I’d seen my childhood heroes win this award: Bumrah on his Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy honour
Dubai, Feb 26 (IANS/WISHAVWARTA) India’s pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, who capped off a remarkable 2024 by receiving his ICC Awards and Team of the Year caps in Dubai, has opened up on his historic run for India across all formats and winning the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for ICC Men’s Cricketer of the Year, and said that it feels surreal to earn the honour that once was won by his childhood heroes.
Bumrah was named the ICC Men’s Cricketer of the Year, ICC Men’s Test Player of the Year and was inducted into the ICC Men’s Test Team of the Year and ICC T20I Team of the Year. The 31-year-old pacer received his ICC honours ahead of India’s much-anticipated Champions Trophy fixture against Pakistan.
“It feels really good. As a child, I’d seen some of my childhood heroes win this (Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy) award. Always a privilege when you get such an honour,” Bumrah was quoted as saying by ICC after receiving his ICC Awards.
In 2024, Bumrah topped the wicket-taking charts in Tests and inspired India to their first ICC silverware in 11 years with a mercurial campaign at the Men’s T20 World Cup in the West Indies and the USA. A dominant year with the ball in the longest format saw the ace pacer take 71 wickets at a stunning average of just 14.92 – a career-best return and 19 more than his nearest rival.
Spearheading India’s bowling attack with sensational spells against South Africa, England and Bangladesh, Bumrah closed out a stellar year by finishing as the top wicket-taker in an absorbing Border-Gavaskar series in Australia.
Bumrah’s exceptional performances also extended beyond Tests to India’s triumphant Men’s T20 World Cup campaign, taking 15 wickets at an average of just 8.26 and boasting an equally impressive economy rate of just 4.17.
Recapping the year gone by, Bumrah added, “The T20 World Cup, which we won, is always going to be special and will be there in my mind. Obviously, a lot of learnings in my mind in the year as well. We played a lot of Test cricket; we got to know a lot of different experiences, so yeah, I’m very happy, and hopefully better things will follow.”
While Bumrah was ruled out of India’s Champions Trophy squad owing to a back injury he sustained on the tour of Australia earlier this year, the pacer opened up on the return of his fellow pace compatriot, Mohammed Shami, who marked his return from a long-term injury and was a star in India’s opening win against Bangladesh, claiming a five-wicket haul.
“I’m really happy for him. Obviously he’s had an injury struggle for so long. It takes a toll. But he’s been very happy and very positive. Looks good; he has the skill, obviously; that will never go anywhere. The more he plays, the more confidence will come, and hopefully, he’ll help the team go further,” Bumrah said.
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