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Published : Dec 31, 2024 08:39 IST , CHENNAI – 16 MINS READ
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India’s captain Rohit Sharma, center, talks to his teammates before the start of play on the last day of the fourth Test against Australia in Melbourne. | Photo Credit: AP
It was a bittersweet year for Indian cricket fans as the year ended on a disappointing note after the high of a T20 World Cup win in June.
India lost a home Test series for the first time in 12 years after being swept 3-0 by the Kiwis, and stares at the possibility of missing out on a spot in the World Test Championship final for the first time after its loss in the fourth Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series.
Some of the stalwarts of Indian cricket also bid adieu to the game while the next generation showed promise, particularly in the shortest format of the game.
We take a look at the major highlights in cricket this year:
India and South Africa played out the shortest completed Test match ever with a result in Cape Town. The match lasted just 642 balls (107 overs) as India won by seven wickets to level the two-match series 1-1. Jasprit Bumrah picked a six-wicket haul to bowl the Proteas out for 176 in the second innings after Mohammed Siraj’s six-for skittled them for 55 in the first.
Indian and South African players pose with the trophy at the end of the two-match Test series. | Photo Credit: PTI
India swept Afghanistan 3-0 in a T20I series at home after a thrilling contest in Bengaluru required two Super Overs to determine the winner. Afghanistan had levelled India’s 212 in 20 overs before the tie-break. Rohit Sharma’s back-to-back sixes helped India equal Afghanistan’s 16 runs in the first Super Over. The Indian skipper was at his best in the second Super Over too, his six and a four off consecutive balls helping India to 11 runs. India clinched the win when Ravi Bishnoi picked two wickets in the first three balls as the Afghans managed just a solitary run in reply.
Australia opener David Warner called time on his Test career after the third and final Test against Pakistan in Sydney. Warner bowed out from the format with scores of 34 and 57 as Australia won the match by eight wickets to complete a 3-0 sweep. The left-handed batter ended his Test career with 8,786 runs in 112 matches at an average of 44.59.
Australia’s David Warner takes to the field to bat in his final Test. | Photo Credit: AP
West Indies registered a historic eight-run win against Australia at the Gabba in Brisbane to level the two-match series 1-1. Pacer Shamar Joseph picked seven wickets to bundle Australia out for 207 in the second innings and hand West Indies its first Test win against the Aussies since 2003. Meanwhile, this was Australia’s first ever defeat in a day-night Test match.
Shamar Joseph dismisses Josh Hazlewood of Australia, sealing a win for the West Indies. | Photo Credit: AFP
India suffered an early setback in the five-match series against England at home as it lost by 28 runs in Hyderabad. Chasing 231 for the win, India was bundled out for 202 with debutant Tom Hartley picking seven wickets with his left-arm spin in the second innings. England’s win was also set up by Ollie Pope’s 196, which helped the visitor to 420 in the second innings after it had conceded a 190-run first-innings lead.
Australia chased down West Indies’ 87-run target in just 6.5 overs in the third and final ODI to wrap up a 3-0 series win in Canberra. With West Indies being bundled out for 86 in 24.1 overs, this was the shortest ever completed ODI on Australian soil, with the contest lasting only 186 balls. Xavier Bartlett was the wrecker-in-chief for Australia, picking four for 21 in 7.1 overs to hasten the visitor’s collapse.
India beat England by 106 runs in Visakhapatnam in the second Test to level the series 1-1. Jasprit Bumrah picked nine wickets in the match as England faltered in the 399-run chase. With the bat, Yashasvi Jaiswal struck 209 runs in the first innings to help India post 396, before Shubman Gill answered the call of duty with a century in the second innings. India went on to win the third and fourth Tests, in Rajkot and Ranchi, respectively, to take an unassailable 3-1 series lead.
Shubman Gill and Dhruv Jurel celebrate after winning the fouth Test match between India and England. | Photo Credit: THE HINDU
Australia completed its 100th T20I win when it beat New Zealand by 27 runs (DLS method) in Auckland to sweep the three-match series 3-0. Mitchell Marsh was named Player-of-the-series for scoring 98 runs and picking two wickets.
