Indian pace sensation Jasprit Bumrah received a prestigious haul of ICC awards and caps in Dubai on Sunday (February 23), marking a fitting end to his exceptional performances in the year 2024.
The 31-year-old was recognized as the ICC Men’s Cricketer of the Year and ICC Men’s Test Player of the Year, alongside his inclusion in both the ICC Men’s Test and T20I Teams of the Year.
2024: A year of dominance for Jasprit Bumrah
Bumrah’s exceptional year saw him claim 86 wickets across 21 Test and T20I matches, with 71 scalps coming in the longest format. His lethal bowling played a pivotal role in India’s triumphant T20 World Cup campaign, further solidifying his reputation as a match-winner. Reflecting on his achievements, an emotional Bumrah told ICC: “As a child, I’d seen some of my childhood heroes win this [Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy award. Always a privilege when you get such an honour.”
T20 World Cup glory and Test cricket grit
The Gujarat pacer highlighted India’s T20 World Cup victory as the crowning moment of his year. “The T20 World Cup which we won is always going to be special and will be there in my mind,” he remarked.
Bumrah also emphasized the challenges and growth from India’s demanding Test schedule, adding: “We played a lot of Test cricket, we got to know a lot of different experiences, so yeah, I’m very happy and hopefully better things will follow.”
Also READ: ICC Awards 2024 – Complete list of winners with Jasprit Bumrah and Amelia Kerr leading the way
Bumrah’s take on the return of Champions Trophy
Expressing his excitement over the return of the Champions Trophy, Bumrah said: “The atmosphere is brilliant. The excitement…this tournament is coming after a long time so the buzz is there.”
“The start has been good, hopefully the matches will get even better and the competition will be even fierce,” he added.
India have booked a place in the semifinals, with a thumping win over arch-rivals Pakistan and will face New Zealand in their last group-stage match on March 2.
