In an exclusive conversation with CricTracker, India's star cricketer Venkatesh Iyer revealed his list of the top five all-rounders of all time. The list consists of a mix of past legends and current players, including South Africa's Jacques Kallis, West Indies' Andre Russell, England's Ben Stokes, and two Indian cricketing stalwarts, Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja. Iyer, who has played a crucial role in KKR's success in the IPL over the years, shared his admiration for these players.
The Madhya Pradesh all-rounder's list began with Kallis, who is regarded as the most complete all-rounder in the history of the game. The former dominated the game for over a decade, scoring over 10,000 runs and picking 200-plus wickets in both Tests and ODIs. His ability to stabilize South Africa's innings with the bat and contribute with crucial breakthroughs made him a valuable asset. Even years after retirement, Kallis is considered one of the best players to have played the game.
Andre Russell was another name on the same list. The West Indian with 9449 T20 runs at a strike rate of 168.22 and close to 500 wickets in the format, Russell has been one of the most feared cricketers, especially in the shortest format of the game. However, the veteran was recently released by KKR ahead of IPL 2026 mini-auction.