Guide: best odi all-rounders: Current & All-Time Rankings

If the fifty‑over game has a soul, it lives in the all‑rounder. One‑day internationals demand tempo control with the bat, discipline with the ball, and the nerve to bend matches in the messy middle. The best ODI all‑rounders carry a team across phases: consolidating after a top‑order wobble, bowling the hard overs, and still finding the fielding spark that jolts the game. They are the format’s problem‑solvers and its risk‑managers rolled into one.

This guide unpacks the top ODI all‑rounders right now and the greatest ODI all‑rounders ever, with a clear methodology and era context. It separates the careers that glowed for a season from the bodies of work that shaped strategies and trophies. You’ll find lists by country, by role type, and by event performance, including a prominent section on the best women’s ODI all‑rounders. Where appropriate, I weave in the kind of behind‑the‑scenes truths that numbers can’t fully capture—like dressing-room trust, tactical flexibility, and the invisible meter of pressure management.

How we use and talk about keywords here matters. You’ll see primary phrases such as best ODI all‑rounders, top ODI all‑rounders, and greatest ODI all‑rounders in the right spots—not stuffed, but integrated into real analysis that answers what fans, analysts, and selectors actually want to know.

Methodology: How we rank ODI all‑rounders

Getting the best ODI all rounders ranked fairly isn’t about tossing a few stats into a blender. ODI cricket is situation‑rich. A heavy dew can turn a spinner’s spell into survival mode. An older ball can turn a batter’s nudge‑and‑nurkle into a high‑value craft. So we score across four pillars and then layer era and context.

• Role balance

  • Batting and bowling must both cross a baseline. Purely part‑time bowling or batting doesn’t qualify. A batter who rolls the arm over for filler overs in dead rubbers is not an ODI all‑rounder; a bowler who occasionally slaps a cameo isn’t either.
  • We account for typical role usage: new‑ball overs or death overs; top‑order anchor work or finisher duties.

• Batting quality

  • Average and strike rate relative to era and role (opener/No. 3 vs middle/lower middle).
  • High‑leverage runs: contributions in tight chases, rescue acts after collapse, finishing skill.
  • Boundary percentage and manipulation of gaps during field‑spread phases.
  • Against quality: performance versus top bowling line‑ups and away/neutral conditions.

• Bowling quality

  • Average and economy, but especially economy in phase‑specific roles: middle‑overs control vs powerplay vs death.
  • Wicket profile: top‑order wickets and partnerships broken, not only tail‑enders.
  • Repeatability: low‑variance spell quality; a premium for hitters of the hard lengths/spinners who beat bat both edges.
  • Match impact: how often the bowler’s spell changes a likely result by restricting scoring or removing set batters.

• All‑round match impact

  • Batting‑bowling average differential: a classic lens. For batting‑leaning all‑rounders, batting average minus bowling average; for bowling‑leaning, we place extra weight on bowling average and economy and require batting SR/impact to meet finishing or stabilizing thresholds.
  • Player of the Match impact: not a raw count but a normalized rate against matches played and role.
  • Fielding inputs: run‑outs created, tough catches in high‑impact zones (ring and deep), and tactical leadership hints (bowling changes when captaining, if applicable).

• Era adjustments

  • Fielding restrictions, two new balls, heavier bats, more aggressive powerplay philosophies, and the data‑driven middle‑over attack have changed the ODI ecosystem. We adjust for run rates rising and bowling becoming more about control under assault rather than the old orthodoxy of building maidens.
  • We treat early‑era and modern‑era excellence differently but on a common scale that acknowledges conditions.

• What we don’t overweight

  • Long careers with low‑impact all‑round returns. Longevity is a virtue; longevity without match impact is not an all‑rounder badge.
  • Padding versus weak opposition. We contextualize aggregates by wicket quality and bowling attacks faced.

Current best ODI all‑rounders (form and role value)

A live list of the top ODI all‑rounders right now is part data, part feel. Some names endure across cycles; others surge with role clarity or new tactical trust from captains. Based on recent form indicators, role usage, and opposition‑adjusted contributions, this is the current tier that shapes matches consistently.

