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Top 5 best T20 all-rounders of all-time | Who is the best T20 all-rounder of all-time?

Having an awesome all-rounder in your side is almost like having two players in one. They become part of your bowling attack and can strike the ball ferociously with the bat. In today’s game, the likes of Sunil Narine and Hardik Pandya are two of the best T20 all-rounders.

The T20 format, though, has been growing ever since its inception in 2003. Therefore, we must ask, who are the top 5 best T20 all-rounders of all-time?

5. Shahid Afridi

Perhaps Pakistan’s greatest match-winner in the shortest format, along with Umar Gul and Babar Azam. Shahid Afridi brought energy into cricket and lots of it. “Boom Boom” as he was informally known, was and still is a very destructive batsman. Afridi has scored over 4000 runs in T20s at an average of 18. However, he often made up for his lack of runs by having an impact with his super strike-rate of 154.

Afridi was a top quality bowler in T20 and could hold his place in the side just due to this skill. 339 wickets in 311 innings represent a good return. His tight wicket-to-wicket bowling gave very little room to opposition batsmen and he often rushed them for pace. An average of 22 and economy of 6.71 are excellent figures as well. Afridi could bowl in the middle-overs and in the powerplay.

He took 12 wickets at the 2007 World T20 to help Pakistan reach the Final. His 11 wickets at the 2009 World T20, plus two half-centuries, helped Pakistan win the tournament in England. A genuine match-winner with either bat or ball.

4. Shakib Al Hasan

Shakib. Bangladesh’s greatest-ever cricketer and the greatest all-rounder to emerge from the subcontinent in recent times. In 308 T20s, Shakib Al Hasan has scored nearly 5,000 runs at a batting average of 21. He has the potential to average greater, but he has sometimes struggled to find the right tempo in T20 cricket. Nevertheless, he has scored 19 half-centuries.

Shakib comes into his own, however, in his bowling. 354 wickets in 308 games is well over one wicket per game. A remarkable best of 6/6 in T20 cricket, combined with the fact that his economy rate is under 7, proves that he is a front line bowler in this format and can destroy opposition batsmen on his day. A bowling average of 21 is also strong.

He has played for various franchises over the world and excelled in most conditions, including being the highest wicket-taker in the history of the BPL. Plus, he has won the most valuable player award three out of six times in the BPL. He was also a part of the Kolkata Knight Riders’ two IPL wins in 2012 and 2014 and is also a two-time CPL winner.

Also read:

• CricBlog’s all-time T20 XI: Who makes the cut?
• All-time IPL XI: Which players have lit up the IPL the most?
• Top 5 T20 cricketers of all-time

3. Shane Watson

Australia’s greatest-ever all-rounder in T20s, Shane Watson has been a superstar in the shortest format of the game. He has not bowled in the last few years due to injury problems, but his statistics are still up there with the best in the game.

In 332 T20s, Shane Watson has scored over 8,500 runs at a batting average of 29.28. He has six centuries in the format, including a blistering 117 in the 2018 IPL Final to help the Chennai Super Kings win the tournament. He has also taken 216 wickets at 27 and at an economy rate of 7.90.

For Australia, he was excellent in the 2012 World T20, where he topped the batting charts for the most runs in the tournament. Plus, Watson was the second-highest wicket-taker in the tournament. Despite his individual brilliance, he could not inspire Australia to glory.

Watson has won the most valuable player award twice in the IPL – in 2008 and 2013. In both tournaments he scored over 450 runs and took over 10 wickets for the Rajasthan Royals. He is also the third-highest run-scorer in PSL history, with 1361 runs at 32.40.

2. Dwyane Bravo

Perhaps the greatest bowling all-rounder in T20 cricket history. At his peak, Dwyane Bravo was phenomenal with the ball. His yorkers were pinpoint accurate and his slower balls were very difficult to pick. Captains ranging from MS Dhoni to Darren Sammy knew that they could rely on him to close out an innings, in even the most toughest situations.

In 457 T20’s Dwyane Bravo has picked up 499 wickets at a bowling average of 25 and an economy rate of 8.25. His figures are skewed by his form in the last few years and the fact that he bowls all of the difficult overs in a T20 innings. At the 2016 World T20, he picked up nine wickets at 21 and at an economy under 8, as the West Indies went on to lift the trophy.

Bravo is also a superb finisher with the bat. He has scored over 6,000 runs, at a strike rate of 127, and could step up the tempo when required. His average of 24 is also solid for a player coming in to bat at number six or lower. Bravo’s fielding skills are also unmatched by other T20 all-rounders. An athletic and versatile fielder, he often plucks off the most difficult catches, especially on the boundary and off his own bowling.

He picked up an incredible 32 wickets in the 2013 IPL, at a bowling average of 16 and economy of just below 8. A gun T20 player, Bravo has been pivotal to the success of many franchises in T20 cricket.

1. Andre Russell

Undoubtedly the greatest T20 all-rounder in the history of the format. Andre Russell has won just about every award in T20 Cricket and just about every tournament he has played.

In 324 T20 matches, “Dre Russ” has scored over 5,000 runs at a staggering strike rate of 170. His average of 27 is very healthy for the format. Also, he can bat slow at times if required, but his awesome power and six-hitting ability makes him one of the most destructive T20 batsmen of all-time.

He has nearly taken one wicket per game as well, with 293 wickets in 300 innings bowled. Andre Russell has a solid bowling average of 26 and conceeds eight runs an over on average. His best of 4/11 and 8 four-wicket hauls both illustrate the fact that he can run through batting line-ups on his day.

A two-time World T20 winner with the West Indies, Andre Russell lit up the 2016 tournament. His 43 of just 20 balls in the Semi Final against India helped the West Indies reach the Final, after a poor start to their innings. He combined with Lendl Simmons to put on an unbeaten 80-run partnership in that game. Russell was also one of the top wicket-takers in the tournament, with nine scalps in just six innings.

Also, Russell was named player of the tournament at the 2019 IPL, hitting 510 runs at an amazing strike rate of 205. Russell also picked up 11 wickets for good measure.

Honourable Mentions

Sunil Narine, Chris Morris, Mohammad Nabi, Jacques Kallis, Kieron Pollard, Moeen Ali.

Written by Varun Desai. Follow Varun on Twitter today.

Also read:

• CricBlog’s all-time T20 XI: Who makes the cut?
• All-time IPL XI: Which players have lit up the IPL the most?
• Top 5 T20 cricketers of all-time