New Zealand beat a second-string South African side 2-0 in a two-match Test series at home. The series was a significant setback for the longest format of the game as seven South Africa players made their Test debuts over the two games because the mainstays were unavailable due to the SA20 T20 franchise league.
New Zealand pacer Neil Wagner announced his international retirement at the age of 37 after he was told by selectors that he wouldn’t be considered for the two-match Test series against Australia at home. Wagner ended his Test career with 260 wickets in 64 matches at an average of 27.57.
FILE PHOTO: New Zealand’s Neil Wagner. | Photo Credit: AFP
India registered a thumping win, by an innings and 64 runs, to wrap up the five-match series against England 4-1 in Dharamsala. India’s spin trio of R. Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja picked 18 wickets between them, ensuring India had to bat only once in the match. India’s 477-run total was propped up by centuries from skipper Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill.
India‘s players celebrate with the trophy after winning the fifth Test match against England. | Photo Credit: ANI
Ireland registered its first ever win in Test cricket when it beat Afghanistan by six wickets in Abu Dhabi. Chasing 111, skipper Andy Balbirnie’s unbeaten 58 took Ireland over the line. With the ball, pacer Mark Adair was Ireland’s star, picking eight wickets in the match, including a fifer in the first innings.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru broke years of jinx and won its first title across franchise leagues when it beat Delhi Capitals by eight wickets to claim the second season of the Women’s Premier League in New Delhi. Chasing 114, the Smriti Mandhana-led Royal Challengers rode on valuable contributions from Sophie Devine and Ellyse Perry to cross the finish line in the last over.
Royal Challengers Bangalore’s players hold the trophy after winning the Women‘s Premier League. | Photo Credit: THE HINDU
India wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant marked his return to competitive cricket with a 13-ball 18 for Delhi Capitals against Punjab Kings in an Indian Premier League match in Mullanpur. Pant, who suffered a horrific car crash in December 2022, was playing his first match since India’s Test series in Bangladesh in December 2022. Punjab went on to win the match by four wickets.
In a stunning display of power-hitting, Sunrisers Hyderabad smashed the then highest total in the IPL when it amassed 277 runs in 20 overs against Mumbai Indians in Hyderabad. Mumbai posted 246 in reply as 523 runs were plundered in 40 overs, making it a T20 record for most runs aggregated in a match, which would later be broken in the same season.
Indian pace sensation Mayank Yadav made his IPL debut for Lucknow Super Giants against Punjab Kings in Lucknow. The 21-year-old consistently clocked speeds of 150 kmph and accounted for the wickets of Prabhsimran Singh, Jonny Bairstow and Jitesh Sharma to script Lucknow’s 21-run win.
Lucknow Super Giants‘ Mayank Yadav bowls as Punjab Kings‘ captain Shikhar Dhawan watches. | Photo Credit: AFP
In an IPL season that continued to break batting records, a contest between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Royal Challengers Bengaluru saw 549 runs being plundered in 40 overs – the record for most runs aggregated in a T20 match. After Sunrisers smashed 287 for three – the highest team total in IPL history – RCB replied with 262 at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, falling short by 25 runs.
Travis Head of SRH after scoring century. | Photo Credit: THE HINDU
Punjab Kings registered the highest successful run chase in T20 cricket when it overhauled a 262-run target in just 18.4 overs against Kolkata Knight Riders at the Eden Gardens. Jonny Bairstow’s unbeaten 48-ball 108 and Shashank Singh’s unbeaten 28-ball 68 saw Punjab home. The match saw a whopping 42 sixes being hit – a record in all T20s.
Punjab Kings’ Jonny Bairstow celebrates after winning the Indian Premier League match against Kolkata Knight Riders. | Photo Credit: PTI
Indonesia’s Rohmalia Rohmalia registered the best bowling figures in women’s T20Is, picking up seven wickets in 3.2 overs without conceding a single run. The off-spinner’s performance set up Indonesia’s massive 127-run win as Mongolia was bowled out for 24.