Table: Current top ODI all‑rounders (role snapshot)

Player	Team	Batting role	Bowling type	All‑rounder profile	Why valuable right now
Shakib Al Hasan	Bangladesh	No. 3/4 accumulator-finisher hybrid	SLA spin	Control + clutch batting	Economy anchor with wickets in middle overs; anchors chases under pressure
Ravindra Jadeja	India	No. 6/7 finisher	SLA spin	Control + fielding elite	Middle-overs choke, sharp fielding, finishing calm; left-hand variety
Sikandar Raza	Zimbabwe	Middle-order engine	Off-spin	Batting-led with wicket knack	Finds gears across phases; bowls useful overs; high leadership value
Mehidy Hasan Miraz	Bangladesh	Float/No. 7 rescue	Off-spin	Utility finisher-controller	Plays match-shaping cameos; powerplay bowling option; tactical flexibility
Hardik Pandya	India	No. 5/6 finisher	Right-arm fast-medium	Pace-bowling finisher	Death overs with the ball when needed; slots into chase scenarios with power
Mitchell Marsh	Australia	Top-order aggressor	Right-arm medium-fast	Batting-led seam option	Powerplay boundary options; can pinch-hit and bowl hard lengths
Rashid Khan	Afghanistan	Lower middle bursts	Leg-spin	Bowling-led with finishing pop	Strike bowler in middle overs; late hitting vs pace
Mohammad Nabi	Afghanistan	Middle-order glue	Off-spin	Stability + control	Smart fields and tight overs; batting experience under scoreboard pressure
Ben Stokes	England	Middle-order backbone	Right-arm fast-medium	Big-match temperament	Clutch chases; seam option in middle/late overs when fit
Jason Holder	West Indies	No. 7/8 stabilizer	Right-arm fast-medium	Bowling-led with batting resilience	New-ball accuracy; lower-order calm; leadership calm
Chris Woakes	England	No. 8 stroke-maker	Right-arm fast-medium	Bowling-led with batting class	New-ball swing; batting technically sound for rescue
Moeen Ali	England	Float-hit role	Off-spin	Batting-led spin utility	Off-spin match-ups vs left-handers; strokeplay against spin

Notes from the analyst desk

• Shakib remains the ODI template for modern spin‑bowling all‑rounders: low‑risk accumulation with the bat, relentless accuracy with the ball, and phase awareness. He rarely wastes deliveries.
• Jadeja’s value is multiplicative: the left arm angles, the bullet throws, the hit rate in tight finishes. Captains deploy him in the toughest overs because he owns the run rate.
• Raza’s late‑career rise is real. His batting has power and touch; with the ball, he often nags the hard length off‑spin line that makes singles claustrophobic.
• Pandya’s bowling spells are as much about game narrative as raw wickets. Even a six‑over burst at decent economy while holding back slower balls keeps hitters guessing at the death.
• Rashid is textbook “bowling all‑rounder in ODIs”: the ball is his spear; the bat a tactical weapon. The leg‑break into googly trap remains the most reliable wicket plan in the format’s middle stage.

Greatest ODI all‑rounders of all time

Career greatness lives at the intersection of volume, quality, adaptability, and big‑day mettle. This all‑time list blends those with era adjustment and the batting‑bowling differential lens. Every name here changed how teams think about the format.

Top tier

Jacques Kallis

The most complete batting all‑rounder in ODI history. A classical top‑order technique meshed with seam bowling that wasn’t just tidy—it was disruptive when the ball nipped. Kallis’ batting average sits with the great pure batters; his bowling contributed across conditions. The hallmark was control: chase orchestration and new‑ball seamers softened by a short‑of‑length that nagged into the splice. He gave selection balance without ever feeling like a compromise.

Sanath Jayasuriya

The opener who detonated the early overs, then returned to tie knots with left‑arm spin. Jayasuriya’s batting redefined the first powerplay; his bowling created tactical elasticity in the middle. Captains trusted him to break partnerships with arm balls that hurried off the deck. A unique double of runs and wickets at enormous volumes underlined sustained excellence.

Shakib Al Hasan

The modern spin‑bowling all‑rounder prototype. His economy in the middle overs is an event in itself; the batting is calm and situationally sharp. Shakib hits gaps rather than headlines and still winds up with both. Across conditions and opponents, he has been the sheet anchor of Bangladesh’s ODI sides, a rare constant in a format that churns roles.

