A review of Indian cricket in 2024: covering both the domestic and international arenas. It delves into the key events, highlights outstanding individual performances, addresses controversies, and examines noteworthy developments across various tournaments, including the Ranji Trophy, Test matches, the Indian Premier League (IPL), and other significant competitions.
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Domestic Cricket
Ranji Trophy
The Ranji Trophy, India's premier first-class cricket tournament, witnessed captivating matches and remarkable individual performances throughout the year. Himachal Pradesh exhibited exceptional dominance in the 2024-25 seasons, securing convincing victories against Uttarakhand and Puducherry. Other notable results from the 2024-25 season include:
Himachal Pradesh triumphed over Uttarakhand by an innings and 97 runs.
Mumbai emerged victorious against Maharashtra by 9 wickets.
Gujarat won a close contest against Andhra Pradesh by 1 wicket.
Hyderabad dominated Nagaland, winning by an innings and 194 runs.
Tripura secured a significant victory against Goa by 237 runs.
In the previous season (2023-24), some notable results included:
Hyderabad defeated Meghalaya by 5 wickets to claim the Plate title.
Madhya Pradesh achieved a resounding win against Jammu and Kashmir by 256 runs.
Himachal Pradesh secured a convincing victory against Puducherry by an innings and 63 runs.
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Other Domestic Tournaments
The domestic season witnessed a restructuring of tournaments. The Duleep Trophy, featuring four teams selected by the Senior Men's Selection Committee, commenced in Anantapur on September 5th. The Irani Trophy took place in Mumbai from October 1st. The Ranji Trophy was split into two phases, with the league stage occurring in October and the knockouts in February. The Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, the domestic men's T20 competition, was held from November 23rd to December 15th. The Vijay Hazare Trophy, the List A tournament, followed from December 21st to January 18th.
The CK Nayudu Trophy introduced a revamped points system to encourage balanced performances. Points were awarded for batting and bowling achievements in the first innings, in addition to points for securing a first-innings lead or an outright victory. Furthermore, the toss was abolished in CK Nayudu Trophy matches, with the visiting team given the choice to bat or field first.
The Odisha Cricket League (OCL) 2024, held from June 30th to July 7th, featured six teams: Odisha Lions, Odisha Tigers, Odisha Jaguars, Odisha Pumas, Odisha Panthers, and Odisha Cheetahs. The Odisha Tigers emerged as the winners of the tournament, with the Odisha Panthers finishing as runners-up. The tournament aimed to enhance player strength and broaden the base of the game in the state.
Odisha has embarked on a comprehensive cricket development program with a vision for 2024. This initiative involves restructuring domestic cricket across 32 district units, focusing on both senior and junior categories. Each district aims to have at least 10 clubs in each category, leading to increased participation and a broader talent pool. The program includes an Inter-District Cricket Championship with 36 teams divided into six zones. Matches are played on turf wickets, ensuring quality competition and player development. To further enhance player analysis and umpiring standards, video recording, digital scoring, and linear scoring are implemented in all Inter-District matches.
International Cricket
India's international cricket calendar in 2024 was packed with bilateral series and major tournaments.
India began the year with a Test series in South Africa as part of the World Test Championship cycle 2023-25. In this series, Australia defeated India by 10 wickets in a match played on December 5th.
India hosted England for a five-match Test series in January and February. England won the first Test in Hyderabad by 28 runs, but India made a strong comeback, winning the remaining four Tests to secure a 4-1 series victory.
India's first home assignment of the year was a three-match T20 series against Afghanistan, starting on January 11th.
In July, India embarked on white-ball tours to Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka.
India concluded the year with a five-match Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test series in Australia. The first Test in Perth saw Australia score 104 and 238, while India responded with 150 and 487/6 declared, resulting in an Indian victory by 295 runs. In the second Test in Adelaide, Australia won by 10 wickets after scores of 337 and 19/0, while India managed 180 and 175. The third Test is in progress.
IPL
The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 concluded with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) claiming the championship title after defeating Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the final by 8 wickets. Rajasthan Royals (RR) secured third place by overcoming Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the Eliminator.
