MS Dhoni wasn’t India’s most-searched cricketer of 2024. Photo: AP

Indian cricket reached new heights in 2024 as the national team started the year with a Test series win against England. Following the long Test series, IPL entertained millions of fans across the globe. A month after IPL, Team India ended the country’s long wait for an ICC title by winning the 2024 T20 World Cup.

MS Dhoni hogged the limelight before IPL 2024 as he quit as the captain of Chennai Super Kings (CSK). Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma were also the talk of the town in 2024. Rohit captained India to a title win while Virat was bestowed with the Player of the Final award. Both Indian legends retired from T20Is after winning the title.

Surprisingly, none of these three players could become the most-searched Indian cricketer in 2024. Hardik Pandya pipped everyone to top the charts. Hardik, who bowled the final over against South Africa in the T20 WC final, was India’s most-searched cricketer of the year.

He was also the talk of the town during IPL 2024 as the fans booed him. He replaced Rohit as Mumbai Indians’ (MI) captain before the season, a decision which did not go down well with the fans.

After the T20 WC final, Hardik looked set to become India’s T20I captain but he was pipped by Suryakumar Yadav. The star all-rounder wasn’t even named the vice-captain. A couple of weeks after the T20 WC, he announced his separation from his wife.

Hardik was retained by MI before the IPL 2025 mega-auction and was also confirmed as the captain. The fans talked about Hardik throughout the year and he finished at the top spot.

Shashank Singh was India’s second-most searched cricketer in 2024. The right-handed batsman became an overnight sensation after his success in IPL 2024. He was retained by Punjab Kings before the mega-auction for Rs 4 crore.

Rishav Narang author

Rishav Narang is a senior correspondent with Times Network. He has been with the organisation since 2018 and has over 8 years of experience in digital…View More