ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2022: Top five all-rounders to watch out in World T20 2022. Hardik Pandya, Glenn Maxwell, Wanindu Hasranga, Moeen Ali and Liam Livingstone among the top all-rounders to look out in World T20.
The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 which is set to begin from October 16 in Australia is knocking on the door as all the teams have almost completed their last-minute preparation for the mega event.
Just like all other big tournaments, all-rounders in any team are nothing short of diamonds; they just offer the proper balance of the side with their batting coming in the middle order or in the lower middle order, besides bowling a few overs with the ball.
Let’s take a look at the top five all-rounders who could make a huge impact to the fortune of their team’s future in this upcoming T20 World Cup.
Hardik Pandya (India)
With the recent back injury sustained by Jasprit Bumrah before the start of the T20 World Cup, India find themselves in a difficult position to settle their bowling section and all-rounder Hardik Pandya with his ability of bowling couple of overs besides batting at number five or six offers India the right balance.
Format | M | Runs | HS | Bat Ave | Bat SR | 50s | Wkt | Bow Ave | Eco | 4w | BBI |
T20I | 73 | 989 | 71* | 25.35 | 148.49 | 2 | 54 | 28.68 | 8.33 | 2 | 4/33 |
T20 | 209 | 3270 | 91 | 29.76 | 141.33 | 14 | 130 | 28.30 | 8.15 | 2 | 4/33 |
In this year’s Indian Premier League (IPL), Hardik made an impressive comeback to top-level cricket with 487 runs in 15 games for Gujarat Titans (GT) at an average of 44.27 and strike rate of 131.27, besides taking eight wickets at an economy of 7.28.
In the recently concluded Asia Cup 2022, Hardik showed his value in the current Indian set-up. During India’s first group-phase game against Pakistan in Dubai, Pandya coming at a difficult position of 89/4 in the 15th over chasing 149; he slammed a match-winning unbeaten 33 runs in just 17 balls with the help of four boundaries and one maximum. Even in the first innings of the game, he picked up three crucial wickets with figures of 3/25 in four overs to change the momentum of the game.
In the recently concluded home T20I series against Australia when Hardik Pandya arrived to the crease in the first game, India were looking to cross the 200-mark barrier being 103/3 in the 12th over. Pandya displayed his wild game to blow away Australia’s bowling to register an unbeaten 71 runs in just 30 deliveries with the help of seven boundaries and five maximums.
With Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja being away due to injury, India will be highly dependent on Hardik Pandya to have an excellent T20 World Cup which would provide them proper balance in the playing eleven.
Glenn Maxwell (Australia)
Widely regarded as one of the most versatile and explosive T20 players in the current world, Glenn Maxwell is going to be an important campaigner for Australia in the upcoming T20 World Cup.
Format | M | Runs | HS | Bat Ave | Bat SR | 50s | 100s | Wkt | Bow Ave | Eco | BBI |
T20I | 91 | 2024 | 145* | 28.91 | 151.83 | 9 | 3 | 36 | 28.61 | 7.46 | 3/10 |
T20 | 370 | 8316 | 154* | 27.90 | 151.28 | 46 | 5 | 130 | 32.12 | 7.64 | 3/10 |
Even though playing for the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in IPL 2022, Maxwell collected just 301 runs in 13 innings but the best part of it was that the runs came at a speedy strike rate of 169.10; he also picked up six wickets at an economy of under seven. The role he was given of going after the bowlers from the very first delivery was ticked by him in the best way.
Another aspect of Maxwell’s game is his thunderous fielding; during the first T20I of the recent series in India, Maxwell with his special acrobatic skills saved five runs at the fence; he jumped high and caught the ball with both hands before releasing it in the air within the boundary.
Maxwell had a poor run of form in that series with just seven runs in three games but with the world cup knocking on the door, Australia will hope that their ace all-rounder makes a quick return to his purple patch to help Australia defend their title.
Read More: Ind vs SA, 2nd T20I, 2022-23: Surya's whirlwind 61* helps India win 1st home T20I series against SA
Moeen Ali (England)
One of the biggest advantages for England in the shortest format of the game has been the huge supply of all-rounders; Moeen Ali in that section has been phenomenal coming lower down the order scoring quickfire runs and bowling couple of overs at any stage of the game.
Format | M | Runs | HS | Bat Ave | Bat SR | 50s | 100s | Wkt | Bow Ave | Eco | 4w | 5w | BBI |
T20I | 62 | 933 | 72* | 22.75 | 146.69 | 7 | 0 | 40 | 26.52 | 8.40 | 0 | 0 | 3/24 |
T20 | 254 | 5490 | 121* | 25.41 | 142.33 | 30 | 2 | 175 | 25.00 | 7.65 | 1 | 1 | 5/34 |
The England all-rounder playing for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) had a decent IPL 2022 with both bat and ball; in his 10 innings, Moeen coming in the top order smacked 244 runs at a strike rate of 137.85 with a highest score of 93, besides taking eight wickets at an economy of just 6.63.
