Jasprit Bumrah and Smriti Mandhana found special mentions in the latest edition of the Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack. The duo have been named as the leading cricketers in the world in 2024.
Playing for India, both the cricketers have helped to take Indian cricket to new heights in the bygone year. Bumrah had a fabulous year in 2024. He made crucial contributions to the Indian team across formats. He took 71 wickets in Test cricket and was also named the Player of the Tournament in 2024.
Smriti Mandhana set a world record in women's cricket as she scored 1,659 international runs. The Indian opener had a prolific 2024, where she scored five international hundreds, four in ODI cricket.
The latest edition of the Wisden Cricketers Almanack praised the cricketers for their incredible achievement. Praising Jasprit Bumrah, the publication wrote "In an eventful year for Indian cricket, their success depended largely, if not entirely, on one factor: whether or not he had the ball. Rarely has a cricketer stood out so overwhelmingly as he did in 2024".
Smriti Mandhana, besides all her success as an international cricketer, led RCB Women to their maiden WPL title last year. This is the first major title won by the franchise across the IPL and the WPL. Mandhana led by example in the season as he scored 300 runs from 10 matches hitting 40s fours and 10 sixes. She scored those runs at a strike rate of nearly 135. To have won the WPL title before the men's team who are still looking for their maiden IPL title, is an achievement in itself.
Cricketers from other countries have also found special mentions in the publication. West Indies batter Nicholas Pooran was named the ‘Leading T20 Player in the World’. He has set the IPL 2025 on fire as well, scoring 368 runs in 8 matches so far with 31 sixes, the most by any batter so far.
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England had a few players winning special awards as well. Gus Atkinson, Jamie Smith and Sophie Ecclestone were named among Wisden’s five ‘Cricketers of the Year,’ alongside Liam Dawson and Dan Worrall.
However, 2024 was all about Jasprit Bumrah's rise as a cricketer. He also led the Indian team in the Test series against Australia. He led the side in the only Test that they won in Perth in Rohit Sharma's absence. He came back to lead the team in Sydney again as Rohit opted to drop himself from the XI. That saw him pick up a back injury that kept him out of the game for some time before making a comeback for India in the Champions Trophy 2025.
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