Following his breathtaking performances with the ball in 2024, world No.1 Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah was awarded with the ICC Men’s Cricketer of the Year 2024 award, the global cricket body announced on Tuesday. In the process, Jasprit Bumrah overcame fellow nominees Travis Head, Joe Root and Harry Brook to the title.
Notably, Jasprit Bumrah is the fifth Indian recipient of this prestigious award after Rahul Dravid (2004), Sachin Tendulkar (2010), Ravichandran Ashwin (2016) and Virat Kohli (2017, 2018).
The most feared bowler in all formats in the world currently, Jasprit Bumrah was recently in headlines for taking 32 wickets in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT), thus becoming the first pacer to do so.
During the BGT, Jasprit Bumrah attained the No.1 ranking in Tests among bowlers and also became the fastest Indian pacer to reach 200 wickets. The pacer’s brilliance was reflected when the 30-year-old crossed the 900-point mark in ICC rankings.
He also surpassed compatriot Ravichandran Ashwin to gain a record-breaking 907 ranking points – the highest for any Indian bowler in history. Earlier, Jasprit Bumrah was also named the ICC Test Cricketer of the Year 2024 award.
Jasprit Bumrah’s stellar 2024 in numbers
After dominating India’s triumphant T20 World Cup campaign with 15 wickets, Jasprit Bumrah’s ability to control the game played a crucial role during Men in Blue’s campaign.
In Tests, the right-arm pacer scalped 71 Test wickets in just 13 matches. It was also the highest by any bowler in 2024, and is only second to Kapil Dev among Indians in a calendar year.
What’s next for Jasprit Bumrah?
After suffering a back spasm in the final Test against Australia in Sydney, Jasprit Bumrah is currently on a five-week rest. He will undergo scans on February 2, to get an exact update of the injury. Despite the injury, Jasprit Bumrah was named in Indian squad for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, starting next month.
