Well, the new year is near and we are getting into the season of year-end awards. The International Cricket Council (ICC) is gearing up to confer the best cricketers of year and we recently got the shortlist of nominees for the best T20I player of 2024. Incredibly, the list excluded Jasprit Bumrah, who won the Player of the Tournament at the ICC T20 World Cup 2024. Bumrah played an extremely crucial role at the competition, striking a wicket after every 8.26 run conceded. Regardless, the four names include Travis Head, Sikandar Raza, Arshdeep Singh, and Babar Azam.
Why Babar Azam but no Jasprit Bumrah?
It was a bit bewildering to have Babar Azam among the nominees. Yes, he is among the highest run-getters in T20Is in the year, but most of his runs came in bilaterals and against “not so world-class” opponents. Against SENA countries and India, Babar scored a combined 497 runs at an average of 29.3. Moreover, at the T20 World Cup 2024, he had a mediocre campaign, scoring 122 runs at a SR of 101.66.
Meanwhile, Bumrah was truly unstoppable. Yes, he played just eight T20Is the whole year but he pulled off something brilliant in all games. He took 15 at an unmatched bowling average of 8.26. All those matches came at the ICC T20 World Cup, and he deservedly won the Player of the Tournament. What was astonishing was his economy of 4.17, that too, bowling against some of world’s best batters and in tough situations.
Arshdeep Singh, Sikandar Raza and Travis Head other contendors!
Incredibly, all three of Arshdeep Singh, Sikandar Raza, and Travis Head had superb years too. Luckily for India, Arshdeep achieved new heights in the year. He ended up as the joint-highest wicket-taker at the ICC T20 World Cup 2024, taking 17 wickets at an average of 12.64. All in all, Arshdeep finished with 36 wickets at an average of just 13.5. While Bumrah was unplayable at the T20 World Cup, Arshdeep bagged all the wickets from the other end.
As for Head, he accumulated 539 runs in 15 games at an average of 38 and an explosive strike rate of 178, with a highest score of 80. He was the third-highest run-getter with 255 runs, taking off at a strike rate of 158.38 at the World Cup. For the third consecutive year, Sikandar Raza has earned a spot on the prestigious shortlist.
At 39, the all-rounder and captain continues to drive Zimbabwe’s success, most notably in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup qualifiers, where he amassed 199 runs and claimed 10 wickets, spearheading the team’s unbeaten streak. Sikandar Raza’s impressive stats include 573 runs in 24 matches, averaging 28.65 with a highest score of 133*. He has also taken 24 wickets, averaging 22.25, with best bowling figures of 5/18, showcasing his all-round skills.
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