According to most fans, England stalwart Ben Stokes is the most complete and the best all rounder in the world right now.
Although cricket is a team sport, all rounders end up having the biggest impact on match proceeding. Able to exert their influence with both the bat as well as the ball, they are an incredible asset for any side. Some of the best players in the history of cricket, like Kapil Dev, Gary Sobers, Ian Botham, Richard Hadlee, and Jacques Kallis were prolific all-rounders. They were able to compete with the greatest batsmen while also giving the best bowlers in the world a run for their money.
There are two types of all-rounders: batting all-rounder and bowling all-rounder. Batting all-rounders possess greater qualities with the bat but are also able to bowl at a pretty decent level. It’s the opposite with bowling all-rounders whose primary strength is bowling but they can also bat well.
Some of the most treasured players in world cricket today are all-rounders who can perform their responsibilities as batsman and bowler across all three formats of cricket. Without a doubt, they are the rarest breed of players in the world. Those who play all three formats of the game and perform various roles have to go to extreme lengths in order to keep their bodies fit and prolong their career, given the jam-packed schedule of international cricket in the modern era.
Without further ado, let’s take a look at the top 10 list of the best all-rounder in the world.
Best all rounder in the world: Top 10 list
| Name | Country | Test cricket | ||||||
| Matches | Runs | Batting Average | Centuries | Wickets | Bowling Average | 10 wicket hauls | ||
| Ben Stokes | England | 80 | 5116 | 35.78 | 11 | 175 | 32.22 | 0 |
| Shakib Al Hasan | Bangladesh | 61 | 4113 | 39.17 | 5 | 224 | 31.03 | 2 |
| Ravindra Jadeja | India | 59 | 2936 | 35.76 | 2 | 242 | 24.44 | 1 |
| Ravichandran Ashwin | India | 86 | 2931 | 26.88 | 5 | 442 | 24.13 | 7 |
| Rashid Khan | Afghanistan | 5 | 106 | 15.14 | 0 | 34 | 22.35 | 2 |
| Glenn Maxwell | Australia | 7 | 339 | 26.07 | 1 | 8 | 42.62 | 0 |
| Andre Russell | West Indies | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 104 | 0 |
| Hardik Pandya | India | 11 | 532 | 31.29 | 1 | 17 | 31.05 | 0 |
| Mohammad Nabi | Afghanistan | 3 | 3 3 | 5.5 | 0 | 8 | 31.75 | 0 |
| Jason Holder | West Indies | 56 | 2571 | 30.6 | 3 | 142 | 28.03 | 1 |
| Name | Country | ODI cricket | |||||||
| Matches | Runs | Batting Average | Centuries | Strike Rate | Wickets | Bowling Average | 5 wicket hauls | ||
| Ben Stokes | England | 101 | 2871 | 40.44 | 3 | 95.35 | 74 | 41.59 | 1 |
| Shakib Al Hasan | Bangladesh | 221 | 6755 | 37.73 | 9 | 82.25 | 285 | 29.47 | 3 |
| Ravindra Jadeja | India | 168 | 2411 | 32.58 | 0 | 87.07 | 188 | 37.36 | 1 |
| Ravichandran Ashwin | India | 113 | 707 | 16 | 1 | 86.96 | 151 | 33.49 | 0 |
| Rashid Khan | Afghanistan | 82 | 1108 | 20.9 | 0 | 105.42 | 155 | 18.81 | 4 |
| Glenn Maxwell | Australia | 116 | 3230 | 34.36 | 2 | 125.43 | 51 | 52.6 | 0 |
| Andre Russell | West Indies | 56 | 1034 | 27.21 | 0 | 130.22 | 70 | 31.84 | 0 |
| Hardik Pandya | India | 63 | 1286 | 32.97 | 0 | 116.9 | 57 | 41.47 | 0 |
| Mohammad Nabi | Afghanistan | 132 | 2879 | 27.41 | 1 | 85.12 | 140 | 32.31 | 0 |
| Jason Holder | West Indies | 127 | 2019 | 24.62 | 0 | 91.19 | 146 | 37.06 | 2 |
| Name | Country | T20 cricket | ||||||
| Matches | Runs | Batting Average | Strike Rate | Wickets | Bowling Average | Economy Rate | ||
| Ben Stokes | England | 148 | 2865 | 24.91 | 135.07 | 86 | 31.03 | 8.52 |
| Shakib Al Hasan | Bangladesh | 364 | 5872 | 20.45 | 121.24 | 416 | 20.96 | 6.77 |
| Ravindra Jadeja | India | 286 | 3038 | 25.52 | 128.67 | 191 | 30.53 | 7.57 |
| Ravichandran Ashwin | India | 282 | 986 | 14.93 | 118.65 | 276 | 25.54 | 6.95 |
| Rashid Khan | Afghanistan | 327 | 1513 | 12.3 | 147.75 | 454 | 17.6 | 6.35 |
| Glenn Maxwell | Australia | 360 | 8158 | 28.22 | 151.8 | 126 | 32.43 | 7.67 |
| Andre Russell | West Indies | 412 | 6909 | 26.57 | 169.5 | 371 | 25.41 | 8.5 |
| Hardik Pandya | India | 190 | 3284 | 29.06 | 140.1 | 118 | 27.81 | 8.1 |
| Mohammad Nabi | Afghanistan | 329 | 4996 | 22.1 | 138.58 | 302 | 24.47 | 6.94 |
| Jason Holder | West Indies | 176 | 1482 | 15.12 | 127.64 | 168 | 28.01 | 7.9 |
Ben Stokes | England
The newly crowned Test captain of England Ben Stokes is a genuine superstar and one of the best all-rounders in the world. He has incredible stats and achievements in all three formats of cricket.
