IPL 2021: 5 Best all-rounders in the IPL
These players are stalwarts for their respective franchises.
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.
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