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All-rounders play a pivotal role in any cricket team but their role is even more important in the shortest format of the game. Over the past few years, the IPL has witnessed many all-rounders changing the game for their respective sides.
Some of the most highly-rated all-rounders in the IPL, such as Dwayne Bravo, Kieron Pollard, Ravindra Jadeja, Shane Watson and Hardik Pandya, have previously shown how they can turn a game on its head on multiple occasions.
IPL 2021 teams are ready to shell out huge sums of money to procure the services of the best all-rounders. Their potency with both bat and ball makes them the top picks at IPL auctions.
In this piece, we will do a thorough analysis of the all-round options available with each franchise for IPL 2021 and rank the teams accordingly.
#8 Punjab Kings
Punjab Kings have a plethora of all-rounders in their ranks. The most notable among them are new recruits, Moises Henriques and Shahrukh Khan. Kings coach Anil Kumble showered praise on Khan and even drew parallels with MI stalwart Kieron Pollard.
Both of these players were roped in during the IPL 2021 auction. While Moises fetched INR 4.2 crore, Khan won a massive bid of INR 5.25 crore.
Henriques has plenty of experience in the T20 format and has even played 57 IPL matches, in which he scored 969 runs at an average of 28.50 and strike rate of 128.17. The Aussie all-rounder also has 38 IPL wickets to his name. He last featured in the IPL back in 2017 with the Sunrisers Hyderabad and will look to make a good comeback in 2021 with the Punjab-based franchise.
Meanwhile, Jamaican Fabian Allen was also snapped up by Punjab during the auction and will be hoping to make his IPL debut. Other all-rounders in the team include Deepak Hooda and Jalaj Saxena. Jalaj has been superb in the domestic circuit but is yet to display his best in the IPL.
Chris Jordan is primarily a bowler but can also get some quick handy runs down the lower order with a few hefty blows. Overall, the Punjab Kings' all-rounders' department lacks star power. PBKS fans will be hoping that Anil Kumble and his troops can make it up in other departments as they vie for their first IPL trophy in 2021.
#7 Sunrisers Hyderabad
Sunrisers Hyderabad retained as many as 22 players ahead of the 2021 IPL auction, thereby ensuring the crux of the squad remains the same as usual. David Warner's side have many decent all-rounder options but will surely miss Mitchell Marsh, who has withdrawn from the tournament citing personal reasons.
Three of the four overseas slots will be taken up by Rashid Khan, David Warner and one of Kane Williamson and Jonny Bairstow. This leaves the tough decision to pick one of Mohammad Nabi and Jason Holder. However, if the two experienced campaigners are utilized well according to conditions, it could bode well for SRH this season.
Holder was highly effective last season and ended up clinching 14 wickets in his 7 matches. Meanwhile, Abhishek Sharma and Vijay Shankar will be the Indian all-rounders in the team. Both had forgettable outings in IPL 2020 and will look to change their fortunes in the coming season.
Kedar Jadhav has also been roped into the side but is likely to get limited opportunities given the prolific top-order of SRH. He also seems well past his golden days now.
Another all-rounder, Abdul Samad played 12 matches for the SRH in 2020 but was disappointing barring a few quick cameos. The chances of getting more playing time for Samad seem slim in IPL 2021.
#6 Delhi Capitals
Delhi Capitals, as a franchise, have seen a massive turnaround in their fortunes ever since Ricky Ponting was appointed as the head coach. They made it to the playoffs in IPL 2019 and were runners-up in IPL 2020.
Under the able guidance of the Australian legend, Delhi Capitals will be looking to go all the way this time around. While the JSW Group-owned team has a balanced squad overall, their all-rounder's department looks rather weak.
Marcus Stoinis, Tom Curran, Axar Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin, Chris Woakes and Lalit Yadav are the six all-rounders with the side. Stoinis was Delhi's go-to all-rounder in the previous season. He amassed 352 runs in 17 matches at a phenomenal strike rate of 148.52. The 31-year-old Aussie also clinched 13 wickets, albeit at an expensive economy rate of 9.53.
Axar Patel was highly economical with the ball and played a few good cameos with the bat last season. However, Axar has tested positive for Covid-19 and likely to miss out on Delhi’s first few matches.
