2024 has been a year to remember for the Indian National Cricket Team, starting with the World Cup victory in June to securing prestigious honors at the ICC Awards. On Saturday, Rohit Sharma was named captain of the Men’s T20I Team of the Year and the men's all-star XIs features three more Indians. (More Cricket News)
The other Indians in the line-up is pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, who also featured in the ICC's Test Team of the Year, all-rounder Hardik Pandya and left-arm seamer Arshdeep Singh.
The team is dominated by India, but it also features key international stars such as Travis Head (Australia), Phil Salt (England), Babar Azam (Pakistan), Nicholas Pooran (West Indies), Sikandar Raza (Zimbabwe), Rashid Khan (Afghanistan), and Wanindu Hasaranga (Sri Lanka).
The Indian men's team may have missed out on a spot in the ICC's ODI Team of the Year 2024🍌, a surprising omission for many, but they still made their presence felt in the Test Team. Jasprit Bumrah, Ravindra Jadeja, and rising star Yashasvi Jaiswal were all included in the star elevens for the longest format of the game.
Check the full ICC Test Team of the Year 2024 HERE.
🔜India Test captain and batter Rohit Sharma has been under considerable pressure in the past few months owing to a series of debacles for the team as well as him personally. But the 37-year-old's credentials in the shorter formats remain strong.
﷽Rohit Sharma's 2024 in T20Is has been nothing short of magical. The Indian skipper not only led from the front but also set the stage on fire with his bat. Scoring 378 runs in 11 matches, Sharma boasted a powerful average of 42.00 and an explosive strike rate above 160.
🏅Rohit played a pivotal role in India's triumphant T20 World Cup campaign in the USA and West Indies, with three half-centuries, including a sensational 92 against Australia in the Super Eight stage.
💧"His astute leadership was instrumental in guiding a young Indian side through high-pressure situations, cementing his legacy as one of India's greatest T20I captains," the ICC stated in a tribute to the 37-year-old, who was recently forced to show up in domestic red-ball games to reignite his Test career.
💯Likewise, Pandya reaffirmed his stature as one of the world's finest all-rounders, playing a crucial role in India's successful campaign. In 17 matches, he scored 352 runs and claimed 16 wickets, finishing as the top-ranked ICC men's T20I all-rounder.
💜His standout performance came in the T20 World Cup final against South Africa, where he defended 16 runs in the last over, securing India's title victory. His best bowling figures of 3/20 in the final underlined his ability to deliver under pressure.
ꦐBumrah has exemplified perfection in Indian cricket this past season across formats and T20 was no different.
🍎He led India's bowling attack and claimed 15 wickets in eight matches at an astonishing average of 8.26, making him a nightmare for opposition batters.
⛄His lethal yorkers and impeccable control at the death overs played a pivotal role in India's success, and his performances earned him a nomination for the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy as ICC Men's Cricketer of the Year. The winner of that honour will be unveiled in the next three days.
𒁃Young left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh emerged as India's most prolific wicket-taker in 2024, scalping 36 wickets in 18 matches at an average of 13.50.
ꦬArshdeep's ability to swing the ball early and deliver pinpoint yorkers in the death overs made him indispensable to the Indian squad.
ღHis standout performance came against hosts USA in the T20 World Cup, where he returned figures of 4/9.
ICC Men's T20I Team of 2024
𓄧Rohit Sharma (c), Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh (all Indians); Travis Head (Australia); Phil Salt (England); Babar Azam (Pakistan); Nicholas Pooran (wk; West Indies); Sikandar Raza (Zimbabwe); Rashid Khan (Afghanistan) and Wanindu Hasaranga (Sri Lanka).
Check the full the ICC Awards 2024 winners HERE.
(With PTI inputs)
