Image: Jasprit Bumrah and Smriti Mandhana named Wisden’s top cricketers for 2025 / © MyKhel
For the 2025 edition of the Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack, Indian cricketers Jasprit Bumrah and Smriti Mandhana have been honored as the best male and female cricketers in the world, respectively. Bumrah, hailed as the “Star of the Year” by editor Lawrence Booth, created history by becoming the first Test bowler to take 200 wickets at an average below 20.
His stellar 2024 included 71 Test wickets at an average under 15, and 32 wickets at 13.06 in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. He also played a vital role in India’s T20 World Cup victory in the Caribbean. On the women’s side, Smriti Mandhana scored 1,659 international runs in 2024 — the most by any woman in a calendar year — which included four ODI centuries and a commanding 149 in a Test win against South Africa. Meanwhile, Nicholas Pooran of the West Indies was named the best T20 cricketer.
Among Wisden’s five cricketers of the year were Surrey’s Gus Atkinson, Jamie Smith, Dan Worrall, Hampshire’s Liam Dawson, and England’s Sophie Ecclestone. Additionally, New Zealand’s Mitchell Santner received the Wisden Trophy for his series-winning 13-wicket haul against India in Pune, marking India’s first home Test series defeat since 2012.