IPL 2018: 5 all-rounders to keep an eye on this season

The eleventh edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) will kick off on Saturday, April 7 and there are a ton of players to watch out for. While the batsmen steal the limelight in Twenty20 cricket all-rounders play a pivotal and supremely vital role when it comes to balancing the outfit of many sides. In a tournament like the IPL, it is always the all-rounders who are in high demand because they bring that much-needed flexibility to their side to win more matches than the others.

Some of the top all-rounders from India and abroad feature in the tournament this time around. In four IPLs so far, it is some of the all-rounders who won the award of the Most Valuable Player. While Australia’s Shane Watson won the best player’s award in 2008 and 2013, West Indian Andre Russell won it in 2015 and England’s Ben Stokes in 2017.  Caribbean hitter Chris Gayle also picked quite a few wickets besides slamming tons of runs in the 2011 edition in which he was adjudged the MVP.

Before the first ball of the latest edition is bowled, here is a look at the five all-rounders who can make a mark this year:

1. Ben Stokes (Rajasthan Royals):

Bought for Rs 12.5 crore, the England all-rounder was the most expensive buy this year as in the last (his price was lesser by Rs 2 crore this time though) and he would be looked up to by the Rajasthan Royals (RR) who are set to make a comeback in this year’s edition after two years of suspension.

Stokes played for the Rising Pune Supergiant last year and in 12 matches that he played before leaving for Spain, he scored 316 runs including an unbeaten 103 (strike rate of 142.98). He also took 12 wickets at an average of 7.18. His performance last year made him a star attraction in this year’s auction and the RR did not give it a second thought before buying him.

The England and Wales Cricket Board also allowed him to play in the IPL despite being in suspension for a police investigation over a pub brawl. Stokes, who was adjudged for the Most Valuable Player award in 2017, will be boosting the RR’s chances to win their second title after a decade.

2. Shakib Al Hasan (Sunrisers Hyderabad):

He recently made the headlines in Sri Lanka during the T20 tri-series but the Bangladeshi all-rounder could be a handy weapon for the SRH if fully fit. He was bought by the Hyderabad-based franchise this year after his six-edition stint with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) between 2011 and 2017 with the exception of 2013.

Shakib is currently the top-ranked all-rounder in Tests and one-day internationals and the No.2 all-rounder in the T20 format. He has scored 498 runs in 43 matches in IPL at a strike rate of 130.36 besides taking 43 wickets at an average of 7.17.  Last year, Shakib played only one IPL game and will look to make it up for his new team this year. The man has played in a number of T20 champions across the world and can make exceptional contributions with both the bat and ball to see his team home.

3. Dwayne Bravo (Chennai Super Kings):

The 34-year-old West Indian all-rounder has featured in each IPL since the inception except the 2017 edition which he missed because of a thigh injury. It shows the match-winning player is ageing but Bravo is still a force to make a difference at key moments. He played for the CSK and went to MI and Gujarat Lions (GL) when the men in yellow were suspended and have returned to his original team this year for a cost of Rs 6.4 crore.

A veteran of over 100 games in IPL, Bravo has scored 1,238 runs at a strike rate of 125.94 and took 122 wickets at an average of 8.15 with the best figure of 4 for 22. He is the fifth highest wicket-taker in IPL after Lasith Malinga (154), Amit Mishra (134), Harbhajan Singh (127) and Piyush Chawla (126). Bravo has also won the purple cap in IPL twice.

Bravo has over 5,000 runs and 400 wickets in a T20 format which makes him one of the greatest in this format. And not to forget his dancing footwork apart from those in batting and fielding.

4. Hardik Pandya (Mumbai Indians)

One of the mainstays of the Mumbai Indians team, Hardik Pandya will be the man to see again this year. The man made an impressive debut in IPL in the 2015 edition as he stunned the world with a massive batting strike rate of 180.64 in the nine games he played.  The stint with MI helped him to grow as a national player for India over the last few years and he is even being called the next Kapil Dev.

Hardik has played 37 games in the IPL in three editions amassing 406 runs at a strike rate of 142.45. He also has taken 10 wickets at an average of 9.08. The 24-year-old Baroda all-rounder will be a senior player in the MI squad this time to help them strive for their record fourth title.

5. Andre Russell (Kolkata Knight Riders)

Having started in the IPL for Delhi Daredevils (DD), Andre Russell later came to be synonymous with Gautam Gambhir’s KKR and remains a major hope for the side even after the exit of Gambhir from the team. Gambhir had shown trust on Russell on a number of occasions to finish off games and he did not let down his captain much.

He won the ‘Most Valuable Player’ award in 2015. The new skipper of the KKR, Dinesh Karthik, would also expect the Jamaican’s supreme form to continue although he will be making after a year-long doping ban which saw him missing IPL 2017 besides the occasional injuries.

In the 34 games he has played in the IPL, the 29-year-old has scored 574 runs at a phenomenal strike rate of 173.41 and also took 31 wickets at an economy rate of 8.51.

Andre Russell could be a prized asset for any captain on a given day and after the loss of Mitchell Starc, the management and supporters of the former champions would hope that the former plays the tournament of his life this year.