Rohit, Pandya, Bumrah, Arshdeep headline ICC Men's T20I Team of the Year

Dubai, Jan 25 (IANS) Rohit Sharma has been named captain of the ICC Men's T20I Team of the Year while Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh also joined their skipper in the star-studded side.

Under Rohit's leadership, India lifted the T20 World Cup title in Barbados last year after which he announced his retirement from the format. The Indian pace trio was also part of the winning squad.

The experienced opener showcased his batting mastery, amassing 378 runs in 11 matches at an impressive average of 42.00, and vitally at a strike rate of over 160. Rohit had a standout T20 World Cup, making three half-centuries, including an explosive 92 against Australia in the Super Eight stage.

Beyond his batting exploits, Rohit’s astute leadership played a critical role in guiding a young Indian side through pressure-filled moments and his leadership ensured that year would be a memorable one for his country.

Pandya reaffirmed his status as the best all-rounder in the shortest format with a stellar 2024, putting him back atop the ICC Men’s T20I all-rounder rankings.

Scoring 352 runs and picking up 16 wickets in 17 matches, Pandya’s contributions were crucial in a successful year for India that saw them crowned champions of the world in the 20-over format.

The 31-year-old had an impeccable campaign in the USA and West Indies, where he notched up 144 runs with the bat, in addition to grabbing 11 wickets, including bowling India to victory by defending 16 off the final over against the Proteas in the final. The game also saw him shine with his best figures of 3/20 in 2024.

The all-rounder’s best with the bat came against Bangladesh in their group-stage fixture, against whom he scored an unbeaten 50.

India's pace spearhead Bumrah's return to T20I cricket in 2024 was nothing short of spectacular, as the right-arm speedster’s precise yorkers and death-over mastery were pivotal in India’s title-winning campaign. He took 15 wickets in eight matches at a jaw-dropping average of 8.26, which made him almost unplayable.

Beyond the World Cup, Bumrah’s consistency across formats reaffirmed his position as one of the premier fast bowlers in world cricket.

Bumrah’s work also means he is in the running as a nominee for the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy as ICC Men’s Cricketer of the Year.

On the other hand, Arshdeep was India’s most prolific bowler in 2024, finishing the year with 36 wickets in 18 matches at an impressive average of 13.50, and ranking him as the eighth-best T20I bowler in the world.

His standout performance came in the T20 World Cup, finishing with the second-most wickets in the tournament with 17 scalps from eight games.

Known for his accuracy and composure, Arshdeep excelled in the death overs, often turning games in India’s favor, and his ability to swing the ball early and execute pin-point yorkers at the end made him a complete package in T20 cricket.

His best with the ball came against co-hosts USA in the T20 World Cup, where he dismantled them with a fiery 4/9 spell.

Arshdeep’s rise in 2024 earned him widespread recognition, including a nomination for the ICC Men’s T20I Cricketer of the Year.

The other members of the ICC Men's T20I Team of the Year include Australia's Travis Head (539 runs), England's Phil Salt (467 runs), Pakistan's Babar Azam (738 runs), West Indies' Nicholas Pooran (464 runs), Zimbawe's Sikandar Raza (573 runs and 24 wickets), Afghanistan's Rashid Khan (31 wickets) and Sri Lanka's Wanindu Hasaranga (179 runs and 38 wickets).