The ICC T20 World Cup 2021 is the next big ICC event slated to be hosted by India. Being the host nation, they are among the favorites to win the tournament having a well-rounded squad. Incidentally, the last time they won the tournament was way back in 2007 under the leadership of MS Dhoni.
Meanwhile, the squad is boosted even more by the presence of several capable all-rounders who can be a part of the playing XI alongside Ravindra Jadeja and Hardik Pandya. With Hardik not bowling since the end of the 2019 World Cup, the BCCI would like to keep a few options open for the second all-rounder’s spot if required.
Here is a look at the top 5 all-rounders for the ICC T20 World Cup later this year:
1. Rahul Tewatia
The Rajasthan Royals all-rounder was one of the finds of the IPL this season. He played a big role in almost all off their wins this season with either the ball or the bat. Two of them were won by him alone. They were the matches against Kings XI Punjab and Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Overall, the left-hand batsman scored 255 runs at a strike-rate of 139.34. As a leg-spinner, Tewatia took 10 wickets while delivering his overs at an economy of only 7.08. With an attacking approach towards his game, Tewatia might just be the option the management is looking for.
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2. Krunal Pandya
The elder Pandya brother is another option that the BCCI can keep a close eye on. Though he did not have the best of IPL this year, he is always a handy option as an all-rounder. The 29-year-old has batted at a strike-rate of 142.45 and bowled with an economy of 7.26 across 71 games overall.
He has also played 18 T20Is for Team India. With some kind of experience under his belt, Krunal Pandya can be a frontrunner for this place for his ability to contribute during crunch situations.
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3. Shivam Dube
Dube made his reputation as a hard-hitting all-rounder for Team India. He broke into the scene for his knock in Mumbai T20 League, where he scored 26 in an over. Thereafter he was roped in by Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL which paved the path to his T20I debut for India.
He has played 12 T20Is for India but has lacked consistency which has put his place up for grabs. With a couple of months still to go for the mega event, Dube can be looked at for the next ICC T20 World Cup 2021.
4. Vijay Shankar
Shankar played the 2019 World Cup as India’s designated number four. Since then, he has been out of the team due to an untimely injury. He then played the IPL for Sunrisers Hyderabad and played a few good knocks besides bowling some economical overs.
He will be playing in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy for Tamil Nadu and hopefully eye a return in the team for the T20 World Cup 2021. On his day, Vijay Shankar can be a threat to any opponent with both bat and the ball.
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5. Axar Patel
The Gujarat cricketer last played for Team India in 2018. He recently played the IPL for Delhi Capital where he produced good figures for the side. He bowled with an economy of only 6.41 across 15 matches. Axar has played 38 ODIs and 11 T2OIs for India.
He has delivered his overs with respectable economy rates of 4.43 and 6.79 in either format. With the team management looking for capable all-round options for the ICC T20 World Cup 2021, Patel is a good enough option to play as the second all-rounder if required.
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