Shakib Al Hasan (Bangladesh)
At 32, he still stands as one of his country’s mainstays, though injuries have pegged back his performances. The No 1 ODI all-rounder can bat anywhere from No 3 to 6, and pace his innings as per the situation. Though he had a lacklustre IPL, he hit three fifties in the recent tour of Ireland. As a bowler, Shakib thrives with his accuracy, and is effective in containment.
Andre Russell (West Indies)
The 31-year-old seems to have gotten a second wind since returning from a doping ban last January. He last played an ODI in July 2018, but that shouldn’t bother him too much. He’s coming off a phenomenal IPL stint where he pulled off some dramatic wins. A useful medium pacer, he can chip in when necessary. If he remains fit and translates his inhuman form into the 50-over game, one can expect a few records to fall.
Marcus Stoinis (Australia)
From batting lower down the order, Stoinis has proved his mettle as a top-order bat too. A technically-sound batsman who takes his time to get going, he can find the boundary at will in the later stages. The
29-year-old is a gentle medium-pacer, but his accuracy and subtle variations make him a handful. Though it’s difficult to take a note of him in Australia’s strong pace attack, the right-arm can come in handy in the middle overs.
Hardik Pandya (India)
The 25-year-old has made a magnificent comeback to competitive cricket after being sidelined by injury during the Asia Cup last year which was followed by off-field controversy. This IPL saw the Baroda player hit a purple patch with the bat when he scored 402 runs at an impressive strike rate. Set to play his first World Cup, Hardik could see the upcoming tournament as another stepping stone in his career. Being the first-choice all-rounder for India since his debut in 2016, he could be the team’s X factor in the quadrennial tournament.
Ben Stokes (England)
There were doubts since his return to the England side last January after that Bristol nightclub brawl. But since then, his numbers aren’t too bad. Averages 49.63 with bat since start of 2018. Looked rusty in this IPL, but did score a match-winning 71 in England’s recent chase of 341 against Pakistan. England generally use him as the sixth bowler, but he has the potential to give crucial breakthroughs.
ICC all-rounder Rankings
1 Shakib Al Hasan BAN 359
2 Rashid Khan AFG 339
3 Mohammad Nabi AFG 319
4 Imad Wasim PAK 289
5 Mitchell Santner NZ 279
6 Chris Woakes ENG 271
7 Mohammad Hafeez PAK 266
8 Jason Holder WI 264
9 Sikandar Raza ZIM 261
10 Angelo Mathews SL 255