Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah has been named ICC Men’s Test Cricketer of the Year for 2024 after producing his best-ever annual haul in the red-ball format.
Making an impressive comeback after a prolonged hiatus due to a back injury, Bumrah made a significant impact in both home and away conditions, emerging as the world’s best bowler in 2024. His remarkable performance played a crucial role in India’s rise in the ICC World Test Championship standings.
Bumrah took 71 wickets in 13 matches, clearly outshining second-ranked Gus Atkinson of England, who had 52 wickets in 11 matches. Bumrah’s average of 14.92 and a stunning strike rate of 30.1 in 2024 were exceptional feats.
His journey began with India’s unforgettable Test victory in Cape Town against South Africa, where he picked up eight wickets in two innings. Bumrah followed that with 19 wickets in five Tests against England at home, helping India win 4-1.
Bumrah’s finest performance came in the high-stakes Border-Gavaskar Series against Australia, where he bagged 32 wickets from five Tests, earning the Player of the Series award. He also became the 12th Indian bowler to reach the 200 Test wickets milestone, achieving a remarkable feat of having an average below 20 (19.4).
Bumrah’s leadership was evident in his performance against Australia in Perth, where he took five wickets for 30 runs, contributing to India’s historic 295-run victory, their first-ever win at the venue, after Australia folded for just 150 runs.