At the time of writing, he is ranked fifth in the ICC ODI and Test all-rounder rankings but it is also because he spent a lengthy period on the sidelines with a finger injury, also missing the IPL.
The pinnacle of Ben Stokes’ career was in 2019 when he won the ICC World Cup and spearheaded England to a famous victory against all odds in the Ashes series against Australia. Stokes was decisive in the World Cup campaign held on home soil, helping England win their first ODI World Cup.
An incredible moment in his Test career was also achieved in the same year when Ben Stokes played a wonderful knock of 135 not out at Headingley to help England chase down 359 in the final innings, making it their highest successful run chase in Test history.
Shakib Al Hasan | Bangladesh
Bangladesh legend Shakib Al Hasan holds the record of taking the most wickets in Twenty 20 internationals. He is an excellent spin bowler who knows how to outfox batsmen and is also extremely handy with the bat in hand. Shakib is regarded by many to be one of the greatest all-rounders the game has ever seen and the numbers speak for themselves. Over 12,700 runs and over 620 wickets in international cricket is not a number that many players can boast of.
At the time of writing, he is ranked as the top all-rounder in ODI cricket, second in T20Is, and fourth in Test cricket according to ICC rankings and is one of the best all rounders in the world. However, despite his incredible individual talent which make him arguably the greatest cricketer in the history of Bangladesh cricket, his frequent run-ins with authority, as well as the lack of a strong supporting cast have hindered him from high-profile collective success.
Ravindra Jadeja | India
When Ravindra Jadeja first burst on to the scene, few would have expected him to reach the heights that he has in international cricket. Described as a ‘bits and pieces player’ for a long time, someone who could be a valuable squad member without necessarily being the highlight of a side, Jadeja has proven his doubters and nay-sayers time and time again.
He became the fastest left-arm bowler to reach the mark of 200 Test wickets in 2019 and the first Indian bowler since Anil Kumble to top the ICC ODI bowling rankings in 2013. Jadeja can chip away at batsmen with unbelievable consistency and accuracy and along with Ravichandran Ashwin, he has cemented himself as an all-time great spin bowler of the Test side.
He has also worked on his batting prowess which has been quite visible in recent years, especially whenever he has played white-ball cricket. His potency and ability to strike the ball cleanly have made him a strong finishing option for Team India. If that’s not all, he’s one of the best fielders in world cricket and has a slingshot for a left arm.
Ravichandran Ashwin | India
Playing alongside Ravindra Jadeja has allowed the artistry and intelligence of Ravichandran Ashwin to shine through. His Test career has been absolutely top-tier and Ashwin might just end up with the record of the most Test wickets by an Indian bowler. So far, he has taken 442 wickets in the longest format of the sport. And then there are the 2931 runs he has added which includes five centuries.
Ashwin has taken a fifer and scored a century in Test cricket on three occasions. Only the great English all-rounder Ian Botham stands ahead of him, having accomplished it five times during his Test career.
Although Ashwin’s prominence in limited-overs cricket has faded in recent times, he continues to be impressive in the Indian Premier League.
Rashid Khan | Afghanistan
When it comes to T20 cricket, Rashid Khan is one of the first names that any team in the world would have on their lineup. He is the best spin bowler in the shortest format of the sport and is also extremely effective in ODI cricket. Rashid’s exploits in T20 leagues all over the world make him an easy contender for one of the best bowlers of his generation.
