Year Ender 2024: Memorable and Record-Breaking Cricket Events You Need to Know!

The year 2024 will be etched in the history of men’s and women’s cricket for unprecedented achievements and stellar individual performances that captivated millions of fans worldwide. 

Especially, the T20 format witnessed a massive BOOM with several record-breaking moments, thanks to the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 for setting a trend for batters to follow a dynamic and fearless approach. One such exemplary moment was Baroda’s astounding performance of 349-5 in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) establishing a world record for the highest total by any team in T20 cricket. 

But, the Women’s Premier League (WPL) deserves a special mention for not only enhancing the skills of female cricketers but also concluding Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) title drought. 

Likewise, India’s remarkable efforts in the USA and West Indies to clinch the T20 World Cup trophy as the unbeaten side resulted in ended their 11-year hiatus of claiming an ICC title. 

While teams such as West Indies, Zimbabwe, New Zealand, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh achieved stunning records, Team India has always been one step ahead. The men-in-blue started to strengthen their legacy as one of the greatest cricket teams under Rohit Sharma’s captaincy by introducing the concept of the first double super over in T20 internationals (T20Is). 

Considering the individual players’ performances, the names such as Pat Cummins, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sanju Samson, Tilak Verma, Joe Root, Travis Head, Nitish Reddy, and several others deserve a special mention for achieving stunning achievements this year. 

As the curtain draws on an illustrious year of cricket in 2024, let’s delve into the remarkable accomplishments that stunned fans and analysts to a great extent. 

1. India Ends 17-year Drought to Win Men’s T20 World Cup Trophy 

Rohit Sharma’s led Indian cricket team lifted the T20 World Cup trophy for the second time after a 17-year deficit. A thrilling victory by 7 runs against South Africa in the final at Kensington Oval in Barbados was attainable due to: 

• Virat Kohli’s 59-ball-76 runs 

• Jasprit Bumrah’s terrific spells 

• Hardik Pandya’s heroic final over 

• Suryakumar Yadav’s breathtaking catch in the 20th over to dismiss David Miller 
• Rohit Sharma’s brilliant tactics to introduce pacers after the 15th over. 

The victory was not only an emotional moment for India but also honored the Ro-Ko’s farewell to their T20I career in style as leading run scorers of the shortest format at that time (Rohit: 4,231 runs in 151 innings and Kohli: 4,188 runs in 117 innings). 

2. Zimbabwe Sets a Record of Highest T20I Total: 344-4 in 20 overs 

On October 23 (Wednesday), Zimbabwe surpassed Nepal’s previous record with a sensational 344-4 in 20 overs against the Gambia in the Group B stages of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Africa Sub Regional Qualifier.  

Led by the skipper Sikandar Raza’s blistering knock of 133 runs from just 43 balls (including 7 fours and 15 sixes), Zimbabwe’s innings marked a new era for T20 cricket by posting the highest-ever total in T20 international cricket. 

In addition, the quickfire fifties by Brian Bennett (50 off 26 balls), Tadiwanashe Marumani (62 off 19 balls), and Clive Madande (53 runs off 17 balls) steered the team to a 300-plus total. 

In response, Gambia’s innings concluded with a pathetic total of 54 all-out in 14.4 overs, resulting in Zimbabwe securing a massive 290-run victory. 

3. Baroda’s Latest World Record in T20 Cricket: 349-5 in 20 overs 

The Sikkim bowlers were left speechless against Baroda’s incredible world record for the highest T20 total with 349-5 in 20 overs in Group B stages of the SMAT 2024. Notably, 294 out of 349 runs were scored, smashing 18 fours and 37 sixes. 

These five batters showed their aggressive intent by playing a crucial role in a 263-run victory for the 2-time champions: 

• Bhanu Pania: 134 runs (not out) out of 51 balls — including 5 Fours and 15 Sixes at a strike rate of 262.75.
• Shivalik Sharma: 55 runs out of 17 balls — including 3 Fours and 6 Sixes at a strike rate of 323.53.
• Abhimanyu Singh: 53 runs out of 17 balls — including 4 Fours and  5 Sixes at a strike rate of 311.76.
• Vishnu Solanki: 50 runs out of 16 balls — including 2 Fours and  4 Sixes at a strike rate of 312.50.
• Shashwat Rawat: 43 runs out of 16 balls — including 4 Fours and  4 Sixes at a strike rate of 268.75. 