Shaun Pollock

A bowler who batted like an accountant with a surgeon’s hand. Pollock’s bowling average and economy are elite by any era’s standards; his batting was better than convenient—it was composure. He offered line‑and‑length mastery with the new ball, then cut off oxygen in the final overs. With the bat, he rarely left a chase to chance with unnecessary shots. If ODI teams were built for balance from scratch, his type is the first picked.

Imran Khan

The statesman‑captain who also happened to swing the ball late and hit straight. Imran’s ODI bowling brought Test‑match quality movement into shorter spells. His batting grew into a stabilizing force under pressure, especially in tournaments. Leadership is not a stat, but in ODIs it shows in how bowling changes steal wickets and how a lower‑order batter’s presence alters the chase map. He ticked those boxes with ink.

Kapil Dev

Full‑throttle seam bowling, lower‑order power, and a force of nature in the field. Kapil’s ODI batting broke matches open down the order; his bowling brought a whippy release that made the good length feel heavier. He didn’t treat the fifty‑over format as a watered‑down Test; he treated it as an arena for aggressive intent.

Shahid Afridi

The volatility is part of the legend, but the ODI all‑round package is undeniable: leg‑spin wickets in the middle overs and power‑hitting that could change net run rate calculations in a blink. The leg‑breaks were sharp, the googly often lost under the radar of his batting, and the fielding explosive. He was a pressure generator; captains used him to rupture quiet passages.

Andrew Flintoff

Fast‑bowling all‑round muscle. Flintoff’s ODI bowling spells had Test‑match hostility; his batting was built on power and the capacity to ride momentum. In a format that sometimes flatters bowlers into conservatism, Flintoff fought fire with fire: the heavy back‑of‑a‑length, the yorker, the bouncer—the message deliveries that shift body language.

Chris Cairns

New Zealand’s ODI engine for a long stretch. Cairns’ batting combined lofted drives and clean hitting with a brain for scenarios; his bowling was brisk enough to demand respect and crafty enough to induce mistakes. Often, he carried the dual role without drama—thirty quiet runs here, two wickets there—until you checked the scorecard and realized he’d been central again.

Lance Klusener

A finisher who forced bowlers to invent new end‑game plans. Klusener’s ODI batting at the death aligned muscle with a knack for angles; he did not merely hit hard—he hit smart. With the ball, he used the pitch: heavy seam, scrambled seam, cutters into the hard length. Captains leaned on him when the game went loud.

Wasim Akram

He is remembered as a bowler first—one of the greatest—but his ODI batting delivered under pressure enough to qualify as genuine all‑round value. The left‑arm swing at pace speaks for itself; the batting had pop and nous. The package made line‑ups longer and death overs lethal.

Yuvraj Singh

A batting‑led ODI all‑rounder whose left‑arm spin brought critical match‑ups against right‑hand heavy oppositions. In tournament play, his utility with the ball—quicker darts, a brave length—freed up the attack to carry a specialist hitter without sacrificing control.

Second tier and honorable mentions

Ben Stokes, Shane Watson, Glenn Maxwell, Andrew Symonds, Angelo Mathews, Jason Holder, Moeen Ali, Abdul Razzaq, Daniel Vettori, Scott Styris, Jacob Oram, Nathan Astle, Steve Waugh, Paul Collingwood, Heath Streak, Mohammad Hafeez, Viv Richards (borderline as a pure all‑rounder but with meaningful ODI wickets).

Best ODI all‑rounders by role archetype

Batting all‑rounders in ODI

• Jacques Kallis, Sanath Jayasuriya, Ben Stokes, Shane Watson, Glenn Maxwell, Andrew Symonds, Yuvraj Singh, Angelo Mathews.

What defines them: top‑ or middle‑order run engines who add bowling utility without compromising selection. Their true value lies in avoiding replacement‑level segments: no wasted overs with the ball, no dead balls with the bat.

Bowling all‑rounders in ODI

• Shaun Pollock, Imran Khan, Kapil Dev, Jason Holder, Chris Woakes, Abdul Razzaq.

What defines them: bowling is the primary suit—economy and wickets at crucial phases—while the batting is better than “tail‑end resistance.” They lengthen the batting without thinning the frontline attack.

