A lot can happen in 12 months, and it did for Indian cricket in 2024. An 11-year ICC title drought ended with the 2024 T20 World Cup title triumph but that high was soon followed by the T20I retirements of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja, setting the stage for a transition phase. If the T20 World Cup win was the high note, the Indian cricket team was brought down to earth as it slumped to a rare Test series clean sweep at home against New Zealand. Off the field, BCCI secretary Jay Shah became the ICC chairman. And just when one thought that there would no more big headlines from Indian cricket in 2024, Ravichandran Ashwin – the world’s highest wicket-taker among active bowlers – announced a sudden retirement mid-series in Australia.
T20 World Cup triumph
After the 2013 Champions Trophy win under MS Dhoni, Indian cricket touched many highs but an ICC trophy was missing. His successor Virat Kohli could not win a single ICC title as captain and then Rohit Sharma took over. But success was nowhere to be found as India lost the 2023 World Cup final and the World Test Championship title clash. But it all changed at the 2024 T20 World Cup in West Indies, where India lifted trophy unbeaten.
It was India’s first T20 World Cup win in 17 long years and their first ICC title in 11 years.
Trio retires
Right after the final the big trio – Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja – announced their retirements from the shortest format of the game. While Kohli and Rohit retired as two of the highest run-scorers in T20Is, Jadeja would be remembered for his three dimensional game. The retirement of the veterans opened the gates for youngsters to take charge in the T20I team under the leadership of Suryakumar Yadav.
The T20 World Cup was also Rahul Dravid‘s last assignment as Indian cricket team coach. After him, Gautam Gambhir took over as the new head coach.
Clean-sweeped at home
The T20 World Cup win was soon followed by a crushing loss at home. New Zealand became the first team in the history of the game to beat India 3-0 in their own home in a 3-match series. That loss raised question marks on seniors like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. New coach Gautam Gambhir also came under fire.
Jay Shah becomes ICC chairman
Jay Shah, who had been serving as the BCCI secretary, became ICC chairman in December 2024. He is the fifth Indian after Jagmohan Dalmiya, Sharad Pawar, N Srinivasan and Shashank Manohar to head the world cricket body.
“I am honoured to take on the role of ICC Chair and grateful for the support and trust of the ICC Directors and Member Boards,” Shah said in a statement. “This is an exciting time for the sport as we prepare for the LA28 Olympic Games and work to make cricket more inclusive and engaging for fans worldwide.
“We are at a critical juncture with the coexistence of multiple formats and the need to accelerate the growth of the women’s game. Cricket holds immense potential globally, and I look forward to working closely with the ICC team and Member countries to seize these opportunities and take the sport to new heights.”
Ashwin retires
Many predicted Ravichandran Ashwin to surpass Anil Kumble‘s tally of 619 wickets in Tests, but it was not to be so. At 537 wickets, Ashwin decided to hang his boots quite abruptly in the middle of the Border Gavaskar Trophy. With two Tests still remaining in the series, Ashwin’s timing of retirement was questioned by Sunil Gavaskar.
Regarding the situation leading up to the retirement, India captain Rohit Sharma said: “It just happened so that if you know where he felt that, ‘if I’m not needed right now in the series, I’m better off.”
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