Cricket has many all-rounders who have been crucial to their team’s victories many times.
Whether batting or bowling, an all-rounder’s presence in tough situations helps the team handle a lot of pressure.
When an all-rounder is missing from the team, even the captain and the most experienced players worry about the game’s outcome.
The importance of an all-rounder is so high that no team can think of competing without a reliable one. An all-rounder can destroy the opponent’s batting with their bowling or hit the bowlers for runs when needed.
Cricket has been lucky to have some all-rounders who can single-handedly beat the opposition with their skills.
5. Imran Khan ( Pakistan)
Imran Khan is considered one of the best leaders to come from the sub-continent and one of the greatest all-rounders in cricket history.
He was one of the first and best at using reverse-swing bowling, which he used to help Pakistan win many matches.
Imran’s records show his greatness in cricket. He took 362 wickets in 88 Tests with a bowling average of 22.81 and scored 3,807 runs with a batting average of 37.69. He is a perfect example for future all-rounders from the subcontinent.
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4. Sir Ian Botham (England)
Sir Ian Botham is one of England’s most famous cricket players. He was much better than many of his peers and is still seen as one of the best to ever play the game.
He is the second player ever to take 10 wickets in a match and score a century in the same game. In his Test career, Botham played in 102 matches, took 383 wickets, including 27 times taking five wickets in an innings and four times taking ten wickets in a match.
Botham was also a great batsman, scoring a total of 5,200 runs at an average of 33.54, with 14 centuries and 22 half-centuries.
3. Kapil Dev (India)
Kapil Dev, known as the “Haryana Hurricane,” is the main reason India won the 1983 World Cup. His amazing score of 175 against Zimbabwe came when India had almost no hope of winning, but after that, India went on to win the World Cup.
In Test cricket, he took 434 wickets in 131 matches and scored 5,248 runs with an average of 31.05. He also made 8 centuries and 27 half-centuries, making him a great cricket player.
With 23 five-wicket hauls in an innings and 2 ten-wicket hauls in a match, it’s clear why he is considered one of the greatest all-rounders in cricket.
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2. Jacques Kallis (South Africa)
The South African cricket legend is considered one of the best all-rounders in the sport. In 166 Test matches, Jacques Kallis scored 13,289 runs, averaging 55.37. He hit 45 centuries and 58 half-centuries. Kallis also took 292 wickets, averaging 32.65 with the ball. This makes him the only all-rounder with over 10,000 runs and more than 290 wickets in Test cricket.
Kallis ranks second in Test centuries, with 45 centuries. The top spot belongs to Sachin Tendulkar, who has 51 Test centuries.
1. Sir Garfield Sobers ( West Indies)
Sir Garfield Sobers is considered the best all-rounder in cricket history. He played 93 Test matches from 1954 to 1974, scoring 8,032 runs with an impressive average of 57.78. He hit 26 centuries and 30 half-centuries.
As a bowler, Sobers took 235 wickets with an average of 34.03. His best bowling performance was 6 wickets for 73 runs. He is definitely regarded as the greatest all-rounder for good reasons.
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