Former captain Bismah Maroof, one of Pakistan’s most high-profile women cricketers, announced her retirement from all international cricket. Bismah, 32, was forced into a long break from cricket, first due to a fitness issue in 2020 and then after giving birth to a baby girl in August 2021. She played a total of 276 international matches for her country.
Mohit Sharma bowled the most expensive spell in IPL history when he conceded 73 runs in four overs against Delhi Capitals at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. Delhi went on to score 224 runs in 20 overs, and Gujarat Titans fell just four runs short of the target.
Kolkata Knight Riders lifted its third IPL title after beating Sunrisers Hyderabad by eight wickets in a one-sided final in Chennai. Sunrisers were dismissed for just 113 and Venkatesh Iyer’s unbeaten 52 ensured KKR sailed home without a fuss. KKR all-rounder Sunil Narine was named Player-of-the-series for scoring 488 runs and picking 17 wickets.
Kolkata Knight Riders players celebrate with the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 trophy. | Photo Credit: PTI
The Indian women’s team blanked Bangladesh 5-0 in an away T20I series. Left-arm spinner Radha Yadav was adjudged Player-of-the-series for her 10 wickets in five games, while opener Smriti Mandhana emerged as the top-scorer with 116 runs in five innings.
Ireland beat Pakistan for the first time in men’s T20Is as Andy Balbirnie’s 77-run knock took the host side over the line in a 183-run chase in Dublin. However, Pakistan bounced back to claim the three-match series 2-1.
The Indian team finally ended its ICC title-drought as it clinched the T20 World Cup crown by beating South Africa in the summit clash in Barbados. Chasing 177, South Africa was in a comfortable position, needing 30 runs from 30 balls with six wickets in hand. From there on, Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya’s bowling turned the match on its head, while Suryakumar Yadav’s stunning catch at long-off but the seal on India’s nervy seven-run win.
India‘s Kuldeep Yadav lifts the T20 World Cup trophy. | Photo Credit: REUTERS
Stalwarts Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma announced their retirement from T20I cricket following India’s T20 World Cup triumph. While Kohli, who scored a vital 76 in the final, ended with 4,188 runs in 125 matches, Rohit called time on his T20I career with 4,231 runs from 159 matches in the format.
United States of America stunned Pakistan during the T20 World Cup by clinching a thrilling win via Super Over in the league phase of the tournament. Skipper Monank Patel’s half-century helped USA draw parity with Pakistan’s 159. Saurabh Netravalkar then restricted Pakistan to 13 runs in the Super Over after Mohammad Amir conceded 18 in the one-over shoot off owing to a flurry of wide balls.
Saurabh Netravalkar of USA celebrates with teammate Harmeet Singh after USA defeats Pakistan. | Photo Credit: GETTY IMAGES
Afghanistan beat Australia for the first time in any format when it won the Super Eights match by 21 runs in St. Vincent. Gulbadin Naib picked four wickets to restrict Australia to 127 in a chase of 149. The win helped Afghanistan secure a historic semifinal berth at the T20 World Cup. It had also upset New Zealand earlier in the tournament.
A 10-wicket match haul from Sneh Rana helped India Women beat South Africa Women by ten wickets in the one-off Test match at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. Shafali Varma scored 205 in the first innings, setting India on its way to victory.
Former India opener Gautam Gambhir was named the head coach of the Indian cricket team, succeeding Rahul Dravid after the T20 World Cup. Abhishek Nayar and Ryan Ten Doeschate were named assistant coaches while Morne Morkel took over as bowling coach.
Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir during a press conference. | Photo Credit: THE HINDU
A new-look Indian T20I team, led by Shubman Gill, beat Zimbabwe 4-1 in a series that saw Abhishek Sharma, Riyan Parag, Sai Sudharsan, Dhruv Jurel and Tushar Deshpande make their debuts in the shortest format.
