When the victorious Indian cricket team was honored on the lawns of Wankhede Stadium on a warm July evening last year, celebrating their historic T20 World Cup win, the emcee asked Virat Kohli during a chat, “I am thinking of starting a petition to declare Jasprit Bumrah a national treasure. Will you sign it?” Kohli, filled with admiration, replied, “I will sign it right now!”
On Monday, the ICC confirmed Kohli’s views by awarding Bumrah the prestigious ICC Men’s Test Cricketer of the Year title. Just look at his stats: 71 wickets in 13 Tests at an average of 14.92, a wicket every 30 balls, and five five-wicket hauls. These are not just remarkable numbers; they are like cheat codes. Bumrah, inspired by legends like Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis, mastered the art of fast bowling by watching them on TV and developed his unique hop-skip-run action, which should come with a warning: “Don’t try this at home!”
Already a man of many milestones, Bumrah became the first Indian pacer to win this award and joined the ranks of Indian greats like Rahul Dravid, Gautam Gambhir, Virender Sehwag, R. Ashwin, and Virat Kohli. He also became the first Indian fast bowler to achieve the No. 1 ranking in February 2024, thanks to his stunning performance on a flat Vizag pitch where he demolished England with figures of 6/45 in 71 balls—a masterclass in reverse swing.
Yes, that spell included the unforgettable yorker to dismiss Ollie Pope. The video of that magical delivery was even played at two Coldplay concerts in Mumbai and Ahmedabad within a week of the match.
“Jasprit, my beautiful brother, the best bowler in cricket, we don’t enjoy watching you destroy England with wicket after wicket after wicket,” sang Coldplay’s Chris Martin at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Bumrah, dressed in black, attended the concert and smiled throughout.
Talking to the ICC, Bumrah reflected on his Test performances. “I’ve enjoyed playing a lot of Test cricket this year, and many wickets were special. But the one against England in Vizag—the Ollie Pope yorker—was truly special because it changed the momentum in our favor.”
From Cape Town to Vizag, Dharamshala to Perth, and Melbourne to Brisbane, Bumrah left his mark on almost every venue in 2024. Australian batter Usman Khawaja even coined a term to describe his dismissals: “Bumrah’d.”
In Australia, Bumrah delivered spell after spell, either keeping India in the game or breaking it open, finishing with 32 wickets at a mind-blowing average of 13.06. Commentators and cricket legends couldn’t stop praising his skill and control, even comparing him to the greatest fast bowlers to ever play in Australia. Australian batter Travis Head once joked, “There were 15 of us who were relieved that Bumrah didn’t bowl today,” when a back injury kept Bumrah off the field during a Test in Sydney.
At a time when many fast bowlers avoid Test cricket to focus on T20 leagues, Bumrah’s love for the longest format stands out. “Test cricket has always been close to my heart, and I’ve always wanted to play this format,” he told the ICC.
Former Indian pacer Paras Mhambrey, now Mumbai Indians’ bowling coach, shared similar sentiments. “He just doesn’t let go of the ball,” Mhambrey said on MI’s website. He also spoke about Bumrah’s sharp cricketing mind, saying, “When you sit in the dressing room and think, ‘This is what he should do now,’ he does exactly that in the next ball. He reads batters so well. I just hope we get to watch him for another five years. We must take care of him. He is vital for Indian cricket.”
As kids across India try to mimic Bumrah’s action, it’s clear why he is an inspiration and why Indian cricket needs him to stay at the top.