Spin‑bowling all‑rounders in ODI

• Shakib Al Hasan, Ravindra Jadeja, Sikandar Raza, Mohammad Nabi, Shahid Afridi, Daniel Vettori, Moeen Ali, Imad Wasim, Rashid Khan.

Why captains covet them: they let you play an extra seam option without losing control overs; they also break match‑ups versus left‑handers or right‑handers in middle phases.

Pace‑bowling all‑rounders in ODI

• Kapil Dev, Imran Khan, Shaun Pollock, Andrew Flintoff, Jason Holder, Hardik Pandya, Mitchell Marsh, Shane Watson, Lance Klusener.

The art: controlling the white ball in powerplays and death overs, then flipping to hit boundaries against pace with the bat.

Best ODI all‑rounders by country

India

• Kapil Dev: Set the early standard—seam pace, lower‑order launching, relentlessness. His ODI rhythm was forward, not reactive.
• Ravindra Jadeja: Elite control and fielding; batting built on strike rotation that explodes late without fuss. He’s the quiet heartbeat of many wins.
• Hardik Pandya: The contemporary finisher who bowls tough overs. Captains plan end‑games around his availability because he unlocks a full extra batter or bowler.
• Yuvraj Singh: Tournament beast and a tactical left‑arm spin solution. His overs often allowed captains to hold back a quick for the death.
• Multi‑era mentions: Ravi Shastri (role clarity early on), Irfan Pathan (swing and batting depth at his best), Ravichandran Ashwin (shorter ODI spells but high IQ), and Axar Patel (control and lower‑order hitting).

Pakistan

• Imran Khan: The gold standard for leadership driving all‑round impact.
• Shahid Afridi: Middle‑over wickets, boundary spree cameos, and fielding fireworks.
• Wasim Akram: More than a bowler in ODIs; his batting at the death won real games.
• Abdul Razzaq: Pace‑bowling all‑rounder with late‑overs muscle and clever change‑ups.
• Mohammad Hafeez: Off‑spin stability and batting flexibility as a floating piece that solved match‑ups.

Bangladesh

• Shakib Al Hasan: The nation’s finest ODI cricketer, period.
• Mehidy Hasan Miraz: Grown into a real ODI all‑rounder—float batting, off‑spin smarts.
• Mahmudullah: More batting‑led, but his off‑spin and calm finishing gave shape to countless ODI innings.

Sri Lanka

• Sanath Jayasuriya: Game‑changer at the top; partnership‑breaker with the ball.
• Angelo Mathews: Batting assurance in the middle, steady seam bowling—an ODI captain’s comfort blanket.
• Thisara Perera: Pure white‑ball power and change‑of‑pace bowling; high‑variance but match‑winning.
• Aravinda de Silva: Batting giant with handy off‑spin in the format.

Australia

• Shane Watson: Opening bat muscle with genuine seam overs; an ODI match‑up dream.
• Mitchell Marsh: Modern template of a batting‑led seam all‑rounder who can top or middle.
• Glenn Maxwell: Off‑spin utility whose batting turns chases into track meets.
• Andrew Symonds: Big‑match temperament, off‑spin/mediums, and clutch batting.
• Steve Waugh: Tactical overs with the ball, winning presence with the bat.

England

• Ben Stokes: The chase architect and crisis‑moment competitor; seam overs when the temperature spikes.
• Andrew Flintoff: Fast‑bowling power, bat with intimidation factor; ODI aura.
• Chris Woakes: New‑ball skill, batting poise that lengthens the line‑up.
• Moeen Ali: Match‑up spinner and clean striker; invaluable for balance.
• Ian Botham: Early‑era ODI presence whose bowling set the tone.

South Africa

• Jacques Kallis: Consistency and quality across formats, built for ODIs.
• Shaun Pollock: New‑ball ruthlessness and lower‑order assurance.
• Lance Klusener: A finish that forced new blueprints; seamers feared the last five.
• Brian McMillan: Underrated ODI balance pioneer—tight bowling, nuisance runs.

New Zealand

• Chris Cairns: Central gear of the Black Caps’ ODI machine.
• Daniel Vettori: Control with the ball, composed lower‑order batting.
• Scott Styris: Middle‑order resource and medium‑pace smarts.
• Jacob Oram: High‑impact spells and six‑hitting reach.

