On Thursday, May 30, former Australian cricketer Ricky Ponting made his predictions for who will score the most runs and capture the most wickets in the forthcoming T20 World Cup 2024. By selecting an Australian batter and an Indian bowler as his predictions, Ponting shocked everyone.
Beginning on June 1, players with outstanding records in the tournament’s history—Indian batters and Australian bowlers—are expected to top the scoreboard in the ninth edition in the USA and West Indies.
Prior to Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, Ponting selected Travis Head, an Australian hitter in form, as his top pick to score runs in the World Cup. Virat Kohli just won the Orange Cap in the IPL 2024 after hitting 741 runs, and he holds other records in the T20 World Cup, including the record for most runs in an edition.
In the IPL 2024, Travis Head also had a significant influence, amassing 567 runs at a strike rate of 191.55. Ponting thinks the left-handed opening batsman will lead the run-scorer in the next tournament since he has been playing brave cricket for the past few years.
“My prediction for the leading run-scorer will be Travis Head,” Ponting told the ICC. “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.”
Notably, despite earning 656 runs at a strike rate of 147.08 in 25 T20I innings, Travis Head has not yet made his T20 World Cup debut. Head is predicted to start at the forthcoming World Cup alongside the seasoned David Warner.
Ponting chose Jasprit Bumrah of India to be the top wicket-taker, dismissing the names of Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc. The Indian speed ace had a spectacular comeback in the IPL 2024, taking 20 wickets at an economy rate of 6.48, despite the Mumbai Indians’ terrible season.
“My leading wicket-taker for the tournament will be Jasprit Bumrah. I have just seen him as an outstanding performer and contributor for a number of years now. He’s just come off an outstanding IPL. What he can do with the new ball is swing the new ball, and 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.” Ponting added.
