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2025 was the year Indian cricket truly soared. It was a year defined by broken curses, shattered records, and the rise of teenagers who play like veterans. From finally lifting major trophies to dominating the ICC rankings, Indian fans had little time to catch their breath.
Also Read: Year Ender 2025: Top 5 Indian batting performances - When runs mattered most
Here are the five biggest winners who defined this golden year.
Honourable Mention: Rohit Sharma
We cannot close this list without tipping our hats to the former captain. Rohit Sharma finally fulfilled his destiny by leading India to the ICC Champions Trophy title. On a personal level, he achieved a milestone that had surprisingly evaded him for years, reaching the World No. 1 ranking in ODIs for the first time in his legendary career.
1. Virat Kohli
The King reclaimed his throne in spectacular fashion. Critics had their doubts, but Kohli silenced every single one of them. Not only did he end the year as Team India’s highest run-scorer in ODIs, but he also achieved what felt like the impossible: winning the long-awaited IPL title with RCB. Seeing him lift that trophy was a moment of pure euphoria for millions. On the international stage, he was instrumental in bringing home the Champions Trophy and climbed back into the top 2 of the ICC ODI Batting rankings, his highest spot since 2022.
2. Smriti Mandhana
Smriti didn’t just play cricket this year; she owned it. 2025 saw her tearing up the record books, most notably becoming the first Indian woman to cross the historic 4,000 T20I runs mark. Her dominance was arguably clearest during the World Cup, where she amassed 434 runs, anchoring the innings time and again. Smriti Mandhana had an incredible 2025, scoring 5 centuries in Women's ODIs, tying the record for the most in a single year with Tazmin Brits and setting new heights for herself (breaking her 2024 record of 4 centuries) and becoming the first woman with 1000+ ODI runs in a year (1362 runs in total).
3. Vaibhav Suryavanshi
We are running out of superlatives for this kid. At just 14, Vaibhav is doing things that defy logic. He announced his arrival with a deafening roar in the IPL, smashing a 35-ball century against Gujarat Titans (finishing 101 off 38 balls*), the second-fastest in tournament history. Then he bettered himself by scoring a 32-ball 100 and finishing on 144 off 42 balls. It was the 6th-highest T20 century in the history of cricket. He proved he isn't just a T20 slogger during the U-19 Asia Cup, where he played a marathon innings of 171 off 95 balls against the UAE. Not even the great Sachin Tendulkar was scoring at this level, at this rate, at such a young age.
4. Abhishek Sharma
Abhishek Sharma was a T20 monster in 2025. He came agonisingly close to breaking Virat Kohli’s record for the most T20I runs in a single year for India. His aggressive batting at the top was the highlight of the Asia Cup, where he was rightfully crowned Player of the Tournament. To top it all off, he achieved the number 1 ICC ranking in T20Is, cementing his place as the future of India’s short-format batting.
5. Deepti Sharma
Deepti Sharma has always been reliable, but in 2025, she was simply fantastic. She earned the Player of the Tournament in the World Cup by doing something no cricketer, male or female, had ever done before: scoring over 200 runs and taking 20 wickets in a single edition. She also crossed the 300 international wickets milestone this year, proving once and for all that she is the undisputed MVP of this side.
