NOT Hardik Pandya! EX-KKR star picks Shane Watson as the best T20 all-rounder of all time

The debate over the greatest T20 all-rounders has exploded again just days before the start of the Indian Premier League 2026 (IPL 2026). Actually, the former England all-rounder Moeen Ali has made a bold claim about the best T20 all-rounder that turned many heads.

There have been very few players who delivered with both bat and ball under pressure in the crunch matches, and Hardik Pandya, Shane Watson, Ravindra Jadeja, and Moeen himself are among those.

Moeen Ali names Shane Watson above Hardik Pandya

Pandya has been considered one of the most dangerous match-winners in modern T20 cricket, but Moeen feels former Australia and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) hero Shane Watson stands above the India star when it comes to delivering big performances under pressure.

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Read Also: Adil Rashid Backs Hardik Pandya For His All-Phase Bowling Ability

The Englishman made it clear that Hardik Pandya is a very strong player, but he believes that Watson was even more reliable in crunch moments in the shorter format of the game.

Moeen Ali said on the "Beard Before Wicket" podcast, "I'll disagree that Hardik is more clutch than Watson. He is clutch, but I'm saying he is not more clutch than Watson. Watson's a flipping good player.”

Shane Watson was the best all-rounder: Moeen Ali

He noted that Watson is the most complete all-rounder the game has ever seen after Andre Russell and Dwayne Bravo in T20 cricket. The Englishman added, “It is a tough one. It obviously depends on what you want in your team as well. I am probably going to go to Watson. Because after Russell, Bravo, and not in that order, Watson was the best all-rounder.”

Notably, Watson played 145 matches in the IPL, where he has scored over 3800 runs with the help of four centuries. He also scalped over 90 wickets.

However, England spinner Adil Rashid had a different opinion. Rashid believes that Hardik brings something special with the ball because he can bowl in every stage of a T20 match, and this flexibility makes him extremely valuable for a T20 team.

Rashid further added, “For me personally, Hardik. Also, his bowling. I think I have seen Hardik bowl a lot more than Watson. He bowls up top, middle, and death, all three phases.”

Adil Rashid backs Hardik Pandya for his bowling ability

However, the England spinner admitted that Hardik Pandya still has time to jump ahead of the great all-rounders, and he can definitely challenge Watson’s position in the debate if he continues playing for a few more seasons and keeps performing with both bat and ball.

Rashid said during the conversation, “I think Hardik can replace Watson in this conversation. He plays one to two years longer, and then he's played more.”

Hardik has already established himself as one of the best players in IPL history. The all-rounder has so far played more than 150 matches in the league and scored over 2700 runs at a strike rate close to 147 and taken more than 75 wickets as well.

Now all eyes are on the upcoming IPL 2026, where Hardik will once again lead the Mumbai Indians. They will kick off their campaign against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on March 29 in Mumbai.

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