Afghanistan

• Mohammad Nabi: The glue—off‑spin, batting poise, leadership economy.
• Rashid Khan: Strike bowler with finishing bursts; ODI game plans are written around him.
• Azmatullah Omarzai: The modern seam all‑rounder mold with batting punch.

Zimbabwe

• Sikandar Raza: Team’s engine and heartbeat; bat, ball, and belief.
• Sean Williams: Classy batting, left‑arm spin control.
• Heath Streak: Bowler first, but batting impact that nudged him into genuine ODI all‑round circles.

West Indies

• Jason Holder: New‑ball control, lower‑order patience, leadership.
• Dwayne Bravo: Death‑overs specialist, middle‑order street‑smart batting.
• Kieron Pollard: Power and handy medium pace; tactical captaincy instincts as a bonus.
• Carl Hooper: Class with bat, off‑spin with guile.

Best ODI all‑rounders in tournaments and finals

The fifty‑over format compresses narratives into bursts—pitches change across venues, dew plays tricks, and the best all‑rounders act like thermostats. A few performances live rent‑free in any analyst’s head.

• Kapil Dev’s lower‑order counterattacks reframed what was possible from No. 6 and below. With the ball, his seamers stayed on the heavy length that tests nerve.
• Imran Khan’s tournament captaincy wasn’t soft charisma; it showed up in bowling changes that baited errors and in his own spells that struck at exactly the moment a team could wobble. He held chases in his palm.
• Sanath Jayasuriya’s powerplay belligerence pulled fields into uncomfortable shapes before spinners strangled the middle. Then he’d come on to bowl and act as if conceding thirty in ten was a personal insult.
• Yuvraj Singh’s tournament glow was about equilibrium—the bat took the game forward, the ball dragged it back from the opposition.
• Lance Klusener’s death hitting compressed required rates into friendly territory. He practiced shots for specific bowlers and lengths; you could see the rehearsals mid‑game.
• Andrew Symonds, called upon early after top‑order collapses, routinely reset innings with uncomplicated shots and then delivered tight overs that quietly stole momentum.
• Shakib Al Hasan’s tournaments are masterclasses in resource maximization: no flashy sprints, just calculated efficiency with ball and bat across matches until totals bend his way.
• Ben Stokes is the ODI endgame’s beating heart: strike rotation under high heat, then the big blow once the field buckles. His few overs with the ball are like a good espresso—short, strong, and precisely timed.

Stats and records that define ODI all‑round brilliance

Numbers that matter in this space aren’t just aggregates; they tell stories of balance, efficiency, and courage.

• 1,000 runs and 100 wickets club

  This is the entry checkpoint. Plenty make it; far fewer elevate themselves within it. Names like Kapil Dev, Imran Khan, Wasim Akram, Sanath Jayasuriya, Shahid Afridi, Jacques Kallis, Shakib Al Hasan, Andrew Flintoff, Chris Cairns, Daniel Vettori, and Jason Holder are landmarks in this landscape.

• The 10,000 runs + 250 wickets echelon

  A tiny, elite neighborhood. Jayasuriya and Kallis reside here, and that company alone tells you the difficulty: insane durability plus dual excellence.

• Batting‑bowling average differential

  For batting‑leaning all‑rounders: the higher the batting average relative to bowling average, the better. Kallis is a case study in luxury: elite batter whose bowling was better than part‑time.

  For bowling‑leaning: economy and bowling average carry more weight, and the batting must steadily produce winning marginal runs—Pollock’s profile.

• Economy rate as a weapon

  Jadeja, Vettori, Shakib show that a sub‑par economy in the middle overs is equivalent to two extra wickets on many days. Run denial forces errors at the other end.

• Strike rate at the death

  Klusener, Maxwell, Pandya, and Pollard demonstrate that 15 balls of organized violence can equal 60 balls of honest toil. We track a player’s ability to go at a run‑a‑ball early and finish thirty off ten.

• Fastest hundreds by an ODI all‑rounder

  Shahid Afridi’s early career detonations created a generation of hitters who treated fifty overs as a scoring festival. It wasn’t just speed; it was intimidation that warped fields for teammates.

