Stark, Deepti Named Wisden Cricketers of the Year

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Deepti Sharma has been named Wisden’s Leading Woman Cricketer after her pivotal role in India’s maiden ICC Women’s World Cup victory last year. Sharma’s exceptional all-round performance in the final, where she scored 58 runs and took five wickets against South Africa, capped a dominant tournament in which she amassed 215 runs and claimed 22 wickets.

This historic triumph marked a significant milestone for Indian women’s cricket, overcoming previous final defeats in both ODI and T20 World Cups. Sharma’s individual accolade further cements this success, recognizing her outstanding contributions.

In the men’s category, Australian pace bowler Mitchell Starc earned the prestigious honor. Starc’s stellar form in 2025 saw him take 55 Test wickets, setting a new record for left-arm bowlers. His career-best figures of 7 for 58 against England were a highlight, alongside his leading role in Australia’s Ashes series victory over England, where he captured 31 wickets.

Abhishek Sharma was recognized for his achievements in T20 cricket, surpassing 1,000 runs and earning the title of the year’s top T20 performer.

India’s dominance extended to Wisden’s Test Team of the Year, with Shubman Gill, Ravindra Jadeja, Rishabh Pant, and Mohammed Siraj all included. Gill’s remarkable 430-run innings at Edgbaston earned him the ‘Wisden Trophy’. The list’s sole non-Indian inclusion was Haseeb Hameed, who led Nottinghamshire to the County Championship title with 1258 runs.