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Top 10 most talked-about cricketers in India throughout 2025 (AFP)
There’s never a dull moment in Indian cricket. However, the way 2025 turned out was tumultuous, meaning numerous events and young guns shook the world of cricket with their impact, becoming the talk of the town.
As a result, the fanfare and fandom around cricketers hogged all the limelight. This was evident in Google’s much-anticipated list of the most-searched Indian people of 2025. In a list usually monopolized by Bollywood and political personalities, cricket clearly cleaned swept the rest.
In less than 5 days, the year 2025 will bid its final goodbye, leaving us with infinite memories. That being said, let’s take a look at the cricketers who acquired the hot stop in India throughout the year.
Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Bihar’s 14-year-old prodigy who slammed all the records
A teenager from the Samastipur district of Bihar, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, blew up the world of cricket for breaking multiple youngest-ever and fastest-century records in 2025. After he became the youngest IPL player and centurion, he smashed a 36-ball Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26 century, the youngest player to score a ton in List A cricket.
Interestingly, he was the first IPL player born after the league's inception. Notably, his sensational performances, including scoring the youngest century in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and for the India Under-19 team, generated massive curiosity and awe across the country.
Priyansh Arya turned heads in the IPL after domestic heroics
The Delhi batter has quickly become a name to remember in Indian cricket. 24-year-old Priyansh Arya stunned the cricketing world during the IPL 2025 with a blistering 103 off just 42 balls for Punjab Kings (PBKS) against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in Mullanpur.
With that knock, Arya became the second-fastest Indian to score an IPL century, reaching the milestone in just 39 balls. This not only lit up the stadium but also gained him a lot of attention.
Abhishek Sharma becomes World No. 1 T20I Batter
The Indian cricket team has been achieving success this year across all formats of the game, thanks to the new finds who have taken the sport to the next level. Abhishek Sharma is one such talent whose expertise lies in the shortest format of the game.
Former Indian giants Yuvraj Singh’s mentee, the young left-hander, has proved that his explosive batting is not just about power hitting but also about precision and timing. From his blistering knocks in the IPL, including a record-breaking 141 off 55 balls for Sunrisers Hyderabad, to his commanding performances for India, Abhishek has displayed the qualities of a match-winner.
This year, his T20I century against England was the second-fastest century in T20s by an Indian, and his record-breaking Asia Cup run tally, also in 2025, has cemented his place among the world’s elite batters. Abhishek’s performances through the year have made him the World No. 1 T20I Batter in the ICC Rankings, holding a record-breaking rating of 931 points.
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Jemi and Smriti: Women cricketers who ruled the year, breaking all barriers
Jemimah Rodrigues' solitary heroics agiants Australia
It was a case of being third time lucky for Indian women, who had lost the 50-overs World Cup final twice in 2005 and 2017. This event provided a sense of redemption and relief to senior women cricketers who pioneered this part of the gender spectrum in a male-dominated sport.
They defeated South Africa in the final, with key performances from Jemimah Rodrigues, including a match-winning 127 against Australia in the semi-final, cementing this historic achievement. In this chase, Rodrigues indeed stole the win from the hands of mighty Australia.
Smriti-Palaash wedding fuss
On the other hand, her teammate and best friend, Smriti Mandhana, saw her popularity grow for an unexpected and unwanted reason. Her wedding to long-time boyfriend, composer Palaash Muchhal, was supposed to be a fairytale. However, what eventually happened stunned one and all.
Palaash and Mandhana were originally scheduled to marry on November 23, 2025. However, after a series of undesirable events, they announced that their wedding had been called off. The unpleasant affair gained a lot of attention, making it the talk of the town, unfortunately.
Special mentions: Other players who stole the spotlight
Google’s list of the most-searched Indian personalities of 2025 also includes the following names: Shaik Rasheed, Ayush Mhatre, Karun Nair, Urvil Patel, and Vignesh Puthur.
Notably, Urvil Patel, Shaik Rasheed, Ayush Mhatre, and Vignesh Puthur all made their IPL debuts in 2025. Seizing the opportunity, all four of them became overnight sensations.
Puthur for the Mumbai Indians and Patel, Mhatre, and Rasheed for CSK drew major interest from fans.
Meanwhile, another name that hogged the limelight throughout 2025 was Karun Nair. From the ecstasy of a record-breaking triple century to the agony of obscurity, Karun Nair’s cricketing journey has been nothing short of dramatic.
But in mid-2025, Nair made a significant comeback to the Indian Test team after an eight-year absence, fueled by strong domestic performances.
Conclusion: Cricket remains India’s heartbeat
Indeed, 2025 was marked by the popularisation of young cricketing talent and heartening real-life stories. Google’s Year in Search 2025 showed that the up-and-coming celebrities, such as Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Priyansh Arya, are ruling the online curiosity amongst the Indian audience.
Thus, showing that passion, performance, and relatability are more influential than ever, leading to greater population interest.
