![ODI cricketer of the year [Source: AFP Photo]](https://onecricketnews.akamaized.net/parth-editor/oc-dashboard/news-images-prod/1766920868952_ODIcricketeroftheyear.jpg?type=hq)
ODI cricketer of the year [Source: AFP Photo]
The year 2025 was dominated by T20I cricket as almost all the big nations played a plethora of T20 matches in order to prepare for the World Cup next year. However, there was a 50-overs tournament (Champions Trophy) in February, and quite a few bilateral matches were also scheduled in the second half of the year.
In 2025, there were several high-profile performances in the ODIs, most notably in the Champions Trophy. With the year coming to an end, we rank the 10 best players in ODIs this year, and we’ll be ranking them on the basis of the impact their performance had on their side.
10) Jayden Seales (27 wickets in 12 matches)
West Indian pace spearhead, Jayden Seales, had a phenomenal year in the ODIs as he finished as the fourth-highest wicket-taker in the format, only behind Matt Henry, Bernard Martinus Scholtz, and Adil Rashid.
The West Indian pacer scalped 27 wickets in just 12 ODI matches at an average of 18.14, but the only reason why his performance ranks last is the fact that other players on the list performed in the ICC tournaments, wherereas, West Indies failed to qualify for the Champions Trophy, and Seales attained all his wickets in bilateral matches.
9) Adil Rashid (30 wickets in 15 matches)
Adil Rashid will arguably go down as England’s greatest ODI spinner of all-time, and he delivered the goods this year, picking up 30 wickets in just 15 matches, at an average of 23.63. However, the reason he is so far down the list is that he only scalped 3 wickets in 3 Champions Trophy matches, and had an average of 48 as England crashed out in the group stage.
8) Kuldeep Yadav (19 wickets in 11 matches)
The Indian spinner was phenomenal in the ODIs this year, picking up 19 wickets in 11 matches as he tormented the batters with his brilliant spin bowling. He was especially crucial in the Champions Trophy finals, picking up 2 key wickets of Rachin Ravindra, and Kane Williamson to turn the tides in India’s favour.
However, the reason he ranks low is the fact that prior to the Champions Trophy, he struggled in the ODIs vs England, picking up only 2 wickets in 2 matches. However, overall, his stats were outstanding in the 50-overs format.
7) Rachin Ravindra (604 runs in 14 matches)
Rachin Ravindra was the main reason why New Zealand reached the Champions Trophy finals as he slammed two hundreds in the tournament and finished as the leading run-getter in the tournament. However, in the following two ODI series against England and West Indies, he averaged a mere 39 and 24, respectively and hence, he sits down in the pecking order in the list.
6) Mitch Santner (25 wickets in 17 matches)
One of the most street-smart cricketers of the modern era, New Zealand all-rounder Mitch Santner, continued his domination in 2025 as he finished the year with 25 wickets in 17 matches. He finished with 9 wickets in the Champions Trophy, but in the subsequent six matches against England and West Indies, he only picked up 7 wickets, and this has led to him being out of the top 5 in this list.
5) Rohit Sharma (650 runs in 14 matches)
The former India captain was outstanding with the bat in 2025, scoring runs everywhere. He started the year with a hundred against England at home, and ended the year with a century against Australia at the SCG, and a couple of fifties against the Proteas.
However, he only makes the cut at number 5 because in the Champions Trophy, he failed in three successive games (including the semis), but came to life in the finale against the Kiwis. Moreover, the four players ahead of him had an even better year in ODIs.
4) Joe Root (808 runs in 15 matches)
Root finished the year as the highest run-getter in ODI cricket, but unfortunately still doesn’t make the top 3 in this list. He even finished in the top-5 run-getters in the Champions Trophy, but out of the three innings that he played, two came in losing causes.
He arguably played the innings of his life when he slammed 166* against the West Indies, but that brilliance was compensated with just 29 runs in three matches against the Kiwis.
3) Matt Henry (31 wickets in 13 matches)
Perhaps the most improved bowler in the last two years, Matt Henry was the leading wicket-taker in ODIs this year, and he averaged a mere 18.58. He was phenomenal for the Kiwis in the DChampions Trophy, picking up 10 wickets, including a fifer in the group stage match vs India.
However, the top two players in the list had an unreal year, and this is the reason why despite finishing with 31 wickets, Henry only sits at the third place.
2) Matthew Breetzke (706 runs in 12 matches)
The South African sensation had a debut year to remember as he accumulated 706 runs in ODIs and finished as the fourth-highest run-getter. Interestingly, Breetzke slammed four 50-plus scores in his first 5 ODI matches, which in itself is a record.
He did everything right in his debut year in ODIs, but the cricketer at the top deserves to occupy the spot for his contribution in the knockouts.
1) Virat Kohli (651 runs in 13 matches)
How ironic it is that despite registering back-to-back ducks vs Australia in the ODIs, Kohli still finished with an average of 65, the highest by a player from a Test-playing nation in 2025. He scored a match-winning century against Pakistan in the Champions Trophy, and it was followed by a breathtaking fifty in the semis vs the Australian side.
After two failures vs Australia, he responded with four successive scores of 50-plus, including two centuries against South Africa. Moreover, he ended the year with a Player of the Series award vs the Proteas and a century and a fifty in the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy.
