Aakash Chopra instead went for some surprising options. His list includes the likes of Arshdeep Singh, Abbas Afridi, Matheesha Pathirana, Lockie Ferguson, and Haris Rauf. All these bowlers had a fantastic year in the game's shortest format.
As the year 2024 is coming to an end, Aakash Chopra revealed his choice for the top five T20I fast bowlers for the year. While speaking in a video on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra heaped praises on these bowlers and also reasoned why they were included in this list.
"At No. 4, I have kept Lockie Ferguson. He has played only 10 matches. However, he has taken 20 wickets. His economy is just 4.88 and he has an average of 9.25. He picked up four wickets against Australia in just 3.5 overs while giving 12 runs. He has a few three-wicket hauls as well," he explained.
An Indian and a Pakistani bowler in the top two
Aakash Chopra picked an Indian and a Pakistani bowler among his top two T20I bowlers of the year. He surprisingly chose Abbas Afridi ahead of his Pakistani teammate Shaheen Afridi and Arshdeep Singh ahead of Jasprit Bumrah.
"I have kept Arshdeep Singh at No. 1. He has picked up 36 wickets in 18 matches at an economy of 7.49 and an average of 13.5. He lives up to any parameter you set. He gives a breakthrough every time with the new ball. The last time he went wicketless was 27th June," he concluded.
Jasprit Bumrah's exploits in 2024
Meanwhile, Jasprit Bumrah hasn't played many T20Is this year but was outstanding in his limited appearances in the format. The 31-year-old has played just 8 T20Is this year and picked up 15 wickets, all in the T20 World Cup 2024.
However, Bumrah wasn't considered for any more T20Is due to India's packed schedule where they played plenty of Test cricket. Overall, it was a great year for Jasprit Bumrah as he showed his class and stamped his authority as the world's best bowler across formats.
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