fans are glued to the game hoping to see something special.Not every cricketer who plays Test and ODI formats can shift to top gear – be it bowling or batting – while playing the T20 format. But, the players who are most beneficial to a team in the T20 format are the all-rounders, the ones who are equally good with ball and bat.Ahead of the World T20, we take a look at the five of the best all-rounders who are set to feature in the mega-event. The list is based on a player's batting and bowling performances in the T20s (including T20Is) as well as their performance in India, the hosts of the World T20.Here are the five all-rounders who could take the World T20 by storm:

#5 James Faulkner (Australia)

Termed as one of the best finishers in limited-overs cricket, James Faulkner is a priceless player with ball and bat for Australia. Although he is predominantly in the team as a bowling all-rounder, he is quite useful with the bat as he has proved time and again how he can take the game away from the opposition.

He has not had a lot of experience playing T20Is, having scored 124 runs in 11 T20I innings at an average of 20.66 and a strike rate of 114.81. With the ball, Faulkner averages just 23.26 after having picked up 19 wickets in 15 matches.

Faulkner has played only one T20I in India, however, this won't worry the Australian fans as his performances in the Indian Premier League (IPL) for the erstwhile Rajasthan Royals has been well known.

In 48 matches for the Royals, Faulkner picked up 53 wickets at an average of 27.37 and an economy rate of 8.28. In 35 innings that he batted for the Royals, the 25-year-old has scored 387 runs at an average of 20.36 and at an excellent strike rate of 143.86.

With more than half of his T20 experience coming in India, it can be concluded with some certainty that Faulkner will be one of the most important players in the Australian side if they are to try and win their first World T20 title.