India pacer Arshdeep Singh has been shortlisted for the ICC Men’s T20I Cricketer of the Year after a splendid year with the Men in Blue that saw him lift the T20 World Cup in Barbados.
Arshdeep will compete against Zimbabwe’s Sikandar Raza, Australia’s Travis Head and former Pakistan captain Babar Azam for the annual accolade of the shortest format.
Jasprit Bumrah’s selective T20I appearances have allowed Arshdeep to excel as India’s primary pacer in the format. Arshdeep claimed 36 wickets in 18 matches in 2022, just one behind Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s 37 but in significantly fewer games.
Filling the left-arm pacer void, Arshdeep delivered match-winning performances across conditions, including key contributions to India’s T20 World Cup triumph. His standout moment came in the final, where he removed Aiden Markram and Quinton de Kock before bowling a tight 19th over that sealed the second T20 title for the Rohit Sharma-led side.
Raza continues to shine for Zimbabwe, earning a shortlist nod for the third consecutive year. The 39-year-old all-rounder led his side to an unbeaten run in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup sub-regional Africa Qualifier Group B, scoring 199 runs and taking 10 wickets.
His highlight came against India in July this year, where he claimed 3/25 on a tricky track to secure a 13-run win, breaking key partnerships to script the upset.
Babar was Pakistan’s leading T20I run-scorer in 2023, hitting six fifties and maintaining a strike rate of 133.21. He is on the brink of surpassing Rohit Sharma as the all-time leading T20I scorer. His standout knock was a 75 off 42 balls against Ireland, leading Pakistan to a series-clinching win.
Australia’s Head demonstrated his versatility in 2024, scoring 539 T20I runs at a strike rate of 178.47. He was the third-highest run-getter in the T20 World Cup with 255 runs.
His explosive 59 off 23 balls in the Powerplay against England helped Australia secure a commanding win in Southampton. Despite Australia’s World Cup exit, Head’s consistent performances cemented his place as a dynamic T20I batter.
(IANS)
