The 2024 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) has provided some record-breaking matches, moments of exhilaration, and a truckload of entertainment.
In 2023, the birth of the Impact Player rule added a new dimension to how the T20 game can be played. The literal use of the '12th' player has somewhat rendered the multi-faceted cricketers a bit irrelevant, with teams opting to use an extra pure batsman or bowler instead.
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Cricketers such as Rohit Sharma have opined on the same, with the Impact Player rule becoming a polarizing topic among fans and pundits, too.
However, some all-rounders haven't been distraught by the introduction of this new rule in IPL. Sunil Narine and Andre Russell, the West Indian duo who are long-time servants of the Kolkata Knight Riders franchise, have provided ample sample size to prove why the Impact Player rule shouldn't be as big a mitigating factor for more all-rounders.
So, who have been the best all-rounders in this season's IPL? The Sporting News takes a look.
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Who are the best all-rounders in IPL 2024?
Sunil Narine is perhaps having the best season of his IPL career, having scored over 450 runs, along with 14 wickets to his name.
The move to promote him back to the top of the order, thanks to mentor Gautam Gambhir, has paid dividends, and how. It's not just that Narine has scored a lot of runs, it's the speed at which he has scored, becoming one of the most dangerous openers in IPL 2024.
Then there's his teammate Andre Russell, who has rediscovered his batting form and upskilled it with more consistency. His bowling has been underrated, too, as he has often picked up wickets at crucial junctures.
The likes of Sam Curran, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, and Marcus Stoinis have had decent seasons, while Hardik Pandya, Cameron Green, Glenn Maxwell, and Rashid Khan have not had the sort of impact expected of them.
Player | Matches | Runs | Batting average |
HS | Wickets | Bowling average |
Best |
Sunil Narine (KKR) | 11 | 461 | 41.91 | 109 | 14 | 20.78 | 2-22 |
Ravindra Jadeja (CSK) | 11 | 202 | 50.50 | 57* | 8 | 34.50 | 3-18 |
Andre Russell (KKR) | 11 | 198 | 33.00 | 64* | 13 | 17.46 | 3-25 |
Marcus Stoinis (LSG) | 11 | 352 | 39.11 | 124* | 4 | 31.50 | 1-3 |
Axar Patel (DC) | 11 | 149 | 24.83 | 66 | 9 | 29.78 | 2-25 |
Sam Curran (PBKS) | 11 | 185 | 20.56 | 63 | 13 | 26.31 | 3-28 |
Cameron Green (RCB) | 9 | 112 | 18.67 | 37* | 7 | 31.71 | 2-12 |
Glenn Maxwell (RCB) | 8 | 36 | 5.14 | 28 | 5 | 20.80 | 2-23 |
Hardik Pandya (MI) | 11 | 198 | 19.80 | 46 | 8 | 37.13 | 2-26 |
Rashid Khan (GT) | 11 | 102 | 20.40 | 31 | 8 | 41.13 | 2-49 |