Meanwhile, Ashwin, who has established himself as a fantastic all-rounder in Test matches, is yet to prove his mettle as an all-rounder in the IPL. Chris Woakes last played a T20 match back in August 2018 and will be the backup overseas option in the squad.
Tom Curran, who played 5 matches in Rajasthan colors last season, had a dismal economy rate of 11.44 in IPL 2020. Delhi picked up the English all-rounder for a massive sum of INR 5.25 crore and will have high hopes from him in IPL 2021.
However, the 26-year-old, whose main strength is bowling, has been leaking a lot of runs in the recent past. It will be interesting to see how he fares for his new IPL team. Lalit Yadav will be the backup Indian option in the department.
#5 Royal Challengers Bangalore
Royal Challengers Bangalore released as many as 10 players and retained just 12 ahead of the 2021 IPL. Similar to previous editions, the RCB management have tried their level best to revamp the squad in a bid to turn around their fortunes. The biggest additions have been to their all-rounders' department.
RCB spent exorbitant amounts to procure the services of Glenn Maxwell (INR 14.25 crore) and Daniel Christian (INR 4.8 crore). The Big Show, as Maxwell is popularly known, has always garnered giant bids at auction but is yet to prove his monies worth in the IPL.
Maxwell flopped big time last season. He could only manage 108 runs in 13 matches at a poor average of 15.42 and an unfamiliar strike rate of 101.88. If Maxwell, who has found tremendous international success, can come into his own during IPL 2021, then it will certainly be an excellent move by RCB.
37-year-old Dan Christian has played 40 IPL matches and has been brought in as a bowling all-rounder. The Aussie player has a lot of T20 experience under his belt and will be looking to share tips with youngsters in the RCB dressing room.
Kyle Jamieson has shown glimpses of his batting ability in Tests and it will be interesting to see how he fares in the IPL. The lanky Kiwi speedster, who was bought at the IPL 2021 auction for INR 15 crore, has a great opportunity to make his mark in the blockbuster T20 tournament.
Another important all-rounder in the RCB line-up is Washington Sundar, who showed his ability with the bat in the bilateral series against Australia in Jan-Feb. The trio of Shahbaz Ahmed, Pavan Deshpande and Daniel Sams will form backup options in the department for RCB.
#4 Chennai Super Kings
Three-time IPL champions Chennai Super Kings have a good bunch of all-rounders. MS Dhoni's side retained the crux of the team, including the all-rounders. Shane Watson's services will be missed by CSK this season after the Aussie announced his retirement from all forms of cricket in November 2020.
Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran are the most high-profile all-rounders in the team, followed by Krishnappa Gowtham, for whom CSK broke the bank at the 2021 IPL auction by shelling out INR 9.25 crores.
Jadeja has played 184 IPL matches and is one of the most experienced campaigners. Curran recently played the best knock of his international career by scoring 95* off 83 against India in the third ODI and bringing England extremely close to a dramatic victory. He will be refreshed and raring to go for CSK now.
There is set to be a problem of plenty in the Chennai camp as CSK also have names such as Dwayne Bravo, Moeen Ali, and Mitchell Santner in their ranks. All three are experienced all-rounders and will be vying to make the cut for the playing 11.
Meanwhile, Bhagath Varma will be the backup all-rounder in the camp. Stephen Fleming and MS Dhoni will have a lot of thinking to do in this department as they have plenty of good options.
#3 Mumbai Indians
There is loads of firepower in the all-rounders' department of five-time champions - Mumbai Indians. Leading the pack are the two Pandya brothers, Hardik and Krunal, along with T20 veteran Kieron Pollard.
Hardik performed exceptionally well in India's recent bilateral series against England. The 27-year-old bowled well and smoked 39 off 17 in the last T20I. His performance was even better in the ODIs and he smashed 64 off 44 in the third and decisive ODI. His explosivity and controlled bowling make him one of the top picks on the MI side. He will be looking to help MI to their record-extending sixth IPL title.
Accompanying Hardik as usual will be the Sr. Pandya, Krunal. Krunal also had a memorable series against England as he smashed the fastest fifty by a debutant in ODIs. His boisterous 58* off 31 in the first ODI of the series will still be fresh in the minds of all MI fans. The all-rounder will be entering IPL 2021 with oodles of confidence and that will certainly bode well for the Mahela Jayawardene-coached unit.
