Arshdeep Singh pips Travis Head, Babar Azam to win ICC Men's T20I Cricketer of the Year 2024 award

Arshdeep Singh is India’s highest wicket-taker in T20I cricket.

The last few days have been remarkable for Indian speedster Arshdeep Singh. After breaking Yuzvendra Chahal’s record to become India’s leading wicket-taker in T20Is, he was named as ICC Men’s T20I Cricketer of the Year 2024 on Saturday, January 25.

Arshdeep won the award ahead of Travis Head, Babar Azam and Sikandar Raza, who had standout performances in T20I cricket in 2024. Head scored 539 runs in 15 T20Is at an average of 38.5, while Pakistan’s Babar Azam impressed with 738 T20I runs at an average of 33.5.

In 2024, Arshdeep evolved as a fast bowler, excelling in both powerplays and death overs. Bowling the tough overs, the Punjab pacer finished the year with an impressive economy rate of 7.49.

Arshdeep Singh established himself as India’s key pacer in 2024

The left-arm pacer had a memorable 2024, finishing as the joint-highest wicket-taker in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024. He was also the leading Indian wicket-taker in T20Is that year, taking 36 wickets in 18 matches.

Only four players in the world took more T20I wickets than Arshdeep in 2024 – Usman Najeeb from Saudi Arabia (38), Wanindu Hasaranga from Sri Lanka (38), Junaid Siddique from UAE (40), and Ehsan Khan from Hong Kong (46).

He has now earned a spot in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 squad as the third seamer, alongside Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah. The 25-year-old is expected to feature in the starting XI during group-stage matches due to Bumrah’s potential absence.

Arshdeep was brought back by Punjab Kings (PBKS) during the IPL 2025 mega auction for a hefty price of INR 18 crore. Sunrisers Hyderabad had initially won the bidding war for INR 15.75 crore, but PBKS used their Right to Match (RTM) card to seal the deal.

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