The ninth edition of the T20 World Cup in 2024 is a 20-team tournament, which has allowed the maximum number of associate nations to display their talent on the world stage. In the group stage of the tournament, there has been an emergence of young and experienced cricketers from associate nations making a name for themselves with consistent performances against some of the best in the world.
In this article, SportsTiger looks at the five top performers from associate nations in the T20 World Cup 2024.
Saurabh Netravalkar
Saurabh Netravlkar, the USA fast bowler, 32, has become the newest star in the cricketing world after playing a key role in ensuring that the team reached the Super 8 stage of the T20 World Cup 2024 after defeating Pakistan in a Group A match. Although the left-armer has only picked up four wickets in three matches at an economy of 5.20, two of those wickets include Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.
Brandon McMullen
Brandon McMullen has been the star performer at the top of the order for Scotland, scoring 140 runs in three innings at an average of 70 and a strike rate of 170.73, including fifties against Australia and Oman in the T20 World Cup 2024. The 24-year-old, who bats right-handed, displayed his quality batting skills to the fullest on tough pitches in the Caribbean, putting his team on the brink of advancing through to the Super 8 stage of the tournament from Group B.
Dilon Heyliger
Dilon Heyliger, the right-arm fast bowler, was exceptional with his lines and lengths on pitches at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York, helping Canada register their first win in T20 World Cup history against Ireland. The 34-year-old played three matches in the group stage of the tournament, picking up five wickets at an economy of five runs per over.
Ruben Trumpelmann
Ruben Trumpelmann, 26, is known for his ability to pick early wickets in the powerplay stage with prodigious swing and seam, showcasing it to the max for Namibia at the T20 World Cup 2024. Although the left-arm fast bowler conceded runs at an economy of 8.91, he got seven wickets in just four matches, which included a four-wicket haul.
Aaron Jones
Aaron Jones, the USA opening batter, 29, captured the imagination of cricketing audiences all over the world with his breathtaking 94 not out off 40, which included four fours and 10 maximums, to help the team register their first win in the T20 World Cup history in front of their home fans against Canada. In his three matches in the 2024 edition of the tournament, the right-hander has scored 141 runs at a strike rate of 160.22, while getting dismissed only once in three innings.