The year 2024 has been wonderful for many cricketers. With teams from India to Australia and England going through transitions, we saw how many emerging names capitalized on that and slowly but steadily stamped their name to the biggest level. We have seen how SRH batter Abhishek Sharma joined the party by making tons of runs in IPL 2024, and then he debuted for India, almost replicating his IPL success. We also saw Saim Ayub from Pakistan play many crucial innings and become a reliable batter. Overall, many names rose to the top this year, whether in batting or bowling. Take a look at the best XI who made their name in 2024 with their cricketing skills.
Breakout stars XI 2024
| Name | Role |
| Saim Ayub | Batter |
| Abhishek Sharma (C) | All-rounder |
| Jacob Bethell | Batter |
| Riyan Parag | All-rounder |
| Kamran Ghulam | Batter |
| Jamie Smith (WK) | Wicketkeeper/Batter |
| Nitish Reddy | All-rounder |
| Allah Ghazanfar | Bowler |
| William O’Rourke | Bowler |
| Kwena Maphaka | Bowler |
| Shoaib Bashir | Batter/Bowler |
As mentioned in the introduction, Pakistan’s Saim Ayub has become a reliable batter, and he is also seen as a potential future captain. Recently, he smashed a century against South Africa, helping Pakistan whitewash the Proteas with a 3-0 scoreline. With 515 runs in 9 innings and an average of 64 in ODIs this year, Ayub is clearly on a roll. Along with him, Abhishek Sharma could possibly be the best opener to bat alongside Ayub, as Sharma believes in smashing the bowlers consistently. We have seen him shine against Zimbabwe and South Africa, coming out on top every time, making him one of the big hitters of the current generation.
England’s left-handed batter Jacob Bethell, India’s emerging name Riyan Parag, and Kamran Ghulam from Pakistan are also trustworthy names who burst onto the scene this year and kept many things on the table.
Their batting form gained massive attention, and since a player like Riyan Parag can also bowl, it gives him a place in the playing XI.
Currently in India’s Test team and doing wonders with both bat and ball against Australia, Nitish Reddy has suddenly become a reliable name.
We have seen how many times he saved India’s batting single-handedly, whether in the Perth Test or in the pink-ball Test match in Adelaide.
Speaking about the bowlers, Afghanistan’s Allah Ghazanfar received attention when MI went and picked him in the IPL 2025 auction. This Afghanistan spinner hit the jackpot in the IPL 2025 Auction as Mumbai Indians acquired his services for Rs 4.8 crore. He is also featured in the list, alongside Kiwi star William O’Rourke, South African teenager Kwena Maphaka, and England’s Shoaib Bashir.
