Hardik Pandya was the 7th most searched athlete across the globe in 2024. An uncapped Indian cricketer surprisingly made the 9th spot.
The biggest achievement for India was definitely winning the T20 World Cup, but Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma’s departure from the shortest format also became a hot topic of conversation. Nevertheless, neither Virat nor Rohit made the cut for the list of the most Googled sports figures worldwide. Hardik Pandya was the only player from India’s T20 World Cup-winning squad to place in the top 10.
Hardik isn’t the only Indian cricket player, though, to rank in the top ten globally sought athletes. Shashank Singh, a member of the Indian Premier League’s Punjab Kings, is the other cricket player.
Considering that he is still an uncapped batter and has just played in the IPL for around two months, many find Shashank’s inclusion in the top 10 very unexpected. However, one could argue that the way PBKS purchased him at the IPL 2024 auction helped him gain significant online recognition.
They argue that the Punjab Kings unintentionally purchased Shashank at the auction because they believed he was just “another Shashank Singh.”
Here’s a look at the 10 most searched athletes in 2024:
- Imane Khelifna
- Mike Tyson
- Lamine Yamal
- Simone Biles
- Jake Paul
- Nico Williams
- Hardik Pandya
- Scottie Scheffler
- Shashank Singh
- Rodri
The top slot goes to Imane Khelif, an Algerian boxer who was at the heart of the gender debate during this year’s Olympic Games in Paris. The pugilist continued to be a hot subject on the internet even after the event ended, with Imane taking home a gold medal.
The No. 2 place went to legendary boxer Mike Tyson, who recently faced Jake Paul, ahead of Spain and Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal.
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