• Five‑fors and four‑fors that change match shape

  Afridi’s leg‑spin bursts; Pollock’s new‑ball ruins; Rashid’s middle‑over threefers that arrive like storms—these are the bowling spikes that pair with run bursts to produce double‑impact days.

Spin vs pace: how ODI all‑rounders control the middle

Spin‑bowling all‑rounders

The modern ODI middle overs favor those who can deny singles more than hunt only wickets. Shakib and Jadeja are masters at landing it on a three‑coin footprint and making good batters work at seventy percent of their preferred tempo. This forces hitters to invent shots against the field, which creates wickets at the other end. Vikram, a domestic coach I once chatted with, put it this way: “Against Shakib or Jadeja you are not chasing a score, you are chasing patience.” Raza, Nabi, and Vettori share that property: they lower the emotional temperature for their team while raising it for batters.

Pace‑bowling all‑rounders

The shorter spells are potent for seam‑bowling all‑rounders. Pollock would open with five overs like a metronome set to “unpleasant.” Imran had a late movement secret most never solved. Flintoff’s heavy length is the white‑ball cousin of a hostile Test plan. Hardik’s cutters and cross‑seam balls are the modern evolution—less seam swing, more deception off the pitch. For these players, batting comes with a bonus: they can close out a match with bat or ball.

Left‑arm vs right‑arm

Left‑arm spinners like Shakib and Jadeja weaponize angles into the right‑hander’s pads. Left‑arm seamers like Wasim Akram change sightlines at the death which complicates yorker picks. Right‑arm off‑spinners like Raza and Nabi target lefties with extra fielders in the ring. Leg‑spinners like Rashid tilt the equation by making both edges of the bat dangerous. The best ODI all‑rounders aren’t just two‑skill cricketers; they are match‑up artists.

The great debates: comparison capsules

Shakib Al Hasan vs Jacques Kallis

Kallis owns the high classical peak with the bat; Shakib owns the modern control game with the ball. Kallis’ batting average and volume pull him up in an all‑time sense; Shakib’s era‑appropriate economy and wicket profile, plus batting versatility, give him more pure ODI all‑round balance day to day. If you need runs at the top with dependable seam overs, Kallis is your blueprint. If you need middle‑overs squeeze with flexible batting slots, Shakib is your man.

Ravindra Jadeja vs Hardik Pandya

Jadeja is control and accumulation, an ODI bowler who tilts chase math without taking all the headlines. Hardik is volatility harnessed: finishing ability, power ceilings, and seam overs in high‑leverage moments. Pick Jadeja to lower run‑rate risk and patrol the field like a hawk; pick Hardik to punch holes in scorecards in the last third.

Kapil Dev vs Imran Khan

Both captains, both seamers, both shape‑shifters. Imran’s bowling is arguably the more refined; Kapil’s hitting more devastating from lower down. Imran’s ODI aura came in tactical pacing; Kapil’s in vibrant aggression. It’s a coin toss if you need a leader; if you need a late cameo, Kapil shades it. If you need a spell that makes good batters self‑doubt, Imran shades it.

Kallis vs Flintoff

Different centers of gravity. Kallis is sustainable excellence; Flintoff is short, brilliant spikes of match domination. If you’re drafting for a long tournament, Kallis is your bank. For a knockout game when you want to intimidate the opposition’s heart, you might lean Flintoff.

Kallis vs Pollock

The debate between the batting all‑rounder who bowls a lot versus the bowling all‑rounder who bats very well. Pollock’s bowling economy and average are all‑time white‑ball treasures; Kallis’ run bank and seam reliability might be more irreplaceable in team construction. You can build an XI around either profile; the decision reveals whether you prioritize run insurance or wicket‑economy control.

Women’s ODI all‑rounders: current and all‑time

The women’s game has quietly built a roster of ODI all‑rounders who embody control, courage, and craft. Their match literacy is off the charts—wicked discipline with the ball and situational smarts with the bat.