James Anderson signed off from international cricket with his 704th wicket during the first Test against West Indies, ending a 21-year-long career. The pacer finished with match figures of four for 58 as England won by an innings and 114 runs.
James Anderson of England leaves the field after his final Test appearance. | Photo Credit: GETTY IMAGES
India blanked Sri Lanka 3-0 away in the T20I series in what was the first assignment under new head coach Gautam Gambhir. Suryakumar Yadav, now India’s full-time T20I skipper, led from the front, ending the series as India’s highest run-scorer.
Indian cricket lost one of its most respected individuals when former coach Aunshuman Gaekwad lost his battle with cancer. The C. K. Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award winner represented his country in 40 Tests and 15 ODIs from 1975 to 1987.
India succumbed to a 2-0 ODI series loss in Sri Lanka, its first series loss in the 50-over format against the opponent in 27 years. The series included a tied first ODI where Charith Asalanka managed to scalp two wickets off consecutive balls to bowl India out with the scores level.
Former England cricketer and coach Graham Thorpe passed away at the age of 55. Thorpe played 100 Tests for England between 1993 and 2005, aggregating 6,744 Test runs with 16 centuries.
FILE PHOTO: Graham Thorpe. | Photo Credit: AFP
An all-round performance from Wiaan Mulder helped South Africa beat West Indies by 40 runs in the second Test at Guyana to win the two-match series 1-0 and continue its quest for a spot in the World Test Championship final.
Former India opener Shikhar Dhawan announced his retirement from international and domestic cricket. Since his ODI debut in 2010, Dhawan has played 167 matches and scored 6,793 runs, including 17 centuries. He also has 2,315 runs in 33 Tests for the country.
Former India opener Shikhar Dhawan. | Photo Credit: THE HINDU
West Indies all-rounder Dwayne Bravo announced that the Caribbean Premier League will be his final franchise tournament, bringing an end to a stellar career where he ended up as the highest wicket-taker in T20 history with 631 wickets.
Joe Root and Gus Atkinson had memorable outings as England beat Sri Lanka 2-1 in a home Test series under the captaincy of Ollie Pope. Kamindu Mendis continued his dream start to Tests with 267 runs in the series.
Pakistan stumbled to a 2-0 home Test series loss against Bangladesh, leaving it eighth in the ICC Test rankings. Veteran Mushfiqur Rahim and all-rounder Mehidy Hasan Miraz were the top performers for the visitors with 216 runs and 10 wickets, respectively.
Bangladesh‘s players celebrate with the trophy after winning the second and last Test match against Pakistan in Rawalpindi. | Photo Credit: AFP
England announced that Brendon McCullum, the red-ball coach since 2022, will also take charge of the limited-over formats from next year as part of a change in leadership structure.
India’s T20 World Cup-winning coach, Rahul Dravid, was appointed as the head coach of Rajasthan Royals on a multi-year contract. Dravid spent five years at the franchise as a player between 2011 and 2015.
Afghanistan’s one-off Test against New Zealand in Greater Noida was called off without a ball being bowled, only the eighth such instance in cricket history.
Despite multiple rain delays, India scored at a run rate of 8.22 in the first innings before bowling Bangladesh out to snatch an unlikely win in the second Test in Kanpur. The side won the series 2-0 after R. Ashwin’s hundred in Chennai helped India win the first Test by 280 runs.
The Indian team with the trophy after winning the two-Test series against Bangladesh. | Photo Credit: THE HINDU
The IPL Governing Council announced retention rules ahead of the auction, allowing franchises to keep a maximum of six players. The stakeholders also announced that cricketers who last played international cricket over five years ago will be denoted as uncapped.
Kamindu Mendis and Prabath Jayasuriya led Sri Lanka to a 2-0 clean sweep in the home Test series against New Zealand, keeping alive its chances of making the World Test Championship final.
Babar Azam resigned as Pakistan skipper ahead of the home series against England to focus on his batting. The batter lost his place in the team after losing the first Test before controversial ‘spinning’ tracks helped the team win the series 2-1.
