Top 5 ODI All-Rounders in the world

The biggest spectacle in World Cricket, the ODI Cricket World Cup, is less than a year away. All the teams are trying to figure out their best combination going into the tournament. Most of the teams are looking to stake up their sides with a lot of all-rounders. What makes all-rounders indispensable is the fact that all-rounders provide flexibility to teams and give the liberty of playing an extra bowler or batsman in the playing XI to the team management.

Teams with better all-rounders will have an extra edge over the other teams. All-rounders provide the X-factor that is a must in big tournaments like the World Cup.

We will look at the top 5 ODI all-rounders in World Cricket at the moment, players who can play a huge role in next year's World Cup.

#5 Mitchell Santner

Santner has been in terrific form for the Kiwis

Mitchell Santner has been one of the most consistent performers for the New Zealand team in the past couple of years. The all-rounder has been extremely effective with his left-arm spin and has been able to strangle the opposition batsmen in the middle overs.

Even while playing most of his matches in the pace-friendly condition of New Zealand, Santner has played his part brilliantly and has given away runs at an outstanding economy of 4.90 runs per over. Apart from his bowling, his batting has improved by leaps and bounds and he has played some crucial knocks in the lower order for the Kiwis. Santner will be key to New Zealand's chance in World Cup 2019.

#4 Moeen Ali

Moeen Ali plays spin extremely well

Moeen Ali has established himself as an all-rounder in the England ODI squad with some strong performances in the recent past. The 31-year-old has done exceedingly well with both the ball and bat for the England team.

Even though he is out of the England Test side, he is still an integral part of England's ODI team. While he has been impressive with his off-spin bowling, Ali's biggest strength in batting is his ability to play at any place in the batting order. His aggressive style of batting, especially against spinners, makes him a must in England's team for the World Cup.

#3 Hardik Pandya

Pandya can change the complexion of the game with his hard-hitting batting

Hardik Pandya has taken world cricket by storm with his hard-hitting batting. The flamboyant 24-year-old has ended India's search for a fast-bowling all-rounder and has been one of the major reasons for India's success in ODIs. He has played some stunning innings in his ODI career and used the long handle to good effect at the end of the innings.

There has been a vast improvement in Pandya's bowling off late, which has allowed India to play an extra batsman in the playing XI. If Pandya can continue his purple patch till next year's World Cup, he can play a huge role in India's quest for their third World Cup title.

#2 Shakib Al Hasan

Shakib's experience will be key to Bangladesh's chances in the World Cup

Bangladesh cricket reliance on Shakib Al Hasan has increased with each passing year. The experienced all-rounder has proved his mettle by excelling against top countries on all types of pitches. He is one of those few players who can get selected in any XI both as a batsman and as a bowler.

Shakib has been the mainstay of Bangladesh's middle order for years now and his slow left-arm spin has rattled a lot of batting line-ups. The 2019 World Cup will be Shakib's fourth World Cup appearance and he will definitely like to leave a mark with some fine performances.

#1 Ben Stokes

Ben Stokes can win matches single-handedly

Ben Stokes has been a dependable option for England across all formats. He has earned a name for himself in international cricket because of his aggressive style of cricket and his intent on the cricket field. Stokes is a powerful middle-order batsman and has destroyed a lot of bowling attacks with his belligerent batting.

He has provided crucial breakthroughs with the ball in hand and has been preferred by the captains to bowl in the death overs. Ben Stokes is a complete match-winner and if he can remain away from controversies and injuries, he can help England win the elusive first World Cup title.