Dubai, Jan 25: 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).

Dubai, Jan 24: India opener Yashasvi Jaiswal, pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah and all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja have been named in the ICC Men’s Test Team of the Year 2024.

Other than the Indian trio, the team features four players from England, two from New Zealand and one each from Australia and Sri Lanka.

Australia’s Pat Cummins captains the ICC Men’s Test Team of the Year for the second successive year, earning his place thanks to another memorable stint in which he guided his side to the ICC World Test Championship Final, overseeing victories against Pakistan, New Zealand and India, and picking up 37 wickets in his nine Tests at an average of 24.02.

India’s Jaiswal takes a spot atop the order after scoring 1,478 runs during the year at 54.74, which included double-centuries in back-to-back Tests against England in February and a sublime 161 against Australia in Perth. His opening partner is Ben Duckett, one of four Englishmen in the team, who scored over a thousand Test runs in the year (1,149).

Century-makers litter the middle order, comprised of New Zealand’s Kane Williamson, English duo Joe Root and Harry Brook and Sri Lanka’s Kamindu Mendis.

Williamson notched 1,013 runs in 2024 at an average of almost 60, while Brook’s 1,100 calendar runs were headlined by a record knock of 317 in victory over Pakistan in October. Mendis enjoyed a breakthrough year, hitting five centuries and becoming the fastest to 1,000 Test runs in 75 years, while the evergreen Root scored more Test runs (1,556) and recorded more centuries (6) than anyone else.

Jamie Smith earns a spot as the designated wicketkeeper in the Test Team of the Year, six months after making his Test debut for England, thanks to 637 runs in nine Tests which included a maiden hundred against Sri Lanka in August.

Captain Cummins is joined in the bowling group by all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja of India, who boasted 527 runs and 48 wickets in his Test year. Also with 48 wickets is New Zealand’s Matt Henry, the pacer making impressive contributions against Australia, India and England.

Completing the list is top-ranked Test bowler Jasprit Bumrah, who excelled once more with ball in hand, topping the wicket-taking charts with 71 wickets in 2024 at a sensational average of 14.92.

ICC Men’s Test Team of the Year: Yashasvi Jaiswal (Ind), Ben Duckett (Eng), Kane Williamson (NZ), Joe Root (Eng), Harry Brook (Eng), Kamindu Mendis (SL), Jamie Smith (Eng) (wk), Ravindra Jadeja (Ind), Pat Cummins (Aus) (c), Matt Henry (NZ), Jasprit Bumrah (Ind).

Mumbai: Indian Women’s and Men’s Team’s Historic Success, Special Appreciation to Captains Priyanka Ingle and Pratik Waikar

“This Vijayashree is unforgettable and a moment that Maharashtra should be proud of,” said Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis while congratulating the Indian men’s and women’s teams for representing India at the first Kho-Kho World Cup.

The Chief Minister said that the Indian women’s and men’s teams have made the country and especially Maharashtra’s name shine at the global level by winning the historic victory in the first Kho-Kho World Cup. He expressed his pride that these teams are led by sons of Maharashtra.

Special praise for captains

The captain of the women’s team, Priyanka Ingle, and the captain of the men’s team, Pratik Waikar, have achieved this historic victory under their leadership. The Chief Minister also congratulated them and other players in the team. The Chief Minister has given special praise to the contribution of Ashwini Shinde, Reshma Rathod, Vaishnavi Pawar in the women’s team and Suyash Gargate, Aniket Pote, Aditya Ganpule, and Ramji Kashyap in the men’s team.

Coach and assistants’ contribution

The Chief Minister said that the guidance of the team’s coaches Shirin Godbole (men’s team) and Prachitai Waikar (women’s team) has been decisive in the team’s success. Also, physiotherapist Dr. Amit Ravahate has also made a valuable contribution to the team.

Support of families and best wishes for the future

The Chief Minister said that along with the hard work of the players, the support of their families has also been important in this success. He congratulated the entire team, the coach, and their families and wished the players for their future journey.

“This victory has given the country and Maharashtra a moment of pride. This chapter will be etched forever in the history of Kho-Kho,” the Chief Minister said in his message.