Jasprit Bumrah has been named the ICC Men’s Cricketer of the Year 2024, receiving the prestigious Sir Garfield Sobers Award. The 31-year-old bowler triumphed over strong contenders like Joe Root, Travis Head, and Harry Brook to take home the honor. Bumrah becomes the fifth Indian cricketer to win this award, joining the ranks of Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Ravichandran Ashwin, and Virat Kohli.
2024 was a year of extraordinary achievements for Bumrah, who impressed across formats, particularly in Test and T20I cricket. His performance in the 2024 ICC T20 World Cup was a standout, where he claimed 15 wickets at an outstanding average of 8.26, with an economy rate of just 4.17. Bumrah’s contributions were vital to India’s success, especially in key matches against Pakistan and in the final against South Africa, where his bowling turned the tide in India’s favor.
In Tests, Bumrah was equally dominant, taking 71 wickets in the calendar year, well ahead of second-placed Gus Atkinson, who claimed 52 wickets. This made Bumrah the second-highest wicket-taker by an Indian pacer in a calendar year, following Kapil Dev. His remarkable performance propelled him to the top of the ICC Test Player Rankings, where he became the first Indian bowler to exceed 900 ranking points, setting a new benchmark in Indian cricket. Bumrah also reached the milestone of 200 Test wickets, with a record-breaking bowling average.
The first part of 2024 saw Bumrah shine in limited-overs cricket, particularly during the T20 World Cup. However, his brilliance in the longer format truly stood out in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series against Australia. Despite India losing the series 3-1, Bumrah’s individual performances were nothing short of spectacular, as he claimed 32 wickets across five Tests. His impact was so significant that he was named Player of the Series, a rare recognition in a losing cause, underlining his extraordinary contributions to the team’s efforts.
Bumrah’s relentless pursuit of excellence in 2024 earned him not only the ICC Men’s Cricketer of the Year award but also the ICC Test Player of the Year award, cementing his place as one of the finest fast bowlers in world cricket today.
