Jasprit Bumrah had a sensational 2024, cementing his place as one of the finest bowlers in world cricket. His outstanding performances earned him the ICC Men’s Cricketer of the Year and ICC Men’s Test Player of the Year awards. Additionally, he was named in both the ICC Men’s Test Team of the Year and the ICC T20I Team of the Year. A pivotal figure in India’s triumph at the T20 World Cup, Bumrah was also honoured as the Player of the Tournament, underlining his dominance with the ball.
Bumrah played a crucial role in India’s 4-1 Test series victory over England at home in early 2024, finishing as the highest wicket-taker of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. However, his momentum was halted when he suffered an injury during the fifth and final Test of India’s tour of Australia in January. The setback ruled him out of the ongoing ICC Champions Trophy, forcing India to reshuffle their bowling attack.
With Bumrah sidelined, Mohammed Shami has stepped up to spearhead India’s pace attack. Shami, who battled fitness concerns and spent a significant time on the sidelines, made his international return earlier this year. The 34-year-old pacer announced his comeback in style, claiming a five-wicket haul in India’s opening game of the Champions Trophy. Bumrah expressed confidence in his teammate’s ability to deliver for India on the big stage.
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“I’m really happy for him. Obviously, he’s had an injury struggle for so long. It takes a toll. But he’s been very happy and very positive. Looks good, he has the skill obviously, that will never go anywhere. The more he plays, the more confidence will come, and hopefully, he’ll help the team go further,” Jasprti Bumrah told ICC.
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Jasprit Bumrah was in attendance for India’s high-voltage clash against Pakistan in Dubai last Sunday, where he was officially presented with his ICC awards. Reflecting on the moment, he expressed his joy and gratitude.
He explained, “It feels really good. 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 honor. Obviously, a lot of learnings in my mind in the year as well. 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.”
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Soaking in the electric atmosphere in Dubai, Bumrah hoped for even more intense competition as the tournament progresses. “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 fiercer.”