With the bat, he is capable of plenty of surprises as was evident in the Indian Premier League quite recently. Rashid rescued several matches for Gujarat Titans with his hard-hitting lower down the order and he’s well capable of sending balls into the stands. Still only 23, he has a long and glorious career ahead of him.
Glenn Maxwell | Australia
An explosive cricketer, Glenn Maxwell is a beast in white-ball cricket. He is a batting all-rounder who is almost invaluable. He has a humongous strike rate of over 150 in T20 cricket and is also extremely efficient in One Day Internationals.
Maxwell has an extremely unorthodox technique that can surprise bowlers. He is also a more than handy spin bowler and can attack opposition batsmen in the middle overs, especially in the 50-over format.
Andre Russell | West Indies
West Indies’ Andre Russell is an unbelievable cricketer. There’s little to no competition to him when it comes to the shorter formats of the sport. Close to 7000 runs in T20 cricket at a jaw-dropping strike rate close to 170, over 370 wickets at an average of 25.41, Andre Russell is often inexplicable.
He is a two-time winner of the T20 World Cup with West Indies and has also been crowned as the Most Valuable Player in IPL twice. A finisher of the highest order, Russell can go toe-to-toe with the best bowlers in the business and send them to the cleaners.
When he rolls up his sleeves and decides to bowl, it is usually during the vulnerable phase of an innings, the death overs. Despite that, just a look at his wicket tally and average tells all you need to know about his genius.
Hardik Pandya | India
Regarded by many to be the one true fast-bowling all-rounder from India since the legendary Kapil Dev, Hardik Pandya’s skills and talents need little further introduction. Coming from humble beginnings and showcasing his abilities in the IPL, Pandya has since achieved superstardom.
As a batsman, he is well capable of smashing bowlers and finishing innings from the number 5 position in style. As a bowler, he can touch the 140 kmph mark regularly and bowl his full quota of four overs with plenty of pace, accuracy, and variation.
Although fitness issues have sidelined him from the Indian team over the last few years and he hasn’t been able to bowl regularly due to his back surgery, Pandya demonstrated that he is on the road to recovery during the latest edition of IPL 2022. He captained Gujarat Titans to a win in their maiden campaign which also opened the doors for his comeback to the Indian side.
Mohammad Nabi | Afghanistan
Mohammad Nabi can be described as an efficient all-rounder whose own career can be described as mirroring Afghanistan’s journey in international cricket. Staggering and full of highs and lows, but holding a soft spot in the hearts of cricket lovers.
Nabi has been the backbone of the Afghanistan side over the majority of the previous decade and has also captained them on two occasions. He was a fundamental part of the teams that qualified for the World Cups and made strong impressions.
With a calm, gentle demeanor to go with his on-field excellence, Nabi has also been an excellent upholder of the Spirit of Cricket in the Gentleman’s game.
Jason Holder | West Indies
Thrust into West Indies captaincy at the age of only 23 by former World Cup-winner Clive Lloyd, Holder led the Caribbean nation with maturity, grace and level-headedness. A steady and reliable batsman in the middle orders and a tall medium pace, able to extract plenty of bounce from surfaces, Holder has been prolific in all three formats for West Indies.
Unlike most modern West Indies all-round exports, who prefer T20 cricket, Holder has also been influential in the all-whites for his country. 4854 runs and 327 wickets just proves to be a testament to the value he adds in both departments for the side from the Caribbean.
FAQs
Who is the number 1 all-rounder in Test cricket?
With 385 points, India’s Ravindra Jadeja is the number 1 all-rounder in the ICC Test cricket rankings.
Who’s the best all-rounder in the world in T20 cricket in 2021?
Bangladesh cricket team legend Shakib Al Hasan was the best all rounder in the world in T20 Cricket in 2021, according to ICC player rankings. He had a rating of 295 points.
Who is the best ODI all-rounder in the world?
Shakib Al Hasan is also the best all rounder in the world in ODI cricket as per ICC rankings. He has a rating of 419 points.
What are the top 10 all-rounder rankings in Test?
Of course, India’s Ravindra Jadeja leads the list. He is followed by teammate Ravichandran Ashwin, with 341 points, in second position, and West Indies’ Jason Holder, with 336 points, completes the list. They are followed by Shakib Al Hasan (Bangladesh), Ben Stokes (England), Mitchell Starc (Australia), Pat Cummins (Australia), Kyle Jamieson (New Zealand), Colin de Grandhomme (New Zealand), and Chris Woakes (England).
