Former India opener Aakash Chopra has picked his top five all-rounders in 2024. India’s star all-rounder has found a place in this list and is also the first pick among five players.
Hardik Pandya was always the top choice given the fantastic year for him in the T20I format. The all-rounder was excellent with both bat and ball and also played a key role in India’s victory in the T20 World Cup 2024.
The other four players on this list are Marcus Stoinis, Sikandar Raza, Roston Chase and Azmatullah Omarzai. The criteria for getting on this list was to play at least 10 T20Is in the entire year.
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Aakash Chopra picks Hardik Pandya as the best T20I all-rounder in 2024.
While speaking in a video on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra picked Hardik Pandya as his top-ranked T20I all-rounder of the year. Chopra listed Pandya’s achievements over the year and recalled how the all-rounder’s performances helped India win the 2024 T20 World Cup.
“Hardik Pandya is number one. He has scored 352 runs in 17 matches at an average of 44, which includes a half-century. He has scored important runs during the World Cup. He has also taken 16 wickets. He has taken David Miller’s wicket and more importantly Heinrich Klaasen’s wicket (in the World Cup final),” said Aakash Chopra.
Hardik Pandya has undoubtedly been a vital cog in India’s T20 World Cup 2024 campaign.He has scored runs in critical situations of the tournament and bowled crucial match-winning overs for his team.
His batting performance in the semi-final against England and his bowling performance in the final against South Africa helped India win the title. Hardik Pandya scored 144 runs with the bat at an average of 44 and a strike rate of 151.57 and also picked up 11 wickets at an average of 17.36.
Marcus Stoinis & Sikandar Raza
The second and third players on this list are Marcus Stoinis and Sikandar Raza. While Stoinis also had an excellent T20 World Cup as did Hardik, Raza has a T20I hundred while also leading Zimbabwe to a memorable win over Pakistan.
“I have picked Marcus Stoinis at number 2. He has scored 330 runs at an average of 36 in 17 matches, so you have done an excellent job. He has taken 21 wickets in those 17 matches,” observed Aakash Chopra.
“At number 3 you will get Sikandar Raza. He scored 573 runs in 24 matches at an average of 28. He also scored a century. He also picked up 24 wickets. There is no doubt that you have kept this player in this list,” he explained.
Roston Chase and Azmatullah Omarzai
The last two players on this list are Roston Chase and Azmatullah Omarzai. Chase was one of West Indies’ best players in their domestic T20 World Cup campaign, while Omarzai had a great year with the ball and showed his skills as an all-rounder.
“I have Roston Chase at number 4. He is very underrated and goes under the radar. He has scored 336 runs in 22 innings with a top score of 67 and an average of 28. He has also taken 15 wickets and is bowling economically,” explained Aakash Chopra.
“I have kept Afghanistan’s Azmatullah Omarzai at number 5. I consider him a good player. He has scored 269 runs in 21 games. His batting average is not very good but he has picked up 18 wickets at an average of 22,” the former India batsman added.
Hardik Pandya is an established T20I player, but will look to cement his authority in the ODI format as well. With the Champions Trophy to be won in less than a few months, Hardik Pandya will be crucial to India’s chances in the tournament.
