ICC T20 World Cup 2026: 5 all-rounders to watch out for in the tournament

The T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka will demand players who can turn a session with bat or ball, and all-rounders are the real currency of the tournament. Even if they fail with the bat, bowling provides them another chance to prove their worth and win matches for their team. Here are five multi-skilled threats who can swing matches in 2026. Each brings a different balance of power, control and tactical value that makes them genuine game-changers.

1. Hardik Pandya

Hardik Pandya remains white-ball cricket’s most obvious match-winner as an all-rounder currently. When fully fit, he offers the rare T20 combination of brutal middle-order hitting and three to four overs of steady seam bowling with yorkers, slower cutters and shrewd variations at the death. 

Hardik’s recent returns in international white-ball cricket and franchise stints have shown him returning to form with important cameos and useful overs, and India will rely on him to both take pressure off the top order and close out chases. His fitness and ability to change momentum in a few-ball blitz, followed by an economical two-over spell, make him a top pick.

2. Marco Jansen

Marco Jansen is a different kind of all-round threat. He is a genuine bowling all-rounder with height, awkward bounce and the capacity to smash handy runs down the order. But his batting ability should not be taken lightly, as he has shown in his performances.

Jansen’s left-arm pace extracts bounce that unsettles hitters on subcontinental surfaces with carry. As a batter, he can rebuild an innings or accelerate late, which is a valuable two-phase asset. In tournaments, he gives South Africa a seam weapon who also lengthens their batting depth, allowing flexible batting orders without sacrificing bowling penetration.

3. Sikandar Raza

Sikandar Raza is the veteran mid-innings power and wristy off-spin option teams love. Raza mixes well-timed sixes with useful off-spin overs that often break partnerships. He has a tournament habit of turning up in big moments, as shown in PSL finals and franchise knockouts show his temperament, and that clutch factor is priceless in World Cup knockout phases. 

Raza’s ability to bat through a slog phase and then bowl tight, attacking overs in the middle makes him a constant match-winner for Zimbabwe and a player opponents must plan around. He has consistently proven why he has held the number one position in the T20I all-rounder rankings.

4. Saim Ayub

Saim Ayub has grown from a stylish top-order batter into a genuine multi-utility option. Primarily a left-hand batter, he’s developed his right-arm off-break into a reliable fifth-or-sixth bowling option, which is a weapon in the middle overs where wickets matter most. 

Ayub’s 2025 white-ball form featured high-impact knocks and increasingly frequent bowling returns, which pushed him toward being viewed as a batting all-rounder at the international level. For Pakistan, he provides lineup flexibility. Promote him as a floater batter, and you still have an extra bowling option when conditions turn.

5. Axar Patel

Axar Patel is the textbook tournament all-rounder for spin-friendly venues. A left-arm orthodox who bowls long, economical spells and a batter capable of anchoring a late-overs chase, Axar’s value is his consistency as he ties up one end while offering useful lower-order runs. 

In Indian conditions, he becomes both a wicket threat and a containment specialist, letting captains rotate strike bowlers knowing Axar will hold pressure from the other end. His ODI and T20 numbers make him India’s go-to spin all-rounder for multi-format tournaments. He played a crucial role in the last tournament where India emerged victorious and they would be hoping for the same results this time around as well.

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