No Babar Azam and Gill; 5 players from IND and PAK: OneCricket's T20I team of the year 2025

Abhishek to open; No Gill and Babar [Source: AFP]

The year 2025 was a dramatic year that witnessed several nail-biting cricketing fixtures between rival nations. While the India-Pakistan clashes lit up the Asia Cup, Australia and New Zealand enjoyed stellar success, registering impressive winning percentages in the shortest format. 

Although prominent players, including Shubman Gill and Babar Azam, failed to live up to the expectations in T20Is, the likes of Abhishek Sharma, Hardik Pandya and Mohammad Nawaz finished the year as the most impressive players in the shortest format. As the year is about to come to a close, we analyse to find the T20I team of 2025. 

Abhishek spearheads top-order with Marsh and Seifert

(Abhishek, Marsh and Seifert in T20Is in 2025)

• Abhishek Sharma was undoubtedly the most prolific T20I batter in 2025, finishing the year with the most runs at an average of 43.94 and a blistering strike rate of 191.52. He was pivotal in India's Asia Cup victory, consistently providing the team with rollicking starts. 
• Although Sahibzada Farhan, Tanzid Hasan and Shai Hope scored more than five hundred T20I runs in 2025, their strike rates were on the lower side. So, Mitchell Marsh and Tim Seifert make it into our team purely because of the impact they had for Australia and New Zealand, respectively. Marsh, having led Australia to ten wins in 13 T20Is in 2025, has been chosen as the captain of the side. 

Tilak Varma forms middle order core with Tim David

(Tilak and David in T20Is in 2025)

• Swashbuckling southpaw Tilak Varma was India's Mr. consistent with the bat in T20Is this year. The Hyderabad batter held his nerves, powering India to the Asia Cup title with a magnificent knock under pressure in the final. 
• He bats in the middle order in our team, while Tim David makes it into the side, courtesy of his remarkable numbers in the shortest format this year. David is one of the most improved T20 batters in recent times, and his consistency, as well as red-hot form, earns him a crucial place in our middle order. 

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Hardik Pandya, Holder and Nawaz make into the team as allrounders

(Pandya, Holder and Nawaz's T20I record in 2025)

• Talismanic Indian cricketer Hardik Pandya had a memorable year in T20Is, amassing 301 runs at a blistering strike rate of 153.57. Although he blew hot and cold in the Asia Cup, Pandya regained his mojo in the home series against South Africa, leading India to an emphatic victory with his all-round attributes. 
• On the other hand, Mohammad Nawaz, who emerged as Pakistan's most valuable asset in 2025, makes it into our team as the spin-bowling allrounder. Besides scalping 36 wickets at a superb economy of 6.56, Nawaz chipped in with crucial contributions lower down the order on a consistent basis. 
• Meanwhile, the addition of Jason Holder adds quality and depth to our team. Holder was one of the rare positives for the West Indies in an otherwise ordinary year, scoring 255 runs at a strike rate of nearly 150 and scalping 31 wickets. 

Bowlers: Jacob Duffy, Varun Chakravarthy and Nathan Ellis

(Duffy, Varun C and Ellis in T20Is in 2025)

• New Zealand's Jacob Duffy had a breakthrough year, registering the most wickets by a pacer in T20Is in 2025. The Kiwi speedster even bagged an IPL deal for RCB in the mini auction, with the franchise signing him as a potential replacement for Josh Hazlewood amid the latter's recent injury concerns. 
• Ace Indian spinner Varun Chakravarthy oozed his class in the shortest format, making his case further strong to play as the frontline spinner over Kuldeep Yadav in the upcoming T20 World Cup. He bagged 36 T20I wickets at a magnificent economy of 7.08 and has been chosen as our lead spinner along with Mohammad Nawaz. 
• On the other hand, we have picked Nathan Ellis as our middle and death overs specialist. The Australian pacer was impressive in T20Is this year, scalping 18 wickets at a superb strike rate of 14. His wily variations and ability to deliver with the old ball make him a proper candidate for the third seamer's role, with Holder and Pandya sharing the new-ball bowling duties with Duffy. 

OneCricket's T20I team of the year 2025

Abhishek Sharma 🇮🇳
Tim Seifert (WK) 🇳🇿
Mitchell Marsh (C) 🇦🇺
Tilak Varma 🇮🇳
Tim David 🇦🇺
Hardik Pandya 🇮🇳
Mohammad Nawaz 🇵🇰
Jason Holder 🌴
Jacob Duffy 🇳🇿
Nathan Ellis 🇦🇺
Varun Chakravarthy 🇮🇳

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