4. West Indies First Test Win on Australian Soil After 27 Years; Ends the Hosts’ Unbeaten Record in Pink Ball Test 

The early 2024 not only witnessed the West Indies’ first test victory on Australian soil since 1997 but also concluded the Aussies’ unbeaten streak in the pink ball test. 

Windies pacer Shamar Joseph ripped apart the dominating Australian line-up with his career-best bowling spell of 7-68 in 11.5 overs. An 8-run victory leveled the 2-match test series with 1-1. Also, it was Australia’s first loss in their 12th Day/Night tests since 2015.

5. New Zealand’s Historic 3-0 Whitewashing Test Series Victory on Indian Soil

Tom Latham’s led New Zealand cricket team shattered multiple records by winning their first-ever test series victory in India, out of which the few ones are listed below: 

• First Team to secure a whitewash victory in 3 or more test match series on Indian soil.

• Black Caps’ inaugural test series win in India since 1955.

• Ended India’s winning streak of 18 consecutive home test series since 2012.

• Restricted India to their lowest total at-home tests (46 all-out) as well as their third-lowest total in test cricket history.

• For the first time in 136 years, an opponent team dismissed India’s five out of the top eight batters for a duck in a single inning at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. Also, it was the second instance in overall test cricket history, when Australia lost their top four batters for a duck against England in 1988.

• First-ever whitewashing victory for Kiwis by winning all 3 matches against any team in a bilateral test series.

• And so on… 

6. Afghanistan’s First Appearance in ICC Tournaments Knockouts 

Under Rashid Khan’s captaincy, the Afghanistan men’s cricket team qualified for their first-ever semi-final in any ICC tournament by triumphing over Australia and Bangladesh in the Super 8 phases of the T20 World Cup 2024. 

Ultimately, it was South Africa that created history in the first semi-final by overtaking the opportunity of the Afghans with a 9-wicket victory to reach their first men’s World Cup finals.

7. USA’s Stunning Victory vs Pakistan in Men’s T20 World Cup 

Making a debut in an ICC T20 World Cup, the USA continued with their momentum in the next match after a 7-wicket victory in the season opener against Canada and thrashed Pakistan by 5 runs in a super over thriller. It was indeed one of the humiliating defeats for the men-in-green against an associate member nation such as the United States in any of the major ICC events. 

8. IPL 2024: A Season to Remember for Batsman’s Domination 

A 200-plus total has been recorded on 41 occasions in a single season of IPL 2024 with Sunrisers Hyderabad’s (SRH) 287-3 in 20 overs ranking as the highest team’s total in the league’s history. 

The Punjab Kings (PBKS) registered the highest-ever successful run chase in T20s by chasing down a mammoth target of 262 within 18.4 overs, securing an 8-wicket victory against Kolkata Knight Riders(KKR). 

This is because, compared to previous editions, the pitches have become much flatter, making them batting-friendly by allowing the execution of straightforward strokes and accumulating high scores. 

9. Bangladesh’s First Test Series Win in Pakistan 

For the first time in the history of test cricket, Bangladesh led by Najmul Hossain Shanto pulled off a 2-0 dominant performance on Pakistan in the 2-match test series securing several notable records that include: 

• Ninth overall test series victory (Home: 6, Away: 3)

• Highest innings total (565-10 in 167.3 overs) in a winning cause for Bangladesh (in 1st out of 2nd test vs PAK).  Also, they are third-highest in test matches against any team.

• Fourth clean sweep victory in 2 or more test match series against these teams:

• 2-0 vs West Indies in 2009 (Away) 

• 3-0 vs Zimbabwe in 2014-15 (Home) 

• 2-0 vs West Indies in 2018-19 (Home)

• 2-0 vs Pakistan in 2025 (Away)

• Second Team to Achieve a whitewashing test series win on Pakistan soil after England’s 3-0 in 2022-23.

