The year 2024 for the India national cricket team was a mixed bag, where there were the highs of winning the ICC T20 World Cup 2024, but we also witnessed the lows of getting a white-washed at-home Test series. However, amidst all this hullaballoo, fans were focused on India's two major away tours, which were the T20 International series in South Africa, and the much-hyped Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25, where India was scheduled to play five Tests Down Under. Virat Kohli In 2024 Stats: Runs Scored in Tests, ODIs and T20Is by Indian Cricket Team’s Star Batsman.

Both series were expected to be high-voltage. Against South Africa, India fielded an inexperienced squad, while versus Australia, Rohit Sharma and Co-opted a mix of youth and mixture for the covered BGT 2024-25. Keeping this in mind, here are a few major highlights from the South Africa and ongoing Australia tours for India, respectively.

Sanju Samson Stellar Showing

Heavily criticised for often underperforming, India played Sanju Samson as an opener in the T20Is, which yielded excellent results. Samson displayed his brutal hitting skills in the 1st T20I at Durban, hitting his second consecutive 20-overs hundred for India. However, back-to-back ducks raised questions about the wicketkeeper's ability to maintain consistency, but in the fourth and final T20I, Sanju mauled the hosts' bowlers for yet another century, hitting back at all his critics with the bat.

The Rise Of Tilak Varma

A prodigious talent, Tilak Varma came through the IPL and domestic ranks and got preferred over other accomplished players in South Africa. Showing glimpses in first-two T20Is, Varma's talent flourished in the third T20I, where the left-hander batter hit his maiden century in 51 balls, ransacking the opposition. In the fourth and final T20I, Varma exhibited a more brutal knock, hitting his second consecutive hundred in 41 balls, bettering his personal best.

Milestone Knocks For Sanju Samson and Tilak Varma

Both Samson and Varma's capabilities with the bat in the top and middle-order, respectively ensured that India's batting depth after the retirement of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli remains in good and reliable hands. 2025 Year of Retirement! Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Other Indian Cricketers Who Could Retire in New Year.

With India's World Test Championship 2023-25 Final hopes all pinned on the result of five-Test Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 Down Under, hosts started the series with a win, but soon found themselves in a mess, with Australia steamrolling them in Adelaide, and Melbourne, with Brisbane being a draw thanks to the weather gods. However, in four Test so far, India have found their knight in shining armours, which were few shone like the grisliest stars in the sky.

Yashasvi Jaiswal Takes Centrestage

Looking to prove his mantle in Australian conditions, Yashasvi Jaiswal started the BGT 2024-25 with a duck. However, a mature and calculated knock from the 23-year-old followed, where Jaiswal slammed his maiden Test century Down Under and displayed his class against in-form pacers at Perth. After a few low scores, Jaiswal once again rose like a phoenix in Melbourne, carrying India's battings in both innings of a rather unimpressive Test. So far, 359 runs under his belt, Jaiswal is the second-highest run-getter in BGT 2024-25.

Nitish Kumar Reddy Is Fire And Not Flower

Doubted for his selection in BGT 2024-25, Nitish Kumar Reddy shut all his skeptics wrong, emerging as one of the bright lights for India in this under-par Australian tour. Nitish Reddy displayed glimpses of his talent in Adelaide, where the all-rounder slammed 42 runs in each innings but exploded on the scene during the Boxing Day Test. Under extreme pressure, Nitish dished out one of the most brilliant maiden Test hundreds at Melbourne Cricket Ground against Australia, who were taken aback by the all-rounder's mindset. Indian Men’s Cricket Team Schedule in 2025: Upcoming Team India Matches Including IND vs PAK in ICC Champions Trophy, Asia Cup and Other Full Fixtures With Venues.

Nitish Reddy's Unique Celebration

Jasprit Bumrah - One Man Army

As a stand-in captain in the IND vs AUS 1st Test 2024, Jasprit Bumrah shone both as a leader and a bowler, out-preparing Australia batters and counterpart Pat Cummins, handing India a 1-0 lead. Bumrah singlehandedly kept bringing India back in the next three BGT Tests, where he outperformed other bowlers from both teams and is the leading wicket-taker by a far margin with 30 scalps to his name.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 31, 2024 08:19 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).