Top 10 all-rounders in cricket – Past & Present

Bowling and batting are two of the three skills that make up cricket( the third one being fielding). Both skills are difficult and only a few can perfect both of them at the same time.

No good team is complete without a good all-rounder. As experts say, an all-rounder is what bridges the gap between your batting line-up and bowling setup. Over the years, our game has seen several masters who have captivated us with both bowling and batting. So, without wasting any more time let’s check India Fantasy’s Top 10 all-rounders in cricket:

1. Sir Garfield Sobers

Before one-day cricket came to exist, if there was one true all-rounder, it was Sir Garfield Sobers. The West Indian played 93 Tests scorings over 8,000 runs at an average close to 58. If that wasn’t enough, he also bagged 234 wickets.

2. Jacques Kallis

25534 runs and 577 wickets in international cricket. I don’t think there is any explanation required why Jacques Kallis makes it to this list. The South African managed to get those stats in his 19-year long career. He is often credited as the finest all-rounder to have played the game.

3. Imran Khan

Imran Khan wasn’t only a great all-rounder but also the most inspirational leader of Pakistan. As it turned out, the man is now leading his entire country as the Prime Minister. His country would thank him for not just those close to 550 wickets or 7,500 runs, but also for the 1992 world cup when he came out of retirement to lead Pakistan to their only world cup win till date.

4. Sir Ian Botham

Ian Botham was probably one of those cricketers whose career was filled with controversies. However, that didn’t stop him from getting over 500 wickets and 7,000 runs in international cricket for England. Having retired in 1992, his legacy lives on at the heart of English cricket.

5. Kapil Dev

The ‘Haryana Hurricane’ as they would call him, Kapil Dev was the highest wicket-taker in Tests for a long time through the 1990s and 2000s. He is the best all-rounder that India has produced till date and a captain whom everyone loved. Over 8,000 runs and close to 700 wickets, makes India’s first world cup winning captain a true legend of the game.

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