Dubai: India’s pace sensation Jasprit Bumrah has been honored with the prestigious Sir Garfield Sobers Award for the ICC Men’s Cricketer of the Year 2024. The 31-year-old speedster outshone formidable contenders like Joe Root, Travis Head, and Harry Brook to claim the coveted title. With this achievement, Bumrah becomes only the fifth Indian to receive the award, joining the elite company of Rahul Dravid (2004), Sachin Tendulkar (2010), Ravichandran Ashwin (2016), and Virat Kohli (2017, 2018).
Bumrah had an exceptional year across all formats, excelling particularly in Tests and T20Is. His phenomenal performance was instrumental in India’s triumph at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024. The ace pacer bagged 15 wickets in the tournament at a stunning average of 8.26 and an economy rate of 4.17, earning him the Player of the Tournament title. His match-winning spells, particularly against Pakistan in the league stage and South Africa in the final, proved decisive in India’s victorious campaign.
The dominance continued in Test cricket, where Bumrah amassed a staggering 71 wickets in the calendar year—19 more than his closest competitor, England’s Gus Atkinson. This tally stands as the second-best by an Indian pacer in a single year, behind only Kapil Dev. His consistency and impact propelled him to the No.1 ranking in ICC Test bowling, and he became the first Indian bowler to breach the coveted 900-point rating barrier in Tests. Additionally, Bumrah surpassed the 200-wicket milestone, setting new benchmarks for excellence in fast bowling. In recognition of his phenomenal Test performances, he was also named the ICC Test Player of the Year.
While the first half of 2024 saw Bumrah dominate in white-ball cricket, particularly in T20Is, he carried his red-hot form into the longest format. His heroics in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia further cemented his stature. Despite India’s 1-3 series loss, Bumrah’s haul of 32 wickets across five Tests was a beacon of excellence amidst the team’s struggles.
In other ICC awards, Afghanistan’s Azmatullah Omarzai was named the ICC Men’s ODI Cricketer of the Year, while Sri Lanka’s Kamindu Mendis clinched the ICC Emerging Men’s Cricketer of the Year award. Mendis set records by becoming the fastest batter to reach 1,000 Test runs in 75 years, tallying 1,049 runs in just nine matches. He also achieved the unique feat of scoring a half-century in each of his first eight Test matches.
Meanwhile, Namibia’s captain Gerhard Erasmus was awarded the ICC Men’s Associate Cricketer of the Year. India’s Arshdeep Singh also earned accolades, winning the ICC Men’s T20I Cricketer of the Year award. The 25-year-old left-arm pacer had a stellar 2024, securing 36 wickets in T20Is at an impressive average of 13.50. His 17-wicket tally in India’s victorious T20 World Cup campaign was a crucial factor in the team’s success.
With these outstanding performances, Indian cricket continues to shine on the global stage, and Bumrah’s historic year stands as a testament to his sheer brilliance and relentless pursuit of excellence.