Wisden Awards: Star Performers 2025

The latest edition of the Wisden honours has spotlighted a remarkable year in international cricket, celebrating outstanding individual performances across both men’s and women’s formats. The awards reflect a season defined by record-breaking displays, historic milestones, and pivotal contributions in major global tournaments.

Women’s cricket witnessed a defining moment as India finally ended years of heartbreak by securing their maiden ODI World Cup title on home soil. In a commanding final against South Africa in Mumbai, India triumphed by 52 runs, marking a watershed achievement in their cricketing history.

Central to this success was all-round brilliance from Deepti Sharma. In the final, she delivered a match-winning performance with both bat and ball, scoring a fluent 58 runs and claiming a five-wicket haul. Throughout the tournament, she accumulated 215 runs and took 22 wickets, earning her the Player of the Tournament award and subsequently the Wisden Women’s Cricketer of the Year honour.

In the men’s game, the accolade went to Australia’s premier fast bowler Mitchell Starc, whose 2025 season was defined by relentless pace and wicket-taking ability. Starc claimed 55 Test wickets over the year, the highest among left-arm fast bowlers globally. His standout performance came against England, where he produced career-best figures of 7 for 58 in a single innings. He was also instrumental in Australia’s Ashes triumph, capturing 31 wickets across the series.

The Wisden recognition further extended to emerging and consistent performers across formats. Abhishek Sharma earned distinction after becoming one of the fastest Indian batters to reach 1,000 runs in T20 internationals during the year, showcasing explosive consistency at the top of the order.

The prestigious “Wisden Five Cricketers of the Year” list also featured strong Indian representation, underlining the country’s growing dominance in world cricket. Shubman Gill, Ravindra Jadeja, Rishabh Pant, and Mohammed Siraj were all included for their consistent performances across formats. Gill’s extraordinary 430-run innings at Edgbaston stood out as one of the defining Test performances of the year.

The only non-Indian player in the list was England’s Haseeb Hameed, whose prolific domestic season saw him amass 1,258 runs in the County Championship, guiding Nottinghamshire to a title-winning campaign.

Wisden 2025 Major Honours Overview

This year’s Wisden honours collectively highlight a shifting balance in world cricket, with India’s rising influence and Australia’s continued dominance shaping the modern era of the sport.