Current best women’s ODI all‑rounders

• Marizanne Kapp: The most complete pace‑bowling all‑rounder in women’s ODIs. New‑ball movement, death‑overs steel, and batting that rescues and finishes. Her lines are almost annoyingly precise, and with the bat she refuses to chase the game too early.
• Nat Sciver‑Brunt: Middle‑order engine, seam‑up discipline, and a hitting gear that rewrites chase math. She’s the modern template: risk management for thirty balls, then acceleration.
• Ellyse Perry: Towering excellence across roles; technical batting with rhythm, fuller‑length bowling that challenges front pads. ODI cricket bends to her control.
• Amelia Kerr: Leg‑spin that wins middle overs, batting with maturity beyond years. She reads batters as well as any spinner in the format and rotates strike against spin like a master.
• Deepti Sharma: Off‑spin control and batting presence in tricky chases. She’s a captain’s dream when you need to limit the scoreboard for six overs straight.
• Hayley Matthews: Power and menace. Off‑spin that bites, batting that bulldozes. When the rhythm clicks, she dominates both disciplines in the same match.
• Sophie Devine: White‑ball veteran smarts; seamers that ask honest questions, batting that punishes width.
• Chamari Athapaththu: A batting‑led all‑rounder whose off‑spin offers important overs and balance.
• Jess Jonassen: Bowling‑led with batting depth; left‑arm spin integrity and underrated lower‑order runs.
• Ashleigh Gardner: T20I stardom often steals the frame, but in ODIs too her off‑spin and burst batting shift balance.

Greatest women’s ODI all‑rounders of all time

• Ellyse Perry: Across the arc of a long career, nobody matches her combined volume and quality. Her batting is solid to sublime; her bowling remains a run‑rate muzzle.
• Marizanne Kapp: Peerless in impact density—her best days are match‑defining on both fronts.
• Stafanie Taylor: Batting class with off‑spin utility; built countless ODI wins from position of strain.
• Lisa Sthalekar: Off‑spin control and batting reliability; the ODI metronome for a dominant side.
• Dane van Niekerk: Leg‑spin blade and batting intelligence; changed games across phases.
• Nat Sciver‑Brunt: Already an all‑time arc; the ODI blueprint for modern batting all‑rounders.

What makes a women’s ODI all‑rounder special is the command of tempo: bowl six on a string, then bat through the tough seam spell before lifting. The best ODI all‑rounders in the women’s game exhibit selection elasticity—allowing a team to choose an extra specialist without losing balance.

Event‑specific excellence: ODI World Cups and beyond

• All‑rounders with the ball in hand often decide big events not by wicket hauls alone but by economy in overs where the pitch says “four if you miss.” Pollock and Vettori were the quiet bullies in such passages.
• With bat in hand, finisher‑class all‑rounders—Klusener, Pandya, Maxwell—shift pressure back onto bowlers with late swings of intent. In tournaments, those five‑over bursts accumulate across games and add up to an extra win.
• Leadership all‑rounders—Imran, Stokes, Kapp—supply the intangible: a belief inflation that refactors teammates’ risk calculus.

How to compare ODI all‑rounders fairly

• Volume vs density: A long career is good; impact rate is better. Track how many times a player crosses a combined threshold in a match—say, twenty meaningful runs plus two wickets or a wicket plus a run‑a‑ball forty. That density is gold.
• Role difficulty: Middle‑overs bowling on flat decks at neutral venues is hard. So is finishing chases when the ball is older and soft. We grade those higher than safe roles.
• Opposition quality: Runs and wickets against elite pace and clever spin matter more than flat‑track beatdowns.
• Conditions: Away and neutral results reveal portable skills. If your all‑rounder travels, you can trust them in knockouts.

A quick word on wicketkeepers as ODI all‑rounders

Wicketkeepers who bat are dual‑skilled players, no doubt. But in ODI language, “all‑rounder” traditionally means bat and bowl. Adam Gilchrist and Kumar Sangakkara are giants of the format, and Sangakkara’s occasional spin doesn’t put him in the bowling all‑rounder frame. For selection balance, however, a keeper‑batter can function like an all‑rounder slot by freeing up space for extra bowling or batting. It’s a different, equally valuable duality; the taxonomy just differs.

FAQ: brief answers anchored in authority

• Who is the No. 1 ODI all‑rounder?

  According to ICC ODI all‑rounder rankings, Shakib Al Hasan is No. 1.

