Who won the Punch.ev car in IPL 2024?
Twenty-two-year-old Australian batter Jake Fraser-McGurk received the Punch.ev car for his stellar performances in IPL 2024. At the post-match presentation after the final between Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH), Fraser-McGurk was named the 'Electric Striker of the Season.' As he is not currently in India, fellow Australian Travis Head received the award on his behalf.
Fraser-McGurk was one of the standout batters of IPL 2024. He was not in the Delhi Capitals (DC) squad originally but was drafted in as an injury replacement for Lungi Ngidi. The youngster could not find a place in the DC playing XI for their first five games. However, after repeated poor performances from their top order, the Capitals management gave him a chance. He grabbed the opportunity and made an instant impression with impactful performances.
Fraser-McGurk went on to score 330 runs across nine games at an astonishing strike rate of 234.04, including four half-centuries. He provided brisk starts to his side and played a crucial role in their resurgence after a poor first half of the season. As a result, DC competed for a spot in the playoffs and narrowly missed out due to poor net run rate. They ended up with 14 points, the same as the fourth and fifth-placed teams on the points table.
In his debut season, Fraser-McGurk made a massive impact and ended up winning the Punch.ev car for maintaining the highest strike rate across the season. SRH openers Abhishek Sharma (204.21) and Travis Head (191.55), who also had a memorable season, finished on the podium. DC batter Tristan Stubbs (190.90) and RCB keeper Dinesh Karthik (187.35) rounded out the top 5.
Jake Fraser-McGurk failed to find a spot in Australia's squad for the 2024 T20 World Cup despite IPL 2024 heroics
Despite having a breakthrough season in IPL, Jake Fraser-McGurk was not selected in Australia's 2024 World Cup squad. They decided to stick with the experienced top-order of David Warner, Travis Head, and Mitchell Marsh for the mega tournament. However, Fraser-McGurk will travel with the team as a reserve along with Matt Short.