Top 5 all-rounders to watch out for in Champions Trophy 2017

The 2017 edition of the ICC Champions Trophy is all set to get underway. The tournament promises to be a bigger and better affair than its previous editions. Over the years, the stature of the tournament has grown leaps and bounds. It is renowned to unearth some of the biggest stars of the international cricket. Ever since the early editions when all-rounders like Yuvraj Singh announced their arrival, there have been many who have found CT as their stepping stone to success.

Coming into the 2017 edition, expect more stars to be taking the center stage this year. The hype around the tournament has already been soaring sky high. Needless to say, the players would be pumped up to put up some brilliant display of cricket skills this year as well. Talking about the ODI format, one of the key assets for any team is the all-rounder.

This year, in the Champions Trophy 2017, expect the all-rounder to be calling the shots. All teams have ensured that they have picked some of the power packed all-rounders in their lineups. Here we pick a list of such 5 top all-rounders who could well prove to be the match-winners in this edition of the ICC mega event. Read on to find out who these gentlemen are:

Imad Wasim – Pakistan

Young Pakistani all-rounder Imad Wasim has seen a slow yet steady rise in the ranks in his short international career thus far. He has been tipped as the next big thing in the international cricket ever since he shot to fame in the U19 levels for the national colors. He was the part of the youth side that had won the ICC U19 World Cup in 2006. Now, Imad would want to make his presence felt in another global event on a much larger scale.

Imad has featured in 21 ODIs for the Pakistan team thus far. He has 381 runs to his name at an average of 42.33. He has emerged as the finisher for his side in the recent times. Also, he has 24 wickets to his name with a best of 5/14 in the 21 matches that he has followed. In the recent times, he has spent time in England and that sees him in a comfortable spot to adapt to the English conditions. He has not been in the best of forms in the recent times and England could well be his second coming. 

Colin de Grandhomme – New Zealand

Team New Zealand has found a very good all-rounder in Colin de Grandhomme. The Zimbabwe-born all-rounder has been in a very good form ever since he donned the Kiwi whites in late 2016. He returned with figures of 6/41 on his debut to enter the record books for the most impressive figures on debut for New Zealand. He has a T20 strike rate of over 165 which speaks volumes about his prowess with the bat.

Only the ODI format is the game form that is yet to see him excel with either the bat or the ball. In the 9 ODIs that he has played thus far, he has not quite got his opportunities with the bat and the ball. Hence, the Champions Trophy could well be his platform to unleash in the one-day format of the game. In the recent times, he played for the Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL and that has only strengthened his game even more.

Hardik Pandya – India

Hardik Pandya has been a revelation for Indian cricket. He had started off as an attacking batsman who could chip in with a few overs when one of the bowlers has an off day. However, the Indian think tank started to use his skills wisely. After having worked very hard on his pace, Hardik was handed the new ball duties in the ODI fixtures against New Zealand and England.

Hardik performed well enough and is likely to take the new ball in the Champions Trophy as well. With the bat, his might is well known. His recent exploits for the Mumbai Indians in the IPL is a testimony of how good he has been with the bat. In the 7 ODIs he has played thus far, he has a top score of 56 to his name with a strike rate close to 120. With the ball, he has 9 wickets with a three-wicket haul to his name. 

Chris Morris – South Africa

Chris Morris is all pumped up to don the hat of the finisher for the South African team yet again. In the recent times, he has not been the most regular face of the lineup. However, given the kind of form he is in, it will only be unfair on his part to be left out of the scheme of things in the Champions Trophy. Morris has the ability to clock speeds in excess of 140 kmph on a consistent basis. Also, he has the might of scoring runs at a very high strike rate on his given day.

Going into the tournament, Morris will be riding high on confidence after his superlatives in the Indian Premier League for the Delhi Daredevils. In the 9 matches that he played in the IPL this season, he hit the ball with a strike rate of 163.82. With the ball, he had 12 wickets to his name and was the impact bowler for his team. Talking about his ODI form, he has only played 23 matches till date with 29 scalps to his name. He has not got his opportunities with the bat but had once singlehandedly won an ODI against England with a gutsy yet fiery 62. 

Ben Stokes – England

Arguably the most popular all-rounder of the present day cricket, Ben Stokes will be back in English colors after having an ominous IPL debut season. Playing for the Rising Pune Supergiant, he had all eyes on him after he was bagged for a record INR 14 crore at the auctions. Needless to say, Stokes justified every penny of it with his all-round show. He was instrumental in taking his side to the playoffs.

Stokes will head into the Champions Trophy 2017 in supreme form. He had plundered 316 runs in 12 IPL games with a century to his name. He also had 12 wickets to back it up along with athletic fielding showings. In the 53 ODIs that he has played in English colors, he has been hitting the ball at a strike rate close to 100. He has 9 fifties to go along with a ton to his name. He has alo managed to scalp 46 wickets with a best of 5/61.