Jasprit Bumrah capped off a magnificent 2024 with the Sir Gary Sobers award. The International Cricket Council (ICC) announced the ace India fast bowler as the ICC Men’s Cricketer of the Year for 2024.
The 31-year-old is the 5th Indian to win the prestigious award. Virat Kohli was the last Indian to do so in 2017 and 2018. Ravichandran Ashwin had won it in 2016. Meanwhile, Rahul Dravid (2004) and Sachin Tendulkar (2010) are the other two Indians to have won the coveted Sir Gary Sobers award.
While Bumrah did not feature in ODI cricket in 2024, he was outstanding in the other two formats. His impact in Tests and T20Is were simply remarkable as he almost single-handedly changed the game for India on multiple occasions. He played 13 Test matches and returned with 71 wickets at a stunning average of 14.92. His strike-rate read 30.1 and he ended up picking five five-wicket hauls. Bumrah was at the top of the Test wicket charts in 2024 and was well clear of the second-best Gus Atkinson who had 52 wickets. Bumrah also rose to the No. 1 bowler’s ranking in Test cricket and has surged well ahead, breaking numerous records. Thus, his fiery exploits earned him the Men’s Test Cricketer of the Year award as well.
As far as T20Is are concerned, he took 15 scalps in eight games at a staggering average of 8.26 and a superb economy rate of 4.17. All his eight T20Is came in the Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 where he ended up with the Player of the Tournament award as well.
Bumrah pipped Joe Root, Travis Head and Harry Brook to the award for the ICC Men’s Cricketer of the Year 2024.
My focus remains on contributing to the team: Jasprit Bumrah
Talking after receiving the award, Bumrah was grateful for the recognition and admitted that his sole focus was contributing to the team’s success. He decided the award to everyone who believed in him.
“I am grateful to the cricketing fraternity for this appreciation, which I share with India, my family, and my teammates. My focus remains on contributing to the team and striving to achieve our collective goals. The year 2024 was incredibly special – winning the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 in Barbados and also contributing as much as I could across all three formats of the game. I dedicate this award to everyone who has believed in me, the power of hard work and dreams, and to bowlers worldwide who continue to inspire and strive for excellence,” Bumrah was quoted saying after winning the award.
