Arshdeep Singh dethrones Babar as ICC Men's T20I Cricketer of the Year

DUBAI: The International Cricket Council (ICC) awarded India’s Arshdeep Singh the ICC Men’s T20I Cricketer of the Year on Saturday, recognizing his stellar performances in 2024.

Singh, who was instrumental in India’s T20 World Cup victory in the Caribbean and USA, has emerged as one of the most reliable powerplay and death bowlers in the game.

The 25-year-old has been a promising talent for years, with India showing great faith in him since his international debut in 2022.

However, 2024 marked the year when Arshdeep truly cemented his status as a world-class T20I bowler.

He was the leading wicket-taker for India in T20Is during the year, claiming 36 wickets in just 18 matches. His standout performances were crucial in India’s World Cup triumph, where he took on a leadership role in the bowling attack.

As the team entered a new era post-victory, hi's consistent excellence played a pivotal role in India’s success.

Only four players in the world took more T20I wickets than Arshdeep in 2024: Usman Najeeb (Saudi Arabia) with 38 wickets, Wanindu Hasaranga (Sri Lanka) with 38, Junaid Siddique (UAE) with 40, and Ehsan Khan (Hong Kong) with 46.

However, all four played more matches than Arshdeep, who achieved his remarkable feat at an average of 15.31 and an economy rate of 7.49.

Despite bowling primarily in the powerplay and death overs, he maintained a superb strike rate of 10.80.

Among his notable performances was a standout effort against the USA in New York during the T20 World Cup group stage, where Arshdeep produced stunning figures of 4/9 in four overs.

However, his most significant contribution came in the World Cup Final in Barbados, where he played a key role in India’s successful defense of a total of 176.

Teaming up with Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya, Arshdeep's bowling helped India seal the win. His figures of 2/20 from four overs were only part of the story.

He struck early in the powerplay, dismissing South African captain Aiden Markram, and later provided a crucial breakthrough by removing Quinton de Kock during the middle overs.

In the death overs, when South Africa needed 20 from 12 balls, the left-arm pacer bowled a near-perfect over, conceding only four runs and leaving Pandya to successfully defend the total in the final over.