The Best of 2017: Top 5 all-rounders for the year

All-rounders are a vital cog in a team. Not only can they have a go with the bat, but also could reduce the workload of the bowlers with their handy spells from time to time. In 2017, we have seen many a team find, polish and then gave them the opportunity. They add balance to the team, the likes of Ben Stokes, who proved to be a revelation with both his trades for England, Hardik Pandya for India have shown what a game changer an all-rounder can be. Considering the demands of modern-day cricket, every team craves for as many players as possible who can make multiple contributions. Here is the list of top five all-rounders from 2017: 1. Shakib Al Hasan (1215 runs and 43 wickets in 2017) Shakib Al Hasan of Bangladesh. (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images) Arguably one of the world’s best all-rounders Shakib Al Hasan has become the pillar of strength for the Bangladesh national team. Not only does Shakib bowl ten overs in the limited-overs format, but he will also strike the ball sweetly to all parts of the ground. In Bangladesh’s historic Test win against Australia earlier in this year, it was Shakib’s all-rounder display which led the Asian team to a victory. His first innings 84 coupled with his fifer in the bowling department led Bangladesh to a historic victory. He became the fourth bowler in the history to pick up fifer against all Test playing nations, also becoming the second bowler to pick ten wickets in the game between Australia and Bangladesh. The left-handed all-rounder has scored 1215 runs in all-formats this year picking up 43 wickets in total, which is a phenomenal record for an all-rounder. 2. Mohammad Nabi (287 runs and 21 wickets) Mohammad Nabi of Afghanistan. (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images) Another all-rounder who has been a monumental figure for the national side is Afghanistan’s Mohammad Nabi. Nabi has slowly yet steadily upped his game, becoming one of the best all-rounders in world cricket. Alongside Rashid Khan, the offie has proved to be an able bowling option as he has picked up 21 wickets this year at an economy rate of just under 4.5. Nabi has also shown his class and strength all over the world in the various T20 leagues, which includes IPL and Big Bash League to name a few. With the bat, the right-handed Nabi has scored 287 runs in 14 innings, at an average of 26 while striking the ball at 83.13 while still batting at No.6. The all-rounder is a definite match-winner for any side, in any format. 3. Ravindra Jadeja (406 runs and 62 wickets) Ravindra Jadeja. (Photo Source: Twitter) India’s apex all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja commands his pace in the top five all-rounders list for the year. The left-handed all-rounder churned performance one after another against the impressive Australians at home following it with the performance against the Lankan side. In the ten Tests that Jadeja played in the year, he picked up impressive 54 wickets, which is the third highest in terms of the tally of wickets throughout the year. He had one of his best years in 2017 with the ball, as he knocked himself off from the other Indian bowlers with a huge gap. However, Jadeja has been ignored from the limited-overs team, which is strangely surprising since the all-rounder started showing his talent in the Indian Premier League. With the bat, however, the all-rounder has scored over 400 runs in all the three-formats, with 8 more wickets under his tally apart from the 54 wickets that he took in the longest format of the game. 4. Ben Stokes (1189 runs and 32 wickets) Ben Stokes. (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images) Even if the list does not suggest his value to any team, the English all-rounder was the best all-rounder of the year. After playing for the first nine months, the all-rounder was axed from the national team just before the Ashes. After delighting the selectors with his extensive IPL performance, Stokes played a good hand in England’s series victory over South Africa. He showed his batting prowess in the 3rd Test against the Proteas, where he scored 112 to lead England to a Test victory. Further, Stokes played a big part in England’s series win over West Indies before he was arrested mid-way through the series. In the ODI format, the left-handed Stokes scored 616 runs in just 13 innings, with a stunning average of 61.60 while managing to have a strike rate of above 100. With the ball, he picked up 14 wickets managing to become England’s best all-rounder. In the Tests though, he has amassed 527 runs at an average of 44, picking up 16 wickets in the process. 5. Hardik Pandya (811 runs and 43 wickets) Hardik Pandya. (Photo Source: Twitter) It is tough not to list the Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya among the best for 2017. After a successful start in 2016, the Indian all-rounder has just upped his game day by day to become the second best all-rounder in all formats after Stokes. In the 3 Test matches that Pandya played in 2017, he scored 178 runs, with a high score of 108 against Sri Lanka in their own backyard and also picking up four wickets. However, the numbers take a turn in the ODI format as he has scored 557 runs in 19 innings in the year, at an average of 34.81. Pandya also manages to have a strike rate of above 120, alongside his average which is highly impressive. He also managed to finish as the fifth highest wicket-taker in the year, with 31 wickets from 27 innings at an economy rate of just under 6 runs an over. In the T20 format, the all-rounder from Baroda has scored 76 runs, while picking up eight wickets in the year.

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The Best of 2017: Top 5 all-rounders for the year

All-rounders have a huge role to play in a team in modern-day cricket as they add balance to the squad.

2. Mohammad Nabi (287 runs and 21 wickets)

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