Mitchell Starc and Deepti Sharma Win Top Cricket Honors

Australian fast bowler Mitchell Starc and Indian all-rounder Deepti Sharma have been named Leading Cricketers in the World by the Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack for their exceptional performances in 2025. The awards were announced before the release of the 163rd edition of the Almanack.

Mitchell Starc, who turned 36 this year, took 55 wickets in 11 Test matches at an impressive average of 17.32 and a low economy rate of 3.66. Deepti Sharma, meanwhile, was instrumental in India’s historic first ODI World Cup victory. She scored 215 runs with an average of 30.71 and took 22 wickets at 20.40. In the final against South Africa, she hit a quick 58 runs and finished with 5 wickets for just 39 runs in 9.3 overs.

India’s Shubman Gill, Ravindra Jadeja, Rishabh Pant, and Mohammed Siraj were also honoured as Wisden’s Five Cricketers of the Year. They played crucial roles in the five-match Test series against England, which ended in a 2-2 draw. Gill was the top scorer with 754 runs at an average of 75.40, including four centuries. Jadeja scored 516 runs at 86.00, while Pant made 479 runs at 68.43. Siraj took 23 wickets at 32.43, the highest in the series.

Gill also won the Wisden Trophy for his outstanding performance in the second Test at Edgbaston, where he scored 430 runs to seal a match victory.

In T20 cricket, Abhishek Sharma was named Leading T20 Player of the World. He scored 1602 runs in 40 matches with an average of 41.07 and a strike rate of 202.01, including three centuries and nine half-centuries.

English player Haseeb Hameed is the only one from England to receive a major honour this year. He was included among the Five Cricketers of the Year after leading Nottinghamshire to the County Championship title while scoring 1,258 runs at an average of 66.00, including four centuries and two double tons.