25 January,2025 06:10 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Rohit Sharma (Pic: File Pic/X/@ICC)
Team India captain Rohit Sharma who led the team to their second ICC T20 World Cup title last June, has been named the skipper of the ICC Men's T20I team of the year 2024.
The ICC Men's T20I team of the year 2024 also have the likes of Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh and Hardik Pandya.
Rohit Sharma had an unforgettable 2024, both as a leader and a batter.
Featuring in 11 matches, Rohit Sharma smashed 378 runs with an average of 42.00 and a strike rate of more than 160. The right-hander played a crucial role in India's T20 World Cup triumph as he registered three half-centuries and smashed blistering 92 runs against Australia in the Super Eight match.
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His astute leadership was instrumental in guiding a young Indian side through high-pressure situations, cementing his legacy as one of India's greatest T20I captains.
On the other hand, Hardik Pandya yet again proved to be one of the world's finest all-rounders.
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In 17 matches, Pandya scored 352 runs and claimed 16 wickets, finishing as the top-ranked ICC Men's T20I all-rounder.
His standout performance came in the T20 World Cup final against South Africa, where he defended 16 runs in the last over, securing India's title victory. His best bowling figures of 3/20 in the final underlined his ability to deliver under pressure.
Bumrah made a remarkable return to T20I cricket in 2024, leading India's bowling attack with precision and consistency.
He claimed 15 wickets in eight matches at an astonishing average of 8.26, making him a nightmare for opposition batters.
His lethal yorkers and impeccable control at the death overs played a pivotal role in India's success, and his performances earned him a nomination for the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy as ICC Men's Cricketer of the Year.
Young left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh emerged as India's most prolific wicket-taker in 2024, scalping 36 wickets in 18 matches at an average of 13.50.
Arshdeep's ability to swing the ball early and deliver pinpoint yorkers in the death overs made him indispensable to the Indian squad. His standout performance came against hosts USA in the T20 World Cup, where he returned figures of 4/9.
Apart from the Indian players, the ICC Men's T20I Team of the Year includes standout performers from other nations. Australia's Travis Head, England's Phil Salt, Pakistan's Babar Azam, West Indies' Nicholas Pooran, Zimbabwe's Sikandar Raza, Afghanistan's Rashid Khan, and Sri Lanka's Wanindu Hasaranga complete the line-up.
Men's T20I Team of 2024: Rohit Sharma (c), Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh (all Indians); Travis Head (Australia); Phil Salt (England); Babar Azam (Pakistan); Nicholas Pooran (wk; West Indies); Sikandar Raza (Zimbabwe); Rashid Khan (Afghanistan) and Wanindu Hasaranga (Sri Lanka).
(With PTI Inputs)