• And many more…

10. New Zealand’s Lifts Maiden Women’s T20 World Cup Trophy

After a heartbreaking outing in the previous season’s group stages, New Zealand made a fierce comeback, winning their first T20 World Cup title this year led under Sophie Devine’s captaincy complemented by the opening batter Suzie Bates’s contribution. 

Concluding as the runner-up in 2010 and 2011, the Black Caps succeeded in their third attempt by securing a 32-run victory against South Africa in the final, relying on the 3-fers of Rosemary Mair and Amelia Kerr each. 

11. Pat Cummins Claims Hattrick in Back-to-Back T20 World Cup Matches: 

Australian pacer Pat Cummins achieved a rare feat by claiming a hattrick in back-to-back matches in the Super 8s of the T20 World Cup against Bangladesh and Afghanistan. He joined the elite list of talented bowlers by adding these records to his white-ball career: 

• Fifth bowler in the list to secure two consecutive hattricks in T20Is after Lasith Malinga (Sri Lanka), Tim Southee (New Zealand), Mark Pavlovic (Serbia) and Waseem Abbas (Malta). 

• Third Aussie bowler with hattricks in T20Is. 
• Seventh bowler to achieve hattricks in the T20 World Cup. 

12. First Double Super Over Drama vs Afghanistan: Rohit ‘Retired Out’ or ‘Retired Not-Out’? 

Having won the first two games of the three-match T20I series, the final clash between India and Afghanistan recorded the first-ever double super over in international cricket. 

Batting first, India posted a massive total of 212-4 in 20 overs, riding on Rohit Sharma’s unbeaten knock of 69-ball-121 runs and Rinku Singh’s 39-ball-69 runs. Yet, Afghanistan’s chase resulted in a tie tallying 212-6, leading to a super-over contest. 

As India required 2 runs off the last ball to win the first super over, the Indian skipper retired himself to replace the speedy runner Rinku Singh at the non-striker end. Most importantly, Rohit’s tactics made the match officials refer back to the MCC laws with questions about whether he should be considered ‘retired out’ or ‘retired not out’.  

Surprisingly, both teams scored 16 runs in their first super-over, which initiated the concept of a double super-over contest in T20Is. 

However, the Hitman was declared eligible to bat again in the second super over, as he was not out in the previous ones. Finally, India scored 11-2 in their second super over and the spinner Ravi Bishnoi conceded just a single run and bagged 2 wickets in three balls, resulting in the men-in-blue sealing the series with a clean 3-0 sweep.

13. Two Indian Players Scoring a Century in the Same T20I Match: Sanju Samson and Tilak Varma 

Indian Batters Sanju Samson and Tilak Varma have redefined the way of playing T20 cricket by becoming the first pair from a full-member nation to score centuries in the same inning. 

In the last battle of the 4-match T20I series against South Africa, Suryakumar Yadav’s led side achieved a massive 135-run victory. Samson’s 56-ball-109 runs (6 fours and 9 sixes) and Tilak’s 47-ball-120 runs (9 fours and 10 sixes)  stitched a 210-run partnership and bolstered the team’s total to 283-1 in 20 overs. 

14. RCB Breaks Trophy Drought in WPL 2024 

Since the inaugural season of IPL in 2008, the championship title drought that haunted Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) finally came to an end when its sister franchise won the WPL 2024 trophy in the tournament’s second edition under Smriti Mandhana’s captaincy. 

An 8-wicket victory against Delhi Capitals in the final has rewritten the franchise’s fortunes and ignited the male counterparts’ motivation to shed their choker’s tag for the forthcoming IPL seasons.  

15. Joe Root Tops the Charts as Leading Test Run Scorer in 2024 

With 1,556 runs scored out of 31 innings played in 2024, Joe Root ranks as the top run scorer of the year in tests at a strike rate of 63.38 averaging at 55.57, which includes 6 hundreds and 5 fifties with his best score of 262. Also, the 33-year-old right-handed batter established himself as England’s leading run scorer in tests, adding 12,972 runs in 278 innings. Ultimately, Root surpassed the record of the former England batsman Alastair Cook, who scored 12,472 runs in 291 innings.