• What is an all‑rounder in ODI?

  A player who consistently contributes winning value with both bat and ball, not just cameo overs or occasional runs.

• Best metrics to rank ODI all‑rounders?

  Batting‑bowling average differential, economy in high‑pressure overs, strike rate for finishers, opposition strength, away/neutral performance, and match impact density.

• Which team has produced the most great ODI all‑rounders?

  South Africa, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and India offer deep benches historically; Australia and England have surged with modern role clarity.

• Who is the best ODI all‑rounder in India?

  All‑time conversation: Kapil Dev and Ravindra Jadeja inhabit different archetypes but define Indian ODI balance. For batting‑led impact in big events, Yuvraj Singh stands tall; for contemporary seam‑finishing, Hardik Pandya changes team construction.

• Best ODI all‑rounder right now vs all‑time?

  Right now: Shakib Al Hasan sets the modern spin‑all‑round gold line. All‑time: Jacques Kallis and Sanath Jayasuriya stand alongside Shakib, Pollock, Imran, and Kapil in the pantheon.

• Can wicketkeepers be considered ODI all‑rounders?

  They are dual‑skilled but sit in a different category; selection impact is similar, but the technical definition of “all‑rounder” in ODI parlance implies bowling.

The subtle arts that numbers miss

• Defensive singles denied are often worth more than highlight‑reel wickets. Watch Jadeja anticipate and cut off the deep extra‑cover single; a scoring option dies, and panic seeds. Fielding is the third skill for many great ODI all‑rounders.
• Over sequencing: Great ODI all‑rounders map their spell, not just their over. Pollock would pocket a change‑up for a third spell; Shakib would set batters up for the last over of his allocation. They think in sets, not balls.
• Batting tempo memory: Maxwell and Stokes remember a bowler’s field and length tendencies from three overs prior and store them for the final assault. That memory is an edge.

A compact, sortable shortlist for quick reference

Top 10 ODI all‑rounders right now (expert view)

• Shakib Al Hasan
• Ravindra Jadeja
• Sikandar Raza
• Mehidy Hasan Miraz
• Hardik Pandya
• Mitchell Marsh
• Rashid Khan
• Mohammad Nabi
• Ben Stokes
• Jason Holder

Greatest ODI all‑rounders ever (era‑adjusted view)

• Jacques Kallis
• Sanath Jayasuriya
• Shakib Al Hasan
• Shaun Pollock
• Imran Khan
• Kapil Dev
• Shahid Afridi
• Andrew Flintoff
• Chris Cairns
• Lance Klusener
• Wasim Akram
• Yuvraj Singh

Role‑type excellence

• Best batting all‑rounders in ODI: Kallis, Jayasuriya, Stokes, Watson, Symonds, Maxwell.
• Best bowling all‑rounders in ODI: Pollock, Imran, Kapil, Holder, Woakes, Razzaq.
• Best spin‑bowling ODI all‑rounders: Shakib, Jadeja, Raza, Nabi, Vettori, Afridi, Moeen.
• Best pace‑bowling ODI all‑rounders: Kapil, Imran, Pollock, Flintoff, Pandya, Marsh, Klusener.

What a captain sees when picking an ODI all‑rounder

• Do they let me play an extra quick without losing middle‑over control? Think Shakib or Jadeja.
• Can they bat in two different gears across innings? Think Kallis or Stokes.
• Will they take the ball for the hardest overs when energies dip? Think Pollock or Flintoff.
• Can they field in high‑leverage zones and save ten runs that never get measured properly? Think Jadeja, Maxwell, Symonds.

The living nature of ODI all‑rounder rankings

There is no final list. Role clarity evolves. Players heal, remodel actions, adjust batting shapes to dips and troughs. In the modern ODI, particularly, the middle overs have become chess instead of checkers; spinners have learned to deny pace off the pitch, seamers have learned to deny pace off the ball. The best ODI all‑rounders move along with that tide. They aren’t passengers to tactics; they are the drivers.

And that’s why, across cycles, the names that stay at the top share one trait more than any other: command. Not just of their two skills, but of the match’s pace, the field’s geometry, and the emotions of opponents. They turn a fifty‑over stretch into a story with a predictable ending—their team ahead, their fingerprints everywhere.