From Royal Challengers Bengaluru's historic first IPL title to star javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra finally breaking the iconic 90-meter mark to India women winning their first cricket World Cup, this was the year of long-awaited victories and record-breaking feats.
The charismatic presence of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma alongside a host of top India cricketers lends unprecedented gravitas to the Vijay Hazare One-Day Trophy beginning on Wednesday, giving all of them a chance to prove a point amid a renewed focus on domestic grind.
Captured in powerful images and unforgettable moments, 2025 emerged as a turning point in global affairs. These images tell the defining stories that shaped the world across continents.
India beat South Africa by seven wickets on Sunday to take a 2-1 lead in the T20 series after their bowlers skittled the tourists for 117, with Indian pacer Arshdeep Singh's performance setting up the platform for a dominant win for the hosts in Dharamsala.
Images from the second T20 International between India and South Africa, at the PCA's New Chandigarh Stadium, Mullanpur.
Asian Cricket Council chairman Mohsin Naqvi, who is also the PCB chief, walked away with the Asia Cup trophy after India refused to take the silverware from his hands.
Sanju Samson marked his selection for the T20 World Cup with a quiet but powerful statement, underlining his belief and pride after retaining his place in India's squad.
After this snub, it looks difficult for Shubman Gill at this point to make a comeback to the T20 team with plenty of talented young players waiting in the wings.
'I felt they (Rohit and Kohli) had this cycle left. It could be that we don't know what actually transpired.'
'From an Indian perspective, Varun Chakravarthy is the bowler of the year for me.'
'I've had quite a bit of skill sessions and some training sessions. So, I feel much, much better.'
Mithun Manhas' name came to the fore after an informal meeting held in New Delhi, during which it was decided to push his name forward for the role of BCCI president.
The accused reportedly made the remarks against Ganguly while interacting with a journalist.
Gujarat's left-arm spinner Vishal Jayswal received a signed match ball from batting great Virat Kohli after taking his wicket during a thrilling Vijay Hazare Trophy match in Bengaluru on Friday.
In 2023, the BCCI announced a deal with Dream11 as the lead sponsor for Team India. Dream11 replaced Byju's, whose contract ended in March that year, and had signed the agreement with BCCI for a period of three years.
On paper, India are overwhelming favourites to win the series against Chamari Athapaththu-led visitors.
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The deal made Green the third-most expensive player in IPL history and the most expensive overseas player ever in the league.
'He was always a people's person. Don't forget he had been a Delhi captain in a team that had a lot of big stars, India players. They played under him and he managed them fairly well.'
The Indian men ruled white-ball cricket, while South Africa ended decades of hurt by winning the World Test Championship at Lord's. Royal Challengers Bengaluru finally lifted their maiden IPL title, though the celebrations were dimmed by a deadly stampede. Above all, it was India's women who won a billion hearts by finally adding an ICC World Cup trophy to the cabinet.
While the white-ball trophy cabinet kept getting heavier, Team India's fortunes in Test cricket swung wildly between hope and despair in 2025.
Out-of-form India vice-captain Shubman Gill has been ruled out of the last two T20I games against South Africa with a toe injury, sources close to the team told PTI.
The Indian selectors will be announcing the team for the three-match ODI series against the Black Caps, starting January 11 in Vadodara and there have been speculations about whether Pant can hold on to his place in the squad.
The 2026 edition of the Indian Premier League is likely to begin on March 26
In the chase, India lost Shubman Gill for a golden duck, while Marco Jansen got rid of Abhishek Sharma and India skipper Suryakumar Yadav, before Baartman broke the 35-run stand between Axar Patel and Varma.
Rishabh Pant's wicket was more than just another dismissal on the scorecard -- it was the moment Delhi's chase began to collapse
Sanju Samson's T20I future took another hit on Tuesday as India benched him yet again, favouring the finishing skills of Jitesh Sharma in a team that now appears fully committed to its Shubman Gill-led blueprint.
Captain Harmanpreet Kaur said India achieved their objective of adopting a more aggressive approach during the T20I series win over Sri Lanka.
Indian ODI and Test skipper Gill recently suffered a significant setback after being dropped from the squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup and the New Zealand T20I series due to fitness and form concerns.
Amid India's recent struggles in Test cricket, former England spinner Monty Panesar has raised doubts over Shubman Gill's leadership, describing him as a 'complacent cricketer' and insisting that the burden of all-format captaincy is currently beyond him.
After a clutch performance in the third T2OI against South Africa, Indian seamer Arshdeep Singh indulged in some friendly banter with bowling coach Morne Morkel, who received unwanted screen time during Arshdeep's poor performance during the 2nd T20I match.
Hardik Pandya made a memorable comeback to the Indian team, smashing a blistering half-century to power India to a thumping 101-run win over South Africa in the first T20 International.
Following his SMAT heroics, Kishan has also returned to the Indian team for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026.
Harmanpreet Kaur admits being concerned over India's over-rate during fourth T20I
According to Cricbuzz, the franchise has received clearance from the BCCI to release the trio, as none of them are involved in the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy.
Chetan Sakariya has taken a small step in his comeback trail, appearing for Saurashtra in the ongoing domestic season, a first for him since February 2024.
Yashasvi Jaiswal smashed his maiden ODI hundred to power India to a 2-1 series win after they thrashed against South Africa by nine wickets in the third and final ODI.
Jemimah stars in India's comprehensive eight-wicket win against Sri Lanka in first women's T20I
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