5 all-rounders to watch out for in the Abu Dhabi T10 2021

The Abu Dhabi T10 2021 commences tomorrow with three games in quick succession at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium.

Eight sides - the Maratha Arabians, the Qalandars, the Northern Warriors, the Pune Devils, the Delhi Bulls, the Bangla Tigers, the Deccan Gladiators, and Team Abu Dhabi - will be divided into two groups of four teams each.

Various world-class players from the West Indies, Pakistan and Afghanistan will feature in the tournament - Chris Gayle, Nicholas Pooran, Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Nabi, Mujeeb Ur Rahman to name a few.

In this article, we take a look at 5 all-rounders to watch out for in the Abu Dhabi T10 2021.

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#5 Shahid Afridi (Qalandars)

Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi is the icon player for the Qalandars in the Abu Dhabi T10 2021

Shahid Afridi's wicket-taking ability may have diminished over the last few years, but he is still as economical as ever. Combine this with his six-hitting prowess, and you have a cricketer perfectly suited to the T10 format.

Afridi is the icon player for the Qalandars, who also have the likes of Chris Jordan, Tom Banton and Ben Dunk on their roster. We could see the former Pakistan captain remind cricket fans across the world of his agelessness and destructiveness in the Abu Dhabi T10 2021.

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#4 Mohammad Hafeez (Maratha Arabians)

Former Pakistan captain Mohammad Hafeez is 40 years old but fit as ever

Another Pakistan cricketer who has defied age, 40-year-old Mohammad Hafeez is still active in the international circuit and scored a magical 99* in his country's recent T20I assignment against New Zealand.

Playing under countryman Shoaib Malik at the Maratha Arabians, Hafeez will undoubtedly make an impact in the Abu Dhabi T10 2021. He will be seen in action on the opening day of the tournament when his team takes on the Nicholas Pooran-led Northern Warriors.

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#3 Sunil Narine (Deccan Gladiators)

Narine has been missing in action since the Indian Premier League

Sunil Narine didn't do much to justify the "all-rounder" tag in the Indian Premier League for the Kolkata Knight Riders, but the freedom of the T10 format should be able to revive his batting to a certain extent.

Although his action has come under suspicion from umpires recently, Narine is still an economical, potent threat with the ball in hand. The West Indian is part of a fearsome spin partnership with Imran Tahir, and captain Kieron Pollard will rely on him to keep the run flow in check.

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#2 Dwayne Bravo (Delhi Bulls)

Bravo will captain the Delhi Bulls in the Abu Dhabi T10 2021

A year after leading the Maratha Arabians to the Abu Dhabi T10 crown, Dwayne Bravo will attempt to achieve the same feat with a new team - the Delhi Bulls. The all-rounder hasn't been in great form of late, with frequent injuries preventing him from getting a consistent run of games.

However, Bravo, who recently became the first bowler to take 500 wickets in the T20 format, shouldn't face too many difficulties in 10-overs-a-side games. With players such as Mohammad Nabi, Evin Lewis, Sherfane Rutherford and Ravi Bopara part of his team, he will look to become the first captain to win two consecutive editions of the Abu Dhabi T10.

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#1 Kieron Pollard (Deccan Gladiators)

Pollard will lead the Deccan Gladiators in the Abu Dhabi T10 2021

Cricket has been kind to Kieron Pollard over the last few months. The West Indies T20I skipper oversaw the Trinbago Knight Riders' unbeaten run to the Caribbean Premier League title and then won the Indian Premier League in the UAE with the Mumbai Indians.

Pollard is clearly playing the best cricket of his career, and he will lead the mighty Deccan Gladiators in the Abu Dhabi T10 2021. With world-class players like Sunil Narine, Colin Ingram and Imran Tahir at his disposal, we could see him add yet another trophy to his cabinet.