In the historic seven-match T20I series against Pakistan, England came on top with a 4-3 margin and their stand in captain, Moeen Ali, in the absence of regular skipper Jos Buttler, was one of the main reasons for them to come first in the race. Ali piled up 142 runs in just four innings at an outstanding average of 142 and a wild strike rate of 159.55.
In the second T20I of the series in Karachi, Moeen fired up with an unbeaten 23-ball 55 run knock that was arranged with four boundaries and as many maximums. The shots he played showed his ability to play all around the ground both against pace and spin. For England to have a successful T20 World Cup on those true pitches and long boundaries in Australia, Moeen must be in top form in smacking the bowlers and giving England a few overs in the middle phase if required.
Read More: ICC World T20 2022: Bumrah definitely needs time to recover; Should he take Starc's path?
Wanindu Hasaranga (Sri Lanka)
It is such a shameful feeling that the Asia Cup 2022 champion Sri Lanka are yet to qualify for the main event of the T20 World Cup 2022. Besides so many factors, the all-round performance of Wanindu Hasaranga was one of the main reasons for Sri Lanka’s success in Asia’s top cricket event.
Format | M | Runs | HS | Bat Ave | Bat SR | 50s | Wkt | Bowl Ave | Eco | 4w | 5w | BBI |
T20I | 44 | 448 | 71 | 15.44 | 124.44 | 1 | 71 | 14.74 | 6.72 | 2 | 0 | 4/9 |
T20 | 115 | 1245 | 74 | 17.78 | 136.36 | 4 | 158 | 16.44 | 6.74 | 3 | 2 | 5/18 |
In the recently concluded Asia Cup 2022, Hasaranga was equally superb with both bat and ball. One of his memorable knocks in the tournament came in the final against Pakistan as Hasaranga, coming at a vital time when Sri Lanka were struggling at 58/5 in the ninth over, smashed 36 runs in just 21 balls with five boundaries and one maximum to give back the momentum to Sri Lanka.
With the ball, Hasaranga dealt a final blow to the match in a span of five balls, taking three wickets finishing with figures of 3/27, in the process ending up as the second highest wicket taker of the competition with nine scalps at an economy of just 7.39.
Hasaranga’s spin was a mystery in IPL 2022 too when playing for the RCB franchise, the leg-spinner bagged 26 wickets at an economy of 7.54, just one short of purple cap holder Yuzvendra Chahal. For Sri Lanka to qualify and come up with a colourful show in the world cup, Hasaranga’s role will be essential.
Read More: Ind vs Aus, 3rd T20I, 2022-23: Surya, Virat fifties help India to 4th consecutive T20I series win
Liam Livingstone (England)
Liam Livingstone is another player who has taken international cricket scene by storm. Someone who bowls both leg-spin and off-spin besides batting as a floating option offers England a complete package in this format of the game.
Format | M | Runs | HS | Bat Ave | Bat SR | 50s | 100s | Wkt | Bow Ave | Eco | 4w | BBI |
T20I | 23 | 368 | 103 | 21.64 | 152.06 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 25.75 | 8.13 | 0 | 2/15 |
T20 | 200 | 4967 | 103 | 28.87 | 146.38 | 29 | 2 | 83 | 24.19 | 8.11 | 2 | 4/17 |
The range hitting of Livingstone has been something extraordinary. The way he slaps the bowlers for fun out of the park excites everyone. The perfect mixture of timing and power to pull those outstanding maximums is crazy to say the least.
In IPL 2022, playing for the Punjab Kings (PBKS), Livingstone had a cracking season with 437 runs in 14 innings at an average of 36.42 and strike rate of 182.08, besides collecting six wickets.
In the Hundred league too back home, Livingstone smacked 173 runs in six games at a strike rate of 145.37 with a top score of 51 before being ruled out with an ankle injury. The same injury kept him out of the away Pakistan series but if England want to have a successful T20 World Cup campaign, they need Livingstone to make a quick return.
Besides these names, from the likes of Ben Stokes, Dasun Shanaka, Marcus Stoinis, Jimmy Neesham, Mohammad Nabi, Shadab Khan and Mohammad Nawaz will be few who too could change the fate of the game with their all-round skills.
ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 Super 12 stage will kick off from October 22 with a game between hosts Australia and New Zealand at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) in Sydney.
*M - Matches, HS - Highest, Bat SR- Batting Strike Rate, Wkt - Wickets, Eco- Economy, 4w - Four Wickets, 5w - Five wickets, Bat Ave - Batting Average, Bow Ave - Bowling Average