India’s star cricketer named ICC T20I Cricketer of the Year 2024, surpassing Travis Head and Babar Azam for the prestigious award.
New Delhi: Arshdeep Singh played a pivotal role in India’s long-awaited ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 victory in the Caribbean and USA, securing their triumph in June. Since then, he has firmly established himself as one of the premier bowlers in both powerplay and death overs.
The 25-year-old left-arm pacer had long been regarded as a future star, with India placing immense trust in his abilities since his international debut in 2022. In 2024, Arshdeep truly came into his own, proving himself as a world-class bowler in T20Is, consistently taking wickets with the new ball while also delivering economical performances in the death overs across diverse playing conditions.
Arshdeep Singh’s exceptional performance in T20Is in 2024 saw him claim 36 wickets in 18 matches, making him India’s leading wicket-taker in the format for the year. A key figure in India’s triumphant ICC Men’s T20 World Cup campaign, Arshdeep played a crucial role in leading the attack as India ushered in a new era for their T20 squad post-victory in the Caribbean.
Globally, only four bowlers managed to take more T20I wickets than Arshdeep in 2024, though all played more matches than him. These players included Usman Najeeb from Saudi Arabia (38 wickets), Sri Lanka’s Wanindu Hasaranga (38), UAE’s Junaid Siddique (40), and Hong Kong’s Ehsan Khan (46). Notably, only Hasaranga represented a full-member nation. Arshdeep’s wickets came at an outstanding average of 15.31, with an economy rate of 7.49 despite predominantly bowling during the powerplay and death overs. His strike rate of 10.80 further solidified his reputation as a consistent and potent wicket-taking threat.
Arshdeep Singh’s remarkable year culminated in him being named the ICC T20I Cricketer of the Year for 2024, a testament to his outstanding performances. Among his many memorable displays, one of the most remarkable came during the T20 World Cup in New York, where he dismantled the USA with impressive figures of 4/9 in his four overs, putting on a show of his talent and precision.
However, Arshdeep’s most significant contribution came on the grandest stage of all in the World Cup Final in Barbados. Tasked with defending a challenging total of 176, Arshdeep played a crucial role alongside Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya, forming a lethal pace trio. His impressive figures of 2/20 from four overs were instrumental in India’s victory, proving his value as one of the leading T20I bowlers on the global stage.
Arshdeep Singh’s performance throughout the 2024 T20 World Cup was a masterclass in bowling under pressure, as he showcased his versatility and skill in various phases of the game. He started strong with the new ball, claiming a vital wicket in the powerplay by dismissing South Africa’s dangerous captain, Aiden Markram, caught behind in just the third over. His ability to strike early was crucial for India, providing an early breakthrough when the game was still up for grabs.
When South Africa threatened to take control of the chase, Arshdeep again stepped up, removing the well-set Quinton de Kock, a key wicket that halted the Proteas’ progress. His brilliance didn’t stop there. In the death overs, with South Africa needing 20 from 12 balls, Arshdeep returned to bowl the penultimate over and delivered a near-perfect performance, conceding just four runs. This set the stage for Hardik Pandya to defend the remaining 16 runs in the final over, which he did spectacularly. Arshdeep’s performance was a perfect mix of brilliance in the powerplay, crucial wickets in the middle overs, and exceptional economy in the death overs, cementing his status as a match-winner for India when it mattered most.
