New Delhi– In a moment of immense pride for Indian cricket, star batter Smriti Mandhana and pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah have been named Wisden’s Leading Cricketers in the World for 2024. Mandhana has secured the prestigious honour in the women’s category, while Bumrah has topped the men’s list. The announcement was made in the 2025 edition of the Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack.
This marks the second time Mandhana has received this accolade, making her the first Indian woman cricketer to achieve this feat. She was previously recognized in 2018.
Smriti Mandhana’s Stellar Performance in 2024:
Mandhana’s recognition comes on the back of an exceptional year in which she amassed 1659 international runs in 2024. This is the highest number of runs scored by any female cricketer in a single calendar year in the history of women’s cricket. Her remarkable year included four outstanding centuries in One Day Internationals (ODIs). She also scored 763 runs in T20 Internationals and 747 runs in ODIs. Her performance against South Africa was particularly noteworthy, where she played magnificent innings of 117, 136, and 90 in three ODIs, setting a new record for the most runs in a bilateral ODI series with 343 runs. Additionally, she played a crucial innings of 149 runs in a Test match.
Bumrah, Hero of T20 World Cup Victory:
Jasprit Bumrah has been chosen as the leading male cricketer for his exceptional performances across all formats of the game. In 2024, he took an impressive 71 Test wickets at a remarkable average of just 14.92, the lowest average for any bowler in a calendar year. His bowling played a pivotal role in securing victories for India in several crucial matches. Notably, he dismantled England’s top order in Visakhapatnam. Furthermore, his decisive bowling in the final of the T20 World Cup against South Africa led India to victory. He also became the first bowler in history to take 200 Test wickets at an average below 20.
Bumrah also captained India to a memorable victory against Australia in Perth in the absence of Rohit Sharma. In the T20 World Cup, he bowled with an exceptional economy rate of 4.17, taking 15 wickets and earning the ‘Player of the Tournament’ award.
Wisden’s Five Cricketers of the Year:
Wisden also announced its five Cricketers of the Year, all of whom are English players: Gus Atkinson, Liam Dawson, Sophie Ecclestone, Jamie Smith, and Dan Worrall. Sophie Ecclestone is a key spinner for the England women’s team, while Dan Worrall has not yet played international cricket for England, having represented Australia in 2016 before moving to England in 2018.
Bumrah Hailed as ‘Star of the Year’:
Wisden editor Lawrence Booth described Jasprit Bumrah as the ‘Star of the Year’, highlighting that he is the first Test bowler in history to take 200 wickets at an average below 20 in a calendar year. Booth noted that Bumrah took 71 Test wickets at an average of less than 15 and played a vital role in India’s T20 World Cup triumph in the Caribbean in June. He also pointed out Bumrah’s exceptional performance in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, where he single-handedly took 32 wickets at an average of 13.06. Booth wrote that he was “hugely destructive” and asserted his claim to be considered one of the all-time greats.
Mandhana Crowned World’s Leading Woman Cricketer:
Describing Smriti Mandhana as the world’s leading woman cricketer, Wisden lauded her outstanding performance in 2024, where she scored the most international runs (1659) by any female player in a calendar year. This included four One Day International centuries, another record. Mandhana also scored her second Test century (149) in a ten-wicket victory against South Africa in June.
Nicholas Pooran Named Leading T20 Cricketer:
West Indies’ star batter Nicholas Pooran was declared the Leading T20 Cricketer of the Year.
Surrey Dominates Wisden’s Five Cricketers:
This year’s Wisden’s Five Cricketers of the Year features a strong representation from Surrey County Cricket Club, with three of their players – Gus Atkinson, Jamie Smith, and Dan Worrall – included in the prestigious list. Hampshire’s Liam Dawson and England’s Sophie Ecclestone also received this honour.
Mitchell Santner Honoured for Best Performance:
New Zealand’s Mitchell Santner was recognized with the Wisden Trophy for his outstanding performance of taking 13 wickets in the Pune Test against India, which gave the Kiwis an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series and marked India’s first home Test series defeat since 2012.
