Jasprit Bumrah has been crowned the ICC Men’s Cricketer of the Year 2024

India’s pace sensation Jasprit Bumrah has been named the ICC Men’s Cricketer of the Year 2024, winning the prestigious Sir Garfield Sobers Award after an outstanding year across all formats. The International Cricket Council (ICC) made the announcement on X, confirming that Bumrah edged out tough competition from Australia’s Travis Head and England’s Joe Root and Harry Brook.

Bumrah’s remarkable consistency, precision, and skill throughout 2024 earned him this top honor, making him the fifth Indian cricketer to receive the award. He now joins an elite list that includes Rahul Dravid (2004), Sachin Tendulkar (2010), Ravichandran Ashwin (2016), and Virat Kohli (2017, 2018). At 31 years old, Bumrah has cemented his place among cricket’s all-time greats, delivering performances that left an indelible mark on the game.

Leading India’s formidable pace attack, Bumrah played a crucial role in ending the nation’s 17-year-long wait for a T20 World Cup trophy. His brilliance on the field saw him claim 15 wickets in the tournament at an astonishing average of 8.26 and an economy rate of just 4.17, earning him the Player of the Tournament award. One of his most defining moments came against Pakistan in the group stage, where his 3-14 spell led India to a significant victory. In the final against South Africa, he delivered a match-winning performance, taking 2-18 in four overs, including the dismissals of Reeza Hendricks and Marco Jansen, helping India lift the trophy.

Bumrah’s dominance was not limited to T20 cricket. He continued his brilliance in Test cricket, becoming the fastest Indian pacer to reach 200 Test wickets with a sub-20 bowling average, the best in history. He finished 2024 as the highest wicket-taker in Test cricket, claiming 71 wickets in just 13 matches. This feat placed him second only to Kapil Dev for the most wickets by an Indian pacer in a calendar year. He outperformed England’s Gus Atkinson, who took 52 wickets, to become the leading wicket-taker across formats.

Even Virat Kohli, one of India’s greatest cricketers, acknowledged Bumrah’s immense value to the team, calling him a “national treasure” after India’s triumphant T20 World Cup campaign in Barbados. As the ICC’s top-ranked Test bowler, Bumrah has reinforced his legacy as one of the finest fast bowlers in modern cricket. His ability to excel across formats and consistently deliver for India has made him a standout player on the global stage, further solidifying his place in cricketing history.