The emergence of the Impact player rule has diminished the significance of the all-rounders in the last two seasons of the Indian Premier League. The amount of money the franchises spend for the all-rounders has declined gradually. The recent trend might not be in their favour, however, some of the all-rounders will remain forever in the hearts of the people for their noteworthy contributions to the cash-rich Indian Premier League. Here in this piece, we discuss the top 5 best all rounders in IPL history and what all the attributes made each one of them the IPL best all rounder.

1. Shane Watson

No.1 in our top 5 best all rounder in the IPL history list is former Australian cricketer, Shane Watson, who has represented Rajasthan Royals, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, and Chennai Super Kings in his 12 seasons. His potential was identified first by the late Shane Warne and it was in the first season itself that we got to see the characteristics of the IPL’s best all-rounder in him. He emerged as the Player of the Tournament for his stupendous all-around display, where he gathered 472 runs and picked up 17 wickets across 15 matches. He then went on to play 7 seasons for the Royals, before ending his stint in 2015.

Shane Watson, spent the next two (2016 & 2017) seasons with Royal Challengers Bengaluru, where he had an underwhelming couple of years with the bat, making 250 runs across 24 matches with a top score of 36. He clicked mainly as a bowler, bagging 25 wickets with the best figures of 4 for 29. He moved to the final phase of his IPL career, featuring for Chennai Super Kings from 2018 to 2020. Donning the yellow jersey, he struck 1252 runs in 43 matches at an average of 30.53 including 2 centuries and 2 half-centuries. Shane Watson finished his IPL career as a two-time champion with an overall tally of 3874 runs at an average of 30.99, where he marked 4 centuries and 21 half-centuries. With the ball, he picked up 92 wickets with the best figures of 4 for 29. His stats and the way he goes about his game make him one of the IPL’s best all rounders.

2. Ravindra Jadeja

Termed as a finisher, wicket-taker, and gun fielder, Ravindra Jadeja will go down as the best all rounder in IPL history when he hangs his boots. His astonishing records and his all-field presence make him one of the greats of the game. He is the only all rounder in the lucrative IPL, to have scored more than 2500 runs and picked up the excess of 150 wickets. Barring 2010, in which he was suspended for breaching the league’s trading and operational rules, he featured in all 16 seasons for 4 different teams. His journey began with Rajasthan Royals under the leadership of the late Shane Warner, where he earned the nickname of ‘Rockstar’ by the legend himself. He did play a big role in lifting the inaugural title with the Royals, where he accounted for 135 runs in 9 innings at an average of 19.28, while he didn’t have any wickets under his belt. In 2 seasons with the franchise, he made 430 runs across 17 matches and managed to pick 6 wickets.

When the league expanded to 10 teams in the 2011 edition, he featured for Kochi Tuskers and did well, scoring 283 runs and picking up 8 wickets across 14 matches. Following his commendable performances in the blue jersey, he did attract a handsome amount in the IPL 2012 auction, where he was purchased for a whopping $2 million by Chennai Super Kings. Over the years, the southpaw became the kingpin of the franchise under the leadership of legendary MS Dhoni. In his 172 matches for the Super Kings, he scored 1897 runs at an average of 27.89 and picked up 133 wickets. He requires another 8 wickets to surpass Dwayne Bravo’s tally of 140 to become the leading wicket-taker for the franchise. Ravindra Jadeja holds 4 IPL titles to his name.

3. Andre Russell

No.3 on our list is big Jamaican, Andre Russell. His outrageous striking ability and wicket-taking skills have earned him the tag of IPL best all rounder. He is a nightmare for the bowlers and nobody can hit the ball as strong as him in the cricketing world. He even possesses the knack of wicket-taking and can clock above 135 kmph consistently. Andre Russell made his IPL debut for Delhi Capitals (previously known as Delhi Daredevils) in 2012. He didn’t get much success with the franchise in 2 seasons, making just 58 runs and picking up a solitary wicket across 7 matches. Kolkata Knight Riders acquired the services of Andre Russell in 2014 for a price of Rs 60 Lakh, and 10 years later, he then went on to become one of the long-lasting servants of the franchise. He was valued at Rs 12 crore in 2024 when he was retained by the KKR management for the IPL 2025 season.

He stands as the 3rd leading run-scorer for KKR with an overall tally of 2426 runs, only behind Robin Uthappa and Gautam Gambhir. He is the second leading wicket-taker for the franchise with 114 scalps with the best figures of 5 for 15. Russell holds the second most caps for KKR with 120 appearances, only behind Sunil Narine (177). In his overall IPL career, Andre Russell accounted for 2484 runs and picked up 115 wickets across 127 matches. He is in 8th position for the most sixes in the league with 209 to his name. His countryman, Chris Gayle leads the list with 357 sixes.

4. Sunil Narine

No.4 in our list of best IPL all rounder is Sunil Narine. He is the longest servant of the Kolkata Knight Riders franchise with 177 appearances. Narine was purchased for a sum of $700,000 in the 2012 IPL auction and he never looked back from thereafter. Initially, he was picked up purely for his mystery bowling skills, and over the years, he developed swashbuckling batting skills and dominated the opponents. Sunil Narine holds numerous records for the franchise with the most caps (177) and also leads the most wicket-takers list with 180 scalps. In 110 innings he batted, and he struck 1534 runs at a strike rate of 165.83 with a top score of 109. He is currently the 5th all-time leading run-scorer for the KKR.

Following his stellar all round performances, Sunil Narine was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) in the 2024 edition, where he made 488 runs at an average of 34.85 and picked up 17 wickets at an impressive economy of 6.69. The 3-time champion will be regarded as one of the best all rounder in IPL history.

5. Axar Patel

No.5 in our list of best IPL all rounder is Axar Patel. He is one of the most underrated all rounders in IPL history. The skill set he brings, couldn’t be matched by any other cricketer. Axar Patel started his IPL stint with Punjab Kings (previously known as Kings XI Punjab) in 2014 and represented the franchise for the next 5 seasons till 2018. In 68 matches, he scored 686 runs at a strike rate of 126.56 and picked up 61 wickets with the best figures of 4 for 21. Axar Patel is one of the IPL best all rounder.

His fortunes started to change when he moved to Delhi Capitals in 2019. His consistent performances over the years led the franchise to retain him as the No.1 marquee player for a price tag of Rs 16.5 crore. Surprisingly, he is the 3rd all-time leading wicket-taker for the franchise with 62 scalps in 82 matches. The 30-year-old southpaw required another 33 runs to complete the land-mark of 1000 runs for Delhi Capitals. In overall 150 IPL matches, Axar Patel has gathered 1653 runs at an average of 21.46 and picked up 123 wickets at an economy of 7.27. His character and the quality he brings both with the bat and ball, make him the best all rounder in IPL history.

Best All Rounder in IPL History：Icons of Cricket Excellence

Our list of best IPL all rounders includes Shane Watson, Ravindra Jadeja, Andre Russell, Axar Patel, and Sunil Narine. Each of these players has a wealth of experience, with a minimum of 10 seasons in the IPL. Over the years, they have consistently delivered exceptional performances, earning numerous accolades for their remarkable all-round skills. Whether with the bat or the ball, these players have proven to be invaluable assets to their respective teams, playing pivotal roles in match-winning situations. Their versatility and ability to impact the game in multiple facets have made them stand out as some of the most celebrated figures in IPL.