Dubai [UAE], December 29 : Arshdeep Singh, who played a key role in India’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup triumph, has been nominated for the ICC Men’s T20I Cricketer of the Year award, joining a prestigious list of contenders that includes Zimbabwe’s Sikandar Raza, Pakistan’s Babar Azam, and Australia’s Travis Head.
Arshdeep Singh has emerged as India’s leading pacer in the T20I format, particularly with Jasprit Bumrah being selectively chosen for T20Is due to his commitments in Tests and ODIs. Arshdeep’s impressive tally of 36 wickets in Men’s T20Is places him second on India’s all-time list, behind only Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who took 37 wickets in 2022. Notably, Arshdeep achieved his remarkable record in just 18 matches, compared to Kumar’s 32. In 2022, Arshdeep was India’s third-best bowler with 33 wickets. His contributions, especially as a left-arm pacer, have been crucial in India’s victories in various conditions, including at home, in the West Indies, Sri Lanka, and South Africa.
One of Arshdeep’s standout performances came in the Men’s T20 World Cup final. While much attention was given to Bumrah’s game-changing over, Arshdeep’s support was vital to India’s victory. In the final against South Africa, he removed skipper Aiden Markram for just four runs and later dismissed Quinton de Kock. Arguably, his most critical moment came in the 19th over, where he conceded only four runs, putting pressure on David Miller, who eventually lost his wicket, helping India close in on their second T20 World Cup title.
Sikandar Raza continues to impress for Zimbabwe, making the shortlist for the third consecutive year. The all-rounder, who has also captained the team, has been instrumental in Zimbabwe’s successes, particularly in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup sub-regional Africa Qualifier Group B, where he scored 199 runs and took 10 wickets. Raza’s leadership has led to notable victories over Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. A memorable highlight came in Zimbabwe’s win against India, where Raza contributed with both bat and ball, taking key wickets to help secure a thrilling 13-run victory.
Babar Azam had a mixed year but remained Pakistan’s top T20I run-scorer, with six fifties and nearly 100 boundaries. His strike rate improved significantly, clocking in at 133.21 runs per 100 balls. Babar is now just eight runs away from breaking Rohit Sharma’s record for the highest run-scorer in T20I cricket. A notable performance came during Pakistan’s series decider against Ireland before the T20 World Cup, where Babar scored 75 off 42 balls at a strike rate of 178.57, leading his team to a series win.
Travis Head was one of the most explosive T20I batters for Australia in 2024, scoring 539 runs at a blistering strike rate of 178.47. Head impressed with fiery cameos against New Zealand and carried that form into the T20 World Cup, where he was the third-highest run-scorer with 255 runs at a strike rate of 158.38. His most memorable performance came against England in Southampton, where he blasted 59 off 23 balls during the Powerplay, including 12 boundaries and four sixes, helping Australia set a challenging target of 179 and ultimately securing a 28-run victory.