New Delhi: Just a day after Coldplay's frontman Chris Martin dedicated a song to India's ace bowler Jasprit Bumrah during their concert in Ahmedabad, the 31-year-old was honored as the ICC Men’s Test Cricketer of the Year.

“O Jasprit Bumrah, my beautiful brother. The best bowler in all of cricket…,” Martin expressed in his tribute. “We didn’t enjoy watching you take down England, wicket after wicket.”

But it wasn’t just England that felt Bumrah’s impact. Over the past year, South Africa, Bangladesh, New Zealand, and Australia also faced the brunt of his incredible precision, which inspired Martin’s tribute on Sunday.

The right-arm pacer racked up 71 wickets in just 13 matches, boasting an astonishing average of 14.92 and a strike rate of 30.16. He truly stood out this year. For comparison, England's Gus Atkinson, who came in second, took 52 wickets in 11 matches.

Throughout the year, Bumrah bowled only 357 overs in Tests but kept an impressive economy rate of 2.96, significantly lower than the 17 other bowlers who have taken 70 or more wickets in a year. This elite group includes legends like Shane Warne, M Muralidaran, Dennis Lillee, and Allan Donald.

Virat Kohli was the last Indian to snag this award back in 2018. Now, Bumrah becomes just the fourth Indian bowler to make the list, joining the ranks of greats like Ravichandran Ashwin, Anil Kumble, and Kapil Dev. Notably, among the 17 bowlers in Test history, no one has achieved this milestone with a lower average than Bumrah’s.

Bumrah made quite the entrance onto the international cricket scene, and it was obvious that his one-of-a-kind bowling style, with a short run-up and a tricky release, was what set him apart. He had already made a name for himself in domestic cricket, but there was always that worry that his unique approach might be figured out at the international level, just like many bowlers before him.

Fast forward eight years since his debut for India, and he’s still giving batters around the globe a tough time. Many have tried to crack the code, but most are still struggling. Australia’s Usman Khawaja summed it up perfectly when he said, “I was just getting Bumrah-ed” after facing him in a recent series.

In the past year alone, 32 of his 71 wickets came during the Border-Gavaskar series against Australia. Even though India lost the series 1-3, Bumrah’s outstanding performance earned him the Player of the Series title, with 32 wickets at an average of 13.06. He also surpassed Kapil Dev to become the Indian with the most Test wickets in Australia, racking up 64 wickets at an average of 17.15, compared to Kapil’s 51 at 24.58.

His absence due to a back spasm in the last Test was particularly noticeable, especially since the Sydney pitch was perfect for seamers. After leading India’s charge for most of the series, it was a real letdown to see him sidelined.

After the series wrapped up, former Australia captain Ricky Ponting shared his thoughts on the ICC Review, saying, “I definitely think he is India’s best fast bowler... [The performances] It’s across the formats now. A lot of the greats before him didn’t play all three formats as much as he has. He can put his hand up and ask people to sit back and watch... in ODIs, T20Is, and Test cricket. He is clearly the best.”

During the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, he reached a milestone by taking his 200th Test wicket. His impressive nine-wicket haul in that match, which included five wickets in the second innings, played a key role in helping India put up a strong fight against the home team.

While India sometimes finds new bowling stars during home series, Bumrah remains the reliable ace when playing abroad. He was also named player of the series in the two-match showdown against South Africa, taking 12 wickets with an average of 12.92.

Bumrah’s unforgettable early-morning spell at Newlands in early 2024 is still fresh in everyone’s mind. His 6/61 on that challenging pitch led India to a series-tying seven-wicket win in what became the shortest Test match ever.

As Indian cricket faces various challenges and the international scene evolves, one thing stays the same. This largely controversy-free bowler, with his unique run-up and quirky action, continues to baffle batters around the globe.

Smriti Mandhana has been named Women’s ODI Cricketer of the Year.

Smriti Mandhana really shone over the past year, making her mark with an impressive performance. The left-handed opener scored 747 runs in just 13 innings, boasting an average of 57.86 throughout 2024.

She hit four centuries in ODIs this year, playing a key role in India’s 3-0 series victory over South Africa in June.

One of her standout innings was a game-changing century in the series finale against New Zealand in October. But her most unforgettable performance was against Australia, where she scored a brilliant century despite the team losing in Perth in December.

With this achievement, Mandhana became only the second player ever to win the award twice, following New Zealand’s Suzie Bates, who she had previously matched in 2018.

Get the latest Bollywood entertainment news, trending celebrity news, latest celebrity news, new movie reviews, latest entertainment news, latest Bollywood news, and Bollywood celebrity fashion & style updates!

HOW DID YOU LIKE THIS ARTICLE? CHOOSE YOUR EMOTICON!