Hardik Pandya had a series to remember as India blanked Bangladesh 3-0 in a home T20I series. Sanju Samson’s hundred in the third game propelled India to its highest T20I total of 297.
India‘s Sanju Samson celebrates his century during the third and final T20 International. | Photo Credit: PTI
Joe Root surpassed Alastair Cook as England’s highest Test run scorer during the first Test against Pakistan. The 33-year-old is now fifth in the all-time list led by Sachin Tendulkar.
New Zealand Women broke Australia’s streak of three consecutive T20 World Cup wins after beating South Africa Women by 32 runs in the final in Dubai to register their maiden triumph.
New Zealand‘s captain Sophie Devine, center, poses with teammates Lea Tahuhu, left, and Suzie Bates with the trophy after winning the ICC Women‘s T20 World Cup 2024. | Photo Credit: AP
Alastair Cook, Neetu David, and AB de Villiers were inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame as the Class of 2024. The Hall of Fame was established in 2009 coinciding with the centenary year of the world cricket body.
IPL franchises finalised their retentions ahead of the Diwali deadline with many high-profile stars like Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul not finding a place on the list.
South Africa continued its push to the top of the World Test Championship standings with a 2-0 series clean sweep against Bangladesh away.
India suffered its first home series loss in 12 years after the side was clean-swept 3-0 by the visiting New Zealand team, a result that could have huge consequences in the race for the WTC final.
Rohit Sharma reacts on the third day of the first Test against New Zealand. | Photo Credit: PTI
Two centuries each from Sanju Samson and Tilak Varma headlined India’s 3-1 away T20I series win against South Africa with Suryakumar Yadav at the helm.
India‘s Tilak Varma celebrates after scoring a century during the fourth T20 match against South Africa. | Photo Credit: AP
Indian pacer Mohammed Shami made a return to competitive cricket for the first time since the ODI World Cup final last year when he turned up for Bengal against Madhya Pradesh in the Ranji Trophy.
Another edition of the IPL auction concluded, with the teams flushing out Rs. 639.15 crore to fill up their rosters. Rishabh Pant became the most expensive player ever when he was bought by Lucknow Super Giants for Rs. 27 crore.
Haryana’s Anshul Kamboj became just the third Indian, and the first in 39 years, to pick 10 wickets in an innings in domestic cricket during the Ranji Trophy encounter against Kerala in Rohtak.
ICC confirmed that the 2025 Champions Trophy and all other events hosted by India or Pakistan till 2027 will be held in a hybrid model. In the upcoming tournament, India will play its matches at a neutral venue (Dubai). The semifinal and final will also move out of Pakistan if India qualifies.
South Africa became the first team to qualify for the final of the World Test Championship after a close two-wicket win against Pakistan in the first Test. The Proteas had beaten Sri Lanka 2-0 in the series before, moving to the top of the standings.
Australia took a 2-1 series lead against India in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy after an 184-run win in the fourth Test at Melbourne. Australia had beaten India by 10 wickets in the Adelaide day-night Test to level the series at 1-1 before incessant rain interruptions forced the Brisbane Test to end in a draw.
Nathan Lyon celebrates after trapping Mohammed Siraj lbw. | Photo Credit: GETTY IMAGES
R. Ashwin announced his retirement from all forms of international cricket during the post-match press conference following India’s draw with Australia in Brisbane. The all-rounder ends his career as India’s second-highest Test wicket-taker with 537 scalps.
Ravichandran Ashwin of India bowls. | Photo Credit: GETTY IMAGES
Harry Brook scored 350 runs and Brydon Carse picked 18 wickets as England beat New Zealand away 2-1 in the Test series to round off the WTC fixtures for both teams.
Baroda achieved the highest team total in T20 cricket, scoring 349 runs for five wickets in 20 overs against Sikkim in Indore during the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
Jay Shah began his tenure as chair of the ICC after resigning from the post of BCCI secretary. He outlined leveraging the sport’s inclusion at LA28 and accelerating the growth of the women’s game as his priorities.
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Ravichandran Ashwin /
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