T20 World Cup 2024: Ricky Ponting predicts top run-getter and wicket-taker

Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting expects Travis Head and Jasprit Bumrah to end the 2024 T20 World Cup as the top run-scorer and leading wicket-taker respectively. Both of them are coming on the back off productive campaigns in the recently-concluded Indian Premier League (IPL).  While Head, who plays for Sunrisers Hyderabad, scored 567 runs from 15 matches, Mumbai Indians pacer Jasprit Bumrah finished the season with 20 scalps from 13 matches.

“My leading wicket-taker for the tournament will be Jasprit Bumrah,” Ponting, an ODI World Cup-winning skipper, said on the ICC review podcast.

T20 World Cup, Group A preview| All eyes on cricket heavyweights India and Pakistan as underdogs look to impress

“I just think an outstanding performer, contributor for a number of years now. He’s just come off an outstanding IPL.”

The 49 year-old noted Bumrah’s ability to swing the new ball and was impressed with his economy rate of 6.48, in spite of being at the receiving end quite often.

“What he can do with the new ball, he swings the new ball, he has the seam up. But at the end, his economy rate at the end of the IPL was less than seven runs an over.

“He takes wickets. He does bowl a lot of the hard overs too. When you bowl the hard overs in T20 cricket, it gives you a chance to pick up a lot of wickets along the way. So, I’m going with him,” continued the former Tasmania cricketer.

Travis Head, who hit one century and four fifties for SRH, had a rather below-par ending to the IPL season. But, Ponting believes the opener still has fire in him to produce the goods for Australia.

“My prediction for the leading run-scorer will be Travis Head,” said Ponting. “I just think everything he’s done, whether it be red-ball or white-ball in the last couple of years, has been of the highest quality. I think he’s playing fearless cricket at the moment,” he commented.

“His IPL had its ups and downs, but when it’s been good, it’s been very good. And it has won games of cricket for his team," added Ponting.

Head had missed the first half of the ODI World Cup last year with an injury, but returned in style, scoring a century against New Zealand. In total, he scored two centuries and a fifty to help Australia clinch their sixth title.

“And it’ll be exactly the same for Australia. So, look, he might not be the most consistent on the way through this tournament, but he’ll be right up there, I’m sure, with the leading run scorers. And as I’ve said, if he spends any amount of time at the wicket for Australia, he’ll win more games than ever,” believes Ponting, who is also the head coach of Delhi Capitals in the IPL.

The T20 World Cup gets underway on 1 June with a game between United States and Canada in Dallas. India, who are in Group A, will begin their campaign against Ireland on 5 June in New York. On the other hand, Australia, who are in Group B , kickstart their tournament against Oman in Barbados on 6 June.