The left-arm pacer of India, Arshdeep Singh, is living the best days of his life. The pacer was the leading wicket-taker during India’s successful outing in the 2024 ICC T20 World Cup, and he recently became India’s highest wicket-taker in T20 internationals. His two-wicket spell against England in the first T20 of the ongoing series took his overall tally to 97 wickets, surpassing Yuzvendra Chahal’s tally of 96 wickets. Now, days after this big milestone, he has added yet another accolade to his name, as he was named ICC 2024 men’s T20 international cricketer of the year on Saturday.
Outstanding year for Arshdeep
The 25-year-old bowler had an exceptional year, finishing with 36 wickets in 18 T20I matches. His impressive performances also earned him a spot in the ICC T20I Team of the Year 2024, alongside prominent names like Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, and Hardik Pandya.
Arshdeep’s most significant impact came during the T20 World Cup in the Americas, where he excelled in both the powerplay and death overs. With 17 wickets in eight matches at an average of 12.64, he was the joint-highest wicket-taker alongside Afghanistan’s Fazalhaq Farooqi. His brilliance in the tournament was key to India’s World Cup victory.
In the World Cup final against South Africa in Barbados, Arshdeep delivered a match-changing performance. He took 2/20, claiming the key wickets of South African captain Aiden Markram and the dangerous Quinton de Kock, breaking important partnerships. In the final overs, when South Africa required 20 runs from 12 balls, Arshdeep bowled a near-perfect penultimate over, conceding just 4 runs, giving India a solid foundation for Hardik Pandya to defend the total in the final over.
Arshdeep’s record in 2024 reflects his dominance with the ball. He took 36 wickets at an average of 15.31 and an economy rate of 7.49, underlining his consistency and ability to strike in critical moments. His strike rate of 10.80 is particularly notable, showcasing his ability to take wickets frequently, even in challenging situations. Among bowlers worldwide, only four players took more wickets than Arshdeep in 2024, with Sri Lanka’s Wanindu Hasaranga being the only one from a full-member nation.
His best performance came against the USA in the World Cup group stage, where he claimed exceptional figures of 4/9, demonstrating his skill on various surfaces.
