2025: A Year of Triumphs and Trials for Indian Cricket

A Year of Mixed Emotions for Indian Cricket Fans

The year 2025 has been a tumultuous journey for Indian cricket enthusiasts. While the Indian team celebrated victories in white-ball formats, their Test performances saw significant ups and downs. The year can be encapsulated by three key themes: Trophies, Transition, and Heartbreak.

Following their ICC T20 World Cup win in June 2024, the Men in Blue added the ICC Champions Trophy to their collection, marking their second white-ball title in under a year. This victory was a welcome relief for fans, especially after the team lost the Border-Gavaskar Trophy to Australia, ending a decade-long reign.

However, shortly after this triumph, two of India's cricketing legends, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, announced their retirements from Test cricket after struggling with form. Youngster Shubman Gill emerged as a key player, leading India to a hard-fought 2-2 draw in England during a thrilling Test series, although a neck injury sidelined him during home Tests against South Africa, contributing to another disappointing series loss.

Trophies

The year began with the Test team relying heavily on Jasprit Bumrah, who faced immense pressure in Australia as the squad struggled for consistency. The series was marked by painful moments, including Virat Kohli's dismissal to Scott Boland and Rohit Sharma's inability to perform, finishing with just 31 runs across five innings. Despite Bumrah's remarkable 32 wickets, India lost the Border-Gavaskar Trophy for the first time in ten years.

After securing victories in the ODI and T20I series against England, India launched their ICC Champions Trophy campaign in Dubai. Key players like Shubman Gill and Mohammed Shami delivered standout performances, leading to India's second white-ball title in less than a year. This victory was particularly sweet for the ODI core, who had narrowly missed out on the ODI World Cup title in 2023.

Shreyas Iyer emerged as India's top run-scorer in the tournament, while Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakravarthy were among the leading wicket-takers. The new-look Team India, under Suryakumar Yadav's leadership, also went undefeated in the Asia Cup, winning all seven matches, including a title clash against Pakistan amidst off-field controversies.

Transition

With the retirement of Ravichandran Ashwin during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, questions arose about the future of Rohit and Virat, who struggled with form and fitness. Their domestic outings were disappointing, leading to their departure from the Test squad just before the ICC World Test Championship series against England.

Shubman Gill, now captain of a revamped Team India, stepped up impressively in England, where the series ended in a thrilling 2-2 draw. Gill's remarkable performance included a record-breaking 754 runs, showcasing his potential as the future of Indian Test cricket.

Despite losing his first series in charge against Australia, Gill ended the year as the top run-scorer in men's international cricket, with impressive statistics across formats. The future of Indian cricket now rests on the shoulders of Gill, Pant, and other emerging talents.

Heartbreak

After a promising start to the year, Team India faced a harsh reality against South Africa in the ICC World Test Championship. Despite a strong home record, they suffered a shocking defeat, losing their 13-year winning streak at Eden Gardens and experiencing their worst Test loss by 408 runs in Guwahati.

The performances of South African players like Simon Harmer and Marco Jansen raised questions about the Indian batting lineup, which seemed far from its dominant past. The year concluded with mixed results across formats, highlighting both the potential and challenges facing Indian cricket.

Team India in 2025: Format-by-Format

- Tests: Played: 10, Won: 4, Lost: 5, Drawn: 1 (Lost the BGT series, drew the England tour Tests 2-2, won 2-0 against WI at home, whitewashed 0-2 by SA at home)

- ODIs: Played 14, Won: 11, Lost: 3 (ICC Champions Trophy winners, secured series wins against South Africa and England at home, lost away ODI series to Australia)

- T20Is: Played: 21, Won: 16, Lost: 3, Tied: 1, No-Result: 1 (Asia Cup winners, undefeated across bilaterals/tournaments)

Top Performers

- Shubman Gill: 1,764 runs in 35 matches and 42 innings at an average of 49.00, with seven centuries and three fifties.

- KL Rahul: 1,180 runs in 24 matches at an average of 47.20, with three centuries and five fifties in 30 innings.

- Yashasvi Jaiswal: 916 runs in 14 matches and 23 innings at an average of 41.63, with four centuries and three fifties.

- Kuldeep Yadav: 60 wickets in 25 matches at an average of 20.48, with five four-fers and a five-for.

- Varun Chakravarthy: 46 wickets in 24 matches at an average of 14.45, with a four-fer and two five-fors.

- Jasprit Bumrah: 45 wickets in 21 matches at an average of 21.77, with three five-wicket hauls.