Jasprit Bumrah Crowned ICC Men's Test Cricketer of 2024

Jasprit Bumrah receives the ICC Men's Test Cricketer of the Year 2024 award after an exceptional year in Test cricket. Despite a long injury break, he made an impactful return, leading the wicket-taker charts with 71 wickets, significantly contributing to India's success both at home and abroad.

Indian pace bowler Jasprit Bumrah has been named the ICC Men's Test Cricketer of the Year 2024, marking a year of outstanding achievement in the longest format of the game, according to the International Cricket Council (ICC). Bumrah emerged as the premier bowler globally, demonstrating exceptional skill both in India and overseas.

Returning to Test matches in late 2023 after recovering from a back injury, Bumrah quickly found form, taking an impressive number of wickets and breaking several records. His performances in home series against England and Bangladesh, as well as strong displays in South Africa and Australia, were instrumental for India.

In 2024, Bumrah topped the Test wicket charts with 71 dismissals, a significant margin ahead of England's Gus Atkinson's 52 wickets. Across 357 overs, he maintained a stunning average of 2.96 in an era known for fast scoring, with an annual average of 14.92 and a strike rate of 30.1.

Bumrah became the fourth Indian to claim more than 70 Test wickets in a year, joining legends like Ravichandran Ashwin, Anil Kumble, and Kapil Dev. Remarkably, no bowler achieving over 70 wickets in a calendar year has matched Bumrah's low average.

His year began with a vital performance in Cape Town against South Africa, taking eight wickets in a notable Test victory. He followed up with 19 wickets in a home series against England, where India won 4-1. However, his standout moment came during the Border-Gavaskar Series, claiming 32 wickets in Australia, earning Player of the Series and crossing 200 career Test wickets.

Notably, Bumrah set a record as the only Test bowler with over 200 wickets and an average under 20. His leadership and performance in the Perth match against Australia, where India overcame an early setback, underscored his value to the team.

(With inputs from agencies.)