And the inevitable has happened. The International Cricket Council (ICC) has named Jasprit Bumrah the best Men’s Cricketer of the Year for 2024. Bumrah defeated three other players who had marvellous 2024: Joe Root, Travis Head, and Harry Brook. Doing so, Bumrah has become the first Indian to bag the award after Virat Kohli won it back-to-back in 2017 and 2018. He is also the first Indian pacer to win the prestigious award and only the second Indian bowler after Ravichandran Ashwin.
Jasprit Bumrah surely deserved it
Bumrah has been rightfully awarded the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for 2024, capping off a year of unparalleled brilliance. Bumrah’s dominance across formats was unmatched, as he delivered standout performances in both Test and white-ball cricket.
In a year when bowlers often struggled against rampant batters, Bumrah stood tall, finishing as the No.1-ranked Test bowler with a record-breaking 907 ICC rating points—the highest ever by an Indian pacer. He became the fastest Indian to reach 200 Test wickets, with an astounding sub-20 bowling average. His 71 wickets in 13 Tests, including a sensational Border-Gavaskar Trophy performance (32 wickets), were infuential in India’s success.
Bumrah’s white-ball exploits were equally exceptional. He spearheaded India’s T20 World Cup triumph, taking 15 wickets at an economy of 4.17 and earning Player of the Tournament honours. His match-winning spells against Pakistan (3-14) and South Africa in the final (2-18) highlighted his ability to deliver under pressure. With this award, Bumrah joins Indian legends Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Ravichandran Ashwin, and Virat Kohli.
List of Men’s Best Cricketer of the Year ft. Bumrah
| Year | Winner |
|---|---|
| 2004 | India – Rahul Dravid |
| 2005 | South Africa – Jacques Kallis & England – Andrew Flintoff (Shared) |
| 2006 | Australia – Ricky Ponting |
| 2007 | Australia – Ricky Ponting |
| 2008 | Cricket West Indies – Shivnarine Chanderpaul |
| 2009 | Australia – Mitchell Johnson |
| 2010 | India – Sachin Tendulkar |
| 2011 | England – Jonathan Trott |
| 2012 | Sri Lanka – Kumar Sangakkara |
| 2013 | Australia – Michael Clarke |
| 2014 | Australia – Mitchell Johnson |
| 2015 | Australia – Steve Smith |
| 2016 | India – Ravichandran Ashwin |
| 2017 | India – Virat Kohli |
| 2018 | India – Virat Kohli |
| 2019 | England – Ben Stokes |
| 2021 | Pakistan – Shaheen Shah Afridi |
| 2022 | Pakistan – Babar Azam |
| 2023 | Australia – Pat Cummins |
| 2024 | India – Jasprit Bumrah |
Editor's Pick
Cricket
Will Gambhir try Rishabh Pant or Nitish Reddy in IND vs SA 3rd ODI with series on the line?
Top Stories