Kieron Pollard needs no introduction. In IPL 2020, the West Indian smashed 268 runs in 16 matches at an average of 53.60 and a belligerent strike rate of 191.42. However, the big Trinidadian could only make 4 scalps with the ball and will be looking to contribute more in the bowling department. Despite being 33, Pollard is still one of the safest fielders in the IPL.
MI did a fine job at the IPL 2021 auction by picking up all-rounder James Neesham for his base price of INR 50 lakhs. The Kiwi player provides a potent backup overseas option for Pollard. South Africa's Marco Jansen is another overseas backup.
Among the Indian backup options are Anukul Roy and Arjun Tendulkar. Furthermore, Nathan Coulter-Nile could also be considered a bowling all-rounder and get some runs down the order. Overall, MI boast one of the strongest contingents this season as well.
#2 Kolkata Knight Riders
The battle for the top 2 was always going to be a tough one, and KKR's all-rounders find themselves ranked 2nd best in our rankings.
Andre Russell is undoubtedly one of the best all-rounders in the modern-day game. Although he had a relatively quiet IPL 2020, there are no questions of his ability. The all-rounder can turn the game on its head and is exactly the kind of player a team looks for in a T20 side. KKR fans will be itching to see Russell unleash his best as he did in IPL 2019.
Sunil Narine had a forgettable IPL 2020 in the UAE but there will be high expectations from the West Indian in 2021. Meanwhile, Shakib Al Hasan has been reunited with KKR and is a fantastic overseas option for the Shahrukh Khan-owned franchise. It is highly likely that Hasan will get a start ahead of Narine considering the recent form of the two players.
Ben Cutting, who was also added during the 2021 IPL auction, has loads of experience in T20s and will be a fantastic backup all-rounder for Russell. KKR will hope that Pat Cummins can provide some valuable runs towards the end of the innings. The speedster has shown his ability with the bat in recent times.
Shivam Mavi, Pawan Negi and Venkatesh Iyer are the three Indian all-rounder options in the squad.
All-in-all, KKR have some of the biggest international stars in the all-rounders' department. Even if a couple of them click in IPL 2021, it could prove to be a game-changer for the two-time champions.
#1 Rajasthan Royals
Rajasthan Royals got the wooden spoon in IPL 2020. A whole lot will depend on the form of Rajasthan's all-rounders in IPL 2021. The good news for RR fans is that they have the best of them.
Grabbing all the headlines at this year's auction was Chris Morris, who was picked up by the Royals for an extravagant sum of INR 16.25 crore. The lanky South African player became the most expensive buy in IPL auction history.
Morris was extremely effective with the ball for RCB last season as he clinched 11 wickets in 9 matches at a fantastic economy rate of 6.63. He can also prove to be destructive with the bat. This will be Morris' second stint with the Royals (he also featured for the side in 2015) and fans will hope the partnership will be a sweet one.
Ben Stokes, the high-profile all-rounder in the RR set-up, is in phenomenal form. Whether it is for Stokes' fearless strokes with the bat or his knack of picking up wickets with the ball, the Englishman is loved dearly by RR fans. His outrageous 99 off 52 balls with 10 sixes and 4 fours against India in the second ODI in the recent bilateral tournament speaks volumes about the kind of ability he has. Add to that his phenomenal fielding, and we have the most feared all-rounder in the IPL ready.
RR also showed great faith in Rahul Tewatia last season and it paid off and how! The 27-year-old scored 255 runs in 14 matches at an average of 42.50 and a strike rate of 139.34. He was highly effective with the ball as he took 10 wickets and was also economical.
Jofra Archer's immaculate death bowling and ability to hit sixes towards the end of the innings will also come into the picture for the Royals, albeit during the second half of the season as he is set to miss the first half after undergoing surgery on his finger.
Shreyas Gopal, Shivam Dube, and the youngster Riyan Parag have each shown promise in the past and will look to break through in IPL 2021. The three all-rounders do the job well in their secondary departments.
Overall, Rajasthan Royals have the best bunch of all-rounders and it will be interesting to see if they can finally help break the frustrating deadlock of the first-ever IPL champions.
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