Jasprit Bumrah will be the leading wicket-taker in T20 World Cup 2024: Ricky Ponting

The T20 World Cup 2024 will witness some of the world’s best teams going head-to-head in search of the world title. The mega event is being co-hosted by the USA and the West Indies and will kick off on June 2.  With the Indian team being one of the top favourites, former Australian cricketer Ricky Ponting has heaped praise on India pacer Jasprit Bumrah. 

The 49-year-old picked Bumrah as a contender to be the highest wicket taker in the T20 World Cup 2024, highlighting how the pacer will be coming into the World Cup after a good IPL season. Ponting backed Bumrah to maintain his form in the mega tournament.

"My leading wicket-taker for the tournament will be Jasprit Bumrah; I just think an outstanding performer, contributor for a number of years now. He's just come off an outstanding IPL. 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,” Ponting told the ICC review. 

"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,” he added. 

I think he's playing fearless cricket at the moment: Ponting on Travis Head

Furthermore, Ponting picked star Australian batter Travis Head as the potential highest run-getter in the T20 World Cup. Ponting picked Head on the basis of his performances in the IPL as his blazing starts with the bat set the tournament ablaze.

"My prediction for the leading run-scorer will be Travis Head, 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,” Ponting said.