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T20 World Cup
The ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024 took place in the West Indies and the USA in June. India emerged victorious in the tournament, defeating South Africa in the final by 7 runs to claim their second T20 World Cup title. This victory marked a significant achievement for India, equalling the West Indies and England in the number of T20 World Cup titles won. Virat Kohli played a crucial role in the final, scoring 76 runs off 59 balls and earning the Player of the Match award. Jasprit Bumrah's outstanding performance throughout the tournament, with 15 wickets at an economy of 4.17, earned him the Player of the Tournament award.
India participated in two other major international tournaments in 2024. The Women's T20 World Cup Qualifier, held in April, saw Sri Lanka emerge as the winners. In July, the Women's Twenty20 Asia Cup also took place, with Sri Lanka once again claiming the title. India also engaged in a T20 series against South Africa.
Significant individual performances
Indian cricketers showcased exceptional individual talent throughout the year:
Sanju Samson: Samson established himself as a formidable force in T20Is, becoming the first Indian player to score three centuries as an opener. He finished as India's top run-scorer in T20Is with 436 runs at an average of 43.60 and a strike rate exceeding 180.
Shubman Gill: Gill achieved two remarkable milestones in the IPL. He registered the highest individual score of the tournament with 89 runs against Punjab Kings and became the fastest player to reach 4,000 T20 runs, surpassing Virat Kohli's record.
Yashasvi Jaiswal: Jaiswal set a new world record by scoring 13 runs off the first ball in a T20I against Zimbabwe. He also etched his name in Test history as the first batsman to score over 750 runs in his first 10 home innings.
Jasprit Bumrah: Bumrah delivered a spectacular 5-wicket haul in a Test match against Australia.
Controversies and News Stories
2024 was not without its share of controversies in Indian cricket:
DRS controversy: During the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia, KL Rahul found himself at the center of a controversial DRS decision, leading to debates and expert analysis. This incident, along with the booing faced by Mohammed Siraj during the same series, highlighted the challenges and pressures faced by Indian players in Australia.
Ball-tampering allegations: David Warner called for an investigation into ball-tampering allegations against India A players during a match against Australia A.
Racial slur against Bumrah: Commentator Isa Guha sparked controversy by using a racially insensitive term to refer to Jasprit Bumrah during a Test match against Australia. This incident drew parallels to the 2008 'Monkeygate' scandal, where Andrew Symonds accused Harbhajan Singh of racial abuse, highlighting the persistent issue of racism in cricket.
Champions Trophy 2025: Controversy surrounded India's participation in the Champions Trophy 2025 in Pakistan due to security concerns. This led to discussions about a potential change in format or venue. The Pakistan Cricket Board faced potential revenue losses, lawsuits, and the risk of international alienation if they withdrew from the tournament due to the deadlock.
Awards and Recognitions
Indian cricketers received numerous accolades in 2024:
CEAT Cricket Rating Awards: Rohit Sharma was named the Men's International Cricketer of the Year, while Virat Kohli received the Men's ODI Batter of the Year award. Yashasvi Jaiswal and Ravichandran Ashwin were recognized as the best Test batsman and bowler respectively. Rahul Dravid received a Lifetime Achievement Award. Jay Shah received the CEAT Award for Excellence in Sports Administration. Harmanpreet Kaur received a memento for most matches as a captain in Women's T20I history, while Shafali Verma received a memento for the fastest double century in Women's Test.
BCCI Awards: Ravi Shastri and Farokh Engineer were honored with the Col CK Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award. Mohammed Shami, Shubman Gill, R Ashwin, and Jasprit Bumrah received the Polly Umrigar Award for Best International Cricketer in their respective years.
Lala Amarnath Awards: These awards celebrated the best all-rounders in the Ranji Trophy and Domestic Limited Overs cricket. Some of the winners included MB Murasingh, Shams Mulani, Saransh Jain, Baba Aparajith, RR Dhawan, and Riyan Parag.
