Jasprit Bumrah Honored as ICC Men’s Cricketer of the Year for His ‘Master Class in Relentless Consistency’

Dubai, Jan 28: Jasprit Bumrah, India’s premier fast bowler, clinched the esteemed Sir Garfield Sobers Award for the ICC Men’s Cricketer of the Year on Tuesday (January 28, 2025), thanks to his “master-class in skill, precision, and relentless consistency” throughout a record-setting 2024.
The 31-year-old was also named the ICC Test Cricketer of the Year on Monday (January 27, 2025) and earned a spot in the Test Team of the Year.
“Jasprit Bumrah has been awarded the coveted Sir Garfield Sobers Award for ICC Men’s Cricketer of the Year at the ICC Awards, celebrating an exceptional 2024 in which he outperformed his rivals in both Test and T20 formats,” the ICC stated.
Bumrah’s contributions were vital for India, making him the fifth Indian to receive this award, following in the footsteps of Rahul Dravid (2004), Sachin Tendulkar (2010), Ravichandran Ashwin (2016), and Virat Kohli (2017, 2018).
“His exceptional performance is highlighted by his ICC Test Bowling Rankings, where he achieved the remarkable feat of surpassing 900 points, concluding the year with an unprecedented 907 points — the highest for any Indian bowler ever,” the governing body noted in its homage.
“In 2024, Bumrah’s performances across formats showcased unparalleled skill and durability, breaking records and establishing himself as the world’s leading fast bowler,” it added.
During a stellar 2024, Bumrah was instrumental in India’s T20 World Cup victory in the Americas, claiming 15 wickets, and became the fastest Indian pacer to reach 200 Test wickets, all while maintaining an average below 20, the best in cricket history.
“I’m delighted to receive this honor, but I keep my feet firmly on the ground and am grateful for the recognition,” said the humble bowler from Gujarat in a video statement.
At the T20 World Cup, he achieved his 15 wickets at an extraordinary average of 8.26 and an economy rate of just 4.17, earning him the Player of the Tournament title.
He finished the year with 907 points in the ICC Test bowling rankings, the highest ever for an Indian bowler.
In his 13 Test matches, Bumrah took 71 wickets at an impressive average of 14.92, which ranks second among fast bowlers, next to former Indian captain Kapil Dev’s record of 100 wickets in 1983.
His peak performance came during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia at the end of 2024, where he took 32 wickets in five Tests.
Over the course of the World Test Championship, Bumrah accumulated a total of 77 wickets for India, although the two-time finalists did not secure a place in the final for the 2023-25 cycle. (Agencies)