Arshdeep, Mandhana nominated for ICC awards
Dubai, Dec 29: Indian pacer Arshdeep Singh has been nominated for the ICC Men's T20I Cricketer of the Year award following a stellar season in which he emerged as the joint highest wicket-taker and played a pivotal role in India's T20 World Cup triumph.
The 25-year-old will compete for the prestigious honour alongside Pakistan's Babar Azam, Australia's Travis Head, and Zimbabwe's Sikandar Raza, all of whom are among the standout performers this year.
Stylish Indian opener Smriti Mandhana too will be vying for an ICC award after being nominated for ICC Women's ODI Cricketer of the Year for her standout performance in international cricket.
Laura Wolvaardt (South Africa), Chamari Athapaththu (Sri Lanka) and Annabel Sutherland (Australia) are the other experienced cricketers competing for the award.
Arshdeep's sensational show in 2024
Singh, a left-arm pacer, was a key figure in India's T20 World Cup victory in Barbados. He finished the year as the joint highest wicket-taker in T20Is, with 36 wickets in 18 matches at an impressive average of 13.5.
His tally was the second-highest by an Indian pacer in T20Is in a calendar year, just behind Bhuvneshwar Kumar's 37 wickets in 2022.
Singh claimed 17 wickets in the T20 World Cup, tying with Afghanistan's Fazalhaq Farooqi for the most wickets in the tournament.
His most memorable moment came in the final, where he dismissed key players Aiden Markram and Quinton de Kock early, derailing South Africa's chase of 177. In the high-pressure 19th over, he conceded just four runs, increasing the required run rate and setting the stage for India's victory.
Mandhana delivers sparkling performances
Mandhana, a left-handed opener, amassed 743 runs in 12 innings at an impressive average of 61.91 and a strike rate of 96.99 and also claimed a wicket in what turned out to be a memorable season.
The 28-year-old hit a pair of centuries in June against South Africa in Bengaluru to get her 2024 campaign rolling before managing two more hundreds later in the year to stay in good touch right up until December.
Mandhana managed a total of 343 runs from three innings in a Player of the Series effort against South Africa in June. She got her third hundred when amassing 100 in the final match of India's home series against New Zealand right after the completion of the ICC Women's T20 World Cup.
Another hundred followed in the final match of her side's three-game series with Australia in December, but that was in vain as the Aussies completed a 3-0 series sweep of their own.
Mandhana's best all-round effort came in the second match of India's home series against South Africa, when she scored a century and picked up a key wicket to help her side to a narrow four-wicket victory.
The winners of the ICC Awards 2024 will be announced in late January 2025.
🇿🇼🇦🇺🇵🇰🇮🇳
— ICC (@ICC) December 29, 2024
A star-studded shortlist for ICC Men’s T20I Cricketer of the Year has been revealed 👀#ICCAwardshttps://t.co/mhvz13ik6i
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Karnataka's BioEconomy reaches USD 39.2 billion, says report
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka's BioEconomy has reached USD 39.2 billion in 2025, marking strong growth from previous years and reaffirming the state's leadership position nationally, according to an official report released on Monday.
The Karnataka Innovation and Technology Society (KITS), under the Department of Electronics, IT, Biotechnology and Science & Technology, unveiled the Karnataka BioEconomy Report 2025 in collaboration with the Association of Biotechnology Led Enterprises.
The report that was released by IT Minister Priyank Kharge stated that the state contributes around 21 per cent of India's BioEconomy and accounts for over 10 per cent of Karnataka's GSDP.
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According to the report, the BioEconomy has expanded from USD 31.0 billion in 2023, reflecting 26.5 per cent cumulative growth, and is now adding nearly USD 10 billion every quarter to the state's GDP.
BioPharma remains the anchor with over 40 per cent share (about USD 16.44 billion), driven by biologics, biosimilars, vaccines and diagnostics, it said.
"BioIndustrial biotechnology has emerged as the fastest-growing segment (about USD 11.46 billion, around 29 per cent share), led by fermentation-based industries, biofuels, enzymes and sustainable materials," the report stated.
BioServices accounts for about 25.8 per cent share, while BioAgri contributes to sustainable agriculture and input innovation, it added.
The report said BioEconomy growth is becoming increasingly multi-regional. While Bengaluru Urban accounts for about 54 per cent of the state's BioEconomy, Mysuru contributes around 8.7 per cent, while Belagavi and Dakshina Kannada together account for over 9 per cent. Northern districts remain the Agri-biotechnology belt.
As many as 218 new biotech startups were added in 2025, taking the cumulative total to 1,451 startups, with over 75 per cent focused on life sciences and health-tech. Bengaluru accounts for about 54 per cent of startups, it stated.
Between January 2024 and October 2025, the report stated that Karnataka attracted USD 1.14 billion across around 40 deals spanning BioPharma, MedTech, precision fermentation, digital health and AgriBio.
Minister Kharge said, "With our BioEconomy crossing USD 39 billion and contributing over 10 per cent to our GSDP, biotechnology is no longer confined to laboratories - it is now a central driver of economic growth, industrial innovation and societal impact."
He said that the state government's focus is on building a full-spectrum biomanufacturing economy by supporting deep-tech startups, strengthening innovation infrastructure, and ensuring that growth reaches beyond Bengaluru to every region of the state.
