Cricket in 2024: New challengers emerge as greats walk into sunset after year of setbacks and redemption

There was World Cup glory for Indian veterans, while Pakistan engineered a stunning turnaround late in the season

India's Virat Kohli and captain Rohit Sharma celebrate after winning the T20 World Cup in Barbados on June 29, 2024. AFP

Those who believe cricket had turned into a contest between two or three strong teams with the rest just making up the numbers must be pleasantly surprised at how 2024 turned out.

Sure, India won the T20 World Cup and continued to dominate the format throughout the year, while the usual suspects did admirably in the Test format. But just when the year seemed to be heading down a well-trodden path, some unexpected turns injected fresh life into the game.

India were at the receiving end of some of those surprising twists. The tour of Sri Lanka was supposed to be the beginning of a new era as Gautam Gambhir took over as full-time coach of a full-strength Indian team. What ended up happening was a whitewash for India at the hands of a resurgent Sri Lankan team under the tutelage of their own talismanic coach, Sanath Jayasuriya.

India were in for an even bigger shock later in the year when a below strength New Zealand side blanked them 3-0 in a home Test series – the first ever in the country’s history which also ended their 12-year unbeaten run in Tests as hosts.

There were startling results elsewhere too. Pakistan, who had long been plagued by sudden changes in captaincy, team management, and board structure, made one last attempt to get their cricket back on track and stumbled on an incredibly successful mix of players and strategy.

After losing the first Test to England at home, Pakistan overhauled its team mid-series, artificially dried the playing surface for the remaining two Tests, brought in veteran spinners from the domestic circuit and went about dismantling the England line-up en route to an incredible come-from-behind 2-1 series win.

Even though Babar Azam was no longer the captain, Pakistan flourished. ODI series wins were completed in Australia and then South Africa, which has put self-belief back into the team in green. And that, too, just before they get ready to host the 50-over Champions Trophy early next year.

England had quite the year as well. They started with a morale crushing 4-1 Test series defeat in India, did not impress in the T20 World Cup, and also capitulated in Pakistan against spin. However, in familiar conditions, they were quite the sight to behold; they lost just one out of six Tests at home. And in New Zealand, they dominated a side that had just blanked India.

However, none of those results could match the impact left by the retirement of one of the greatest fast bowlers of all time – James Anderson. The veteran seamer wanted to go on for a few more years but was told that his time was up. Thankfully, Anderson got to hang up his boots in near perfect style – with a win at Lord’s. Unlike India spin great Ravichandran Ashwin, who hastily announced his retirement from international cricket after finding himself out of the team in the ongoing Australia series.

As the year draws to a close, some other big names will be wondering if their time is up as well. India captain Rohit Sharma and star batsman Virat Kohli are fighting to not only hold on to the Border Gavaskar Trophy but also their spots in the team. If both fail in the last two Tests against Australia, there is every chance we might see one or both players just one more time – in the Champions Trophy.

With the likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill and many other young players ready to take over, the writing is sadly on the wall for India's greats.

Closer home, the UAE continued to struggle in ODI cricket and even a change in captaincy, with Rahul Chopra in charge, did not spark a turnaround in their World Cup League 2 campaign.

Beyond bat and ball, the annual display of fabulous wealth – the IPL player auction – did not disappoint. Rishabh Pant and Shreyas Iyer both landed record contracts worth more than $3 million, making them the most expensive players in the history of the league.

However, there was a disconcerting report that the money train might be slowing down.

Former ICC chairman Greg Barclay said that funds in the game are drying up and the next broadcast deal of international tournaments could witness a significant correction, resulting in far less revenue for the governing body and smaller shares of the pie for mid-tier cricket boards who rely on the ICC for the bulk of their funding.

For now, the game goes on.

Highlight of the year – India’s stars finally win a world title

It would have been a travesty if the team that shone so brightly over the last few seasons across formats did not have a single world global to show for their efforts. India came close to lifting the ODI world title, only for Australia to crush their dreams last year. But early this year. Rohit’s team finally ended their decade-long wait for a world title following a dramatic final against South Africa. Finally, Rohit, Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya and the rest could be called champions.

Pakistan spinners Sajid Khan, right, and Noman Ali, second right, wrecked England's batting. AP

Comeback of the year – Pakistan

It is incredible what a clear plan of action and the right personnel can achieve in a short span. Just when it seemed Pakistan were on the verge of sliding further down the pecking order across all formats, they hit the reset button once again. This time, everything clicked into place.

The tactic of playing experienced spinners Sajid Khan and Noman Ali on slow turners against England proved a masterstroke as Pakistan fought back to win the home series many thought was long gone. Then, under Rizwan as the white ball captain, a rejuvenated pace attack of Afridi, Naseem and Haris Rauf began to dominate short-format cricket again, securing remarkable ODI series wins in Australia and South Africa.

Specialist white-ball players like Saim Ayub, Salman Agha and Muqeem have flourished and it looks like Pakistan cricket is back to its best, and that too just a few months after many had warned of its demise.

Souring the mood, however, was the way the Pakistan establishment forced renowned coaches like Gary Kirsten and Jason Gillespie out of the team with very little warning.

Joe Root was the leading Test batsman of 2024. AP

Performer of the year – Joe Root

It was the year when it finally dawned on cricket fans than many records in longer formats might remain forever as fewer and fewer players are reaching the decade mark in the sport. Anderson retired as the most successful fast bowler with more than 700 Test wickets - a record that will never be broken. In batting, it was thought that Sachin Tendulkar's record of 15,921 Test runs would stand forever as there is only one active cricketer who has even crossed the 10,000-run mark. That player, Root, however galloped towards the 13,000-run milestone after a fabulous year in which he accumulated more than 1,500 runs at an average of 55. At this rate, Root might need just a season and a half to break the last great record in Test cricket.

And when he does call it a day, Root – like Anderson – will reach a mark no other Test player will ever come close to.

Surprise of the year – New Zealand

There was very little for New Zealand to celebrate this year. They did not even qualify for the Super Eight stage of the T20 World Cup, while star batsman Kane Williamson struggled with fitness for a large part of the year. They also lost badly at home to England in Tests.

But there was one bright spot. It was so bright, it blinded some of the biggest names in the sport. Despite missing Williamson, New Zealand's inexperienced side pulled off what no other team had ever managed - a three-match Test series whitewash in India. Against a full-strength Indian team on wickets tailormade for the home team, New Zealand beat India at their own game.

The series result all but ended India's hopes of qualifying for the World Test Championship final, hastened the exit of Ashwin and forced the Indian team to look at new faces to replace the ageing greats.