Arshdeep Singh Honored as ICC Men’s T20I Cricketer of the Year 2024 for World Cup Heroics 

On January 25, Indian pacer Arshdeep Singh was named the ICC Men’s T20I Cricketer of the Year 2024. This was primarily influenced by the player’s impressive showing at the World Cup, in which his squad won the title. This tournament also sealed his status as one of the top short-format bowlers.

A Powerful Performance at the Worlds

During the T20 World Cup 2024, Singh displayed top-class skills for India. The 25-year-old cricketer proved himself not only in powerplay but also in death bowling. At the end of the competition, he emerged as the best player in wickets (along with Afghanistan’s national team player Fazalhaq Farooqi). He had 17 points in eight games with an average of 12.64.

Singh was primarily responsible for India’s triumph in the T20 World Cup. In particular, he helped his team partners break South Africa’s resistance in the title match. India won by seven wickets, and Arshdeep claimed 2/20. In the penultimate over, he conceded just four runs. 

A Year of Great Results 

In 2024, Singh took 36 wickets in 18 games. Only four cricketers in the world have managed to score more T20I wickets in this period: 

• Ehsan Khan (Hong Kong, 46);
• Junaid Siddique (UAE, 40);
• Usman Najeeb (Saudi Arabia, 38);
• Wanindu Hasaranga (38, Sri Lanka).

That said, all the above players have played more matches than Singh. Only Hasaranga featured for a full-member nation.

Since his international debut in 2022, Arshdeep has gradually become one of the most trustworthy pacers. He has 97 scalps to his credit and is his team’s highest T20I wicket-taker. His best performance in a single match (4/9) in 2024 was in the World Cup group stage game against the USA.

Unsurprisingly, Singh’s powerful performance not only earned him the ICC Men’s T20I Cricketer of the Year 2024 status. He was also included in the ICC T20I Team of the Year 2024. His Indian teammates Jasprit Bumrah, Rohit Sharma, and Hardik Pandya have also been included.

Singh and India are actively preparing for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, which starts in February. Thus, the team is playing a five-match T20I series against England, winning the first and second matches. After that, India will also face three ODI matches against the Three Lions.