An all-rounder is arguably the most important player in any cricket team. The moment a team gets a couple of all-rounders within the XI, the dynamics of the side changes completely. Players with the ability to bat and bowl effectively give a captain an ample amount of options. Any multidimensional player allows his captain to make more aggressive calls in the middle. 

As soon as T20 cricket caught up with the masses, captains slowly and slowly understood that in order to win any T20 match or tournament, they need to have quality all-rounders in their mix. Players who can give their captains a couple of overs with the ball and also score runs quickly are almost invaluable in T20s. 

The Indian Premier League (IPL) has also witnessed some incredible all-rounders during its course of 13 seasons so far. As the 14th season is about to begin, it is a good time to look back and check who has been effective with both ball and bat for their franchises in the cash-rich league.

Here are the 5 best all-rounders in the IPL: 

1. Kieron Pollard

Kieron Pollard first broke out in the limelight with his performances for Trinidad & Tobago in the inaugural Champions League T20 in 2009. He was picked by Mumbai Indians ahead of the 2010 IPL. Since then, Pollard has not donned any other IPL jersey other than the Blue and Gold one. The fact that Mumbai Indians haven’t let him go just goes to show how invaluable he has been over the years, in terms of forming the core for them. 

If we start listing out the top knocks played by the batsman for Mumbai Indians, it would take us some time. However, to sum it up, there are some stats that just set him apart from a lot of players. In 164 matches, he has scored 3023 runs with an average of 29.93. His strike rate has been 149.87. These numbers are sufficient for any batter to walk into the line-up, but the Big West Indian has some bowling accolades as well. 

He has picked up 60 wickets in the IPL, but his bowling has reduced extensively over the years. However, he has a knack for picking important wickets and Rohit Sharma has looked at the West Indian more than when the situation demanded. At times, Mumbai Indians have even looked at him for captaincy roles and he has responded there as well. 

2. Dwayne Bravo

Dwayne Bravo had come into 2008 as one of the very first impactful foreign players. The West Indian all-rounder played for Mumbai Indians for the first three seasons. For the 2011 IPL, he was bought by Chennai Super Kings and instantly found success under the captaincy of MS Dhoni. He was used as a bowling all-rounder, with the arsenal already consisting of Albie Morkel and Ravindra Jadeja, who joined in 2012. 

Dhoni used Bravo effectively to get the best out of him. The West Indian would bat deep in the order, often playing the role of a finisher. When it came to bowling, Bravo’s effective slower balls and variations allowed him to fox the batsmen during the death overs. This plan of using him in the death overs yielded really good results for CSK. 

Bravo was the Purple Cap holder, the award for the highest wicket-taker in a season, twice. He got the award in 2013 and 2015, both times CSK qualified to the final, only to go down to Mumbai Indians. In the 140 IPL matches Bravo has played, he has scored 1490 runs with a strike rate of 128.22. He has picked up 153 wickets as well. When CSK was banned for two seasons, he had also represented Gujarat Lions. 

3. Shane Watson

Shane Watson was the first genuine all-rounder in the IPL who made a difference with both bat and ball on regular occasions. In the first-ever season in 2008, Rajasthan Royals famously won the tournament after being deemed as underdogs at the start. Watson was undoubtedly the most important member of that side and was also named the man of the tournament. 

He was the fourth leading run-getter (472 runs) and fourth-highest wicket-taker (17 wickets) in that tournament. That performance also helped him to establish himself in the Australian national team. After that, he played for them until 2015, leading them in the 2014 and 2015 seasons. In 2016 and 2017, he represented Royal Challengers Bangalore with minimum returns with the bat and a bunch of wickets to his name. 

In 2018, Chennai Super Kings bought him and played him as an opener, a decision that let him bat more freely. He scored 555 runs in the 2018 season, including two centuries, one of which came in the final. CSK went on to win that season and Watson continued to be part of the franchise until he retired after the 2020 season. In total, he has scored 3874 runs with an average of 31 and picked up 92 wickets, by bowling with an economy of 7.9. 

4. Ravindra Jadeja

After being a part of the U-19 World Cup-winning squad in 2008, Jadeja arrived at the Rajasthan Royals. Even though the Royals didn’t have many stars, Shane Warne as an inspirational leader called Jadeja his ‘rockstar.’ The young all-rounder contributed to his franchise with the ball and the bat on regular occasions. 

In 2011, he was bought by the now-defunct Kochi Tuskers Kerala, where he continued playing his roles perfectly. But his turnaround came when he shifted to Chennai Super Kings in 2012. Since then, he has been with the franchise, barring the two seasons when they were banned. For the 2016 and 2017 seasons, he represented Gujarat Lions. 

In the 184 matches which he has played in the IPL, he has scored 2159 with a strike rate of 126.47. He has also picked up 114 wickets, by bowling with an economy of 7.67. His batting has evolved immensely in the last couple of years while he has been more and more effective with the ball. Without a doubt, we are in the middle of Jadeja’s peak as a player. 

5. Hardik Pandya

Hardik Pandya’s growth as a player is a reflection of how IPL helps in developing and shaping a young cricketer’s career. The Baroda all-rounder was spotted by Mumbai Indians and picked up by the franchise for the 2015 season. Since his first season, Pandya has only improved as a cricketer every year. He has been one of the core members of the franchise in four of their five title wins.

The 27-year-old first caught the limelight in 2015 when he smashed an 8-ball 21 against Chennai Super Kings in a tricky run-chase, which seemed to be going against his team. He continued his good form by hitting a 61 against Kolkata at the Wankhede, an innings that showed his capabilities of hitting the ball firmly and scoring quick runs. 

Pandya has doubled his offerings with every season since then. He has evolved as a late-order batsman and also bowled important spells when his captain needed him. Hardik has so far scored 1349 runs in the league with a strike rate of 159.26. He has also picked up 42 wickets. Last season, he played as a pure batter but recently has started bowling again, so he will be expected to play the role of an all-rounder once again in the 2021 season.