The year — 2025 — proved to be an unforgettable year in sports having a blend of expected victories, shocking upsets, long-awaited triumphs, and controversies that kept fans talking. Yet, three stories stood tallest: the commanding rise of India’s women’s cricket teams, Lionel Messi’s headline‑grabbing G.O.A.T. India Tour, and RCB’s IPL glory. As the curtain falls on the year, it’s the perfect time to reflect on the defining moments that lit up the sporting world.

 

EVES HOG LIMELIGHT 

Dreams Come True: The Harmanpreet Kaur-led team clinched the ICC Women’s World Cup after a thrilling win over South Africa in Navi Mumbai. Echoing India’s 2011 triumph, where MS Dhoni hit the winning runs, Harman sealed 2025 glory with a decisive catch that sparked nationwide celebrations.

Also read: Indian Women’s Team Joins ‘The 2025 Title Trend’

 

Door to Destiny: Deepti Sharma shone as Player of the Tournament, but Shafali Verma proved the real X-factor. Drafted in after Pratika Rawal’s injury, she starred in the final, smashing 87 off 78 balls in the decider to help India post 298/7.

 

Beating All Odds: Indian side claimed the first-ever Blind Women's T20 World Cup title in Sri Lanka, defeating Nepal by seven wickets in the Final. The eves defeated Sri Lanka, Australia, Nepal, USA and Pakistan in the league phase, before another win over the Australians in the semifinal.

 

Stamping Authority: Team India delivered a dominant performance to outwit South Africa in Kuala Lumpur and secure the ICC Women’s U19 T20 World Cup 2025 title for the second successive time.

 

CONTRASTING FORTUNES

Crown of Invincibility: The Rohit Sharma-led side claimed the third ICC Champions Trophy title for India, without losing even a single match — just like they did in the 2024 ICC T20 World Cup. The tournament was hosted by Pakistan, but the Men in Blue, who defeated New Zealand in the final, played all their matches in Dubai.

 

Continental Supremacy: India, under the leadership of Suryakumar Yadav, clinched the Asia Cup T20 title beating Pakistan in the final, courtesy as stupendous knock from Tilak Varma. Such was India domination, that the Men in Blue defeated their arch-rivals Pakistan three times — group stage, Super 4s, and Final — in the tournament.

 

The Handshake Row: The Asia Cup 2025 grabbed headlines as India beat Pakistan thrice in the tourney and sparked the ‘No Handshake’ controversy. Despite boycott calls after the Pahalgam Terror Attack, India played under ICC rules, but skipper Suryakumar Yadav and Shivam Dube walked off without greeting Pakistan after the first match. The stunned rivals sought them out, only to find the dressing room door shut — a gesture that still continues. This gesture triggered another controversy — ACC chairman Mohsin Naqvi’s insistence on presenting the winners’ trophy sparked controversy, leaving Team India still without it. 

 

RoKo No More in Whites: Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma shocked fans by retiring from Test cricket in May, ahead of India’s England tour. After a difficult Australia series, the two legends chose to step away, ending a golden era in whites despite speculation about coach Gautam Gambhir’s influence.

 

Humiliation at Home, Again: South Africa did replicate their success of 2000 completing a stunning 2-0 whitewash over India, securing their first Test series win on Indian soil in 25 years. The series ended with a crushing 408‑run loss for the hosts in Guwahati — India’s heaviest Test defeat by runs in history.

 

Shocking Inclusion: BCCI’s 15-man T20 World Cup squad raised eyebrows with Ishan Kishan replacing Shubman Gill. Kishan’s stellar 517-run SMAT 2025 season as Jharkhand’s title-winning skipper and Gill’s poor form swayed selectors. The move also saw Rinku Singh come in for Jitesh Sharma, while Suryakumar Yadav has been named captain.

 

A 2023 in 2025: India’s U19 Asia Cup run mirrored the senior team’s 2023 heartbreak. After going unbeaten to the final, the colts were crushed by Pakistan in a 191-run defeat — reminiscent of Australia’s win in 2023. The difference: Travis Head starred then, while Sameer Minhas did the damage this time.

 

DOMESTIC CRICKET COLUMN

 

Sigh of Relief: After 17 years of heartbreak, RCB finally lifted their maiden IPL trophy in the 18th edition, beating Punjab Kings in the final. Fittingly, the title came in season 18 — matching Virat Kohli’s jersey number — with him finishing as the team’s top scorer and third overall.

Chaotic Celebration: A stampede outside Bengaluru’s M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on June 4 marred RCB’s IPL title celebrations. Amid the massive crowd at the felicitation ceremony, chaos broke out, leaving 11 dead and 56 injured in a tragic turn of events.

 

Thrilling Finish: Harmanpreet Kaur-led Mumbai Indians won the Women’s Premier League title with a thrilling eight-run victory over Delhi Capitals in the final at the Brabourne Stadium. It was their second WPL title since the tournament’s inception in 2023.

 

Uncapped Millionaires: The IPL 2026 mini-auction smashed records, with Cameron Green becoming the costliest foreign buy at ₹25.20 Crore for KKR, surpassing their ₹24.75 Crore bid for Mitchell Starc in 2024. The uncapped players stole the spotlight as CSK splashed ₹14.20 Crore each on Prashant Veer and Kartik Sharma, while DC picked up Auqib Dar for ₹8.40 Crore.

 

‘Most Expensive’ Deepti: UP Warriorz used RTM to retain Deepti Sharma for ₹3.2 Crore, matching Delhi Capitals’ bid. Her Player of the Tournament heroics at the Women’s World Cup boosted her value, making her the second costliest WPL player after Smriti Mandhana (₹3.4 Crore).

 

Records Tumble: The Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26 league stage saw record-breaking feats: Odisha’s Swastik Samal hit 212 vs Saurashtra, becoming the state’s first double-centurion in List A cricket. Bihar set a new List A team record with 574/6 against Arunachal Pradesh, where skipper Sakibul Gani smashed the fastest century in the domestic 50-over format in just 32 balls.

 

Odisha T20 Revolution: The Odisha Cricket Association launched the Odisha Pro T20 League (OPTL) with six franchises and 22 matches. Cuttack Panthers clinched the inaugural title, edging Sambalpur Warriors by 5 runs via DLS in the final.

 

National Champions

• Vidarbha claimed their third Ranji Trophy 2024-25 (multi-day) title, courtesy their first innings lead over Kerala in the final, which ended in a draw.
• Vidarbha also won the Irani Cup 2025 (multi-day) — Ranji Trophy Winners vs Rest of India XI.
• Central Zone defeated South Zone for Duleep Trophy 2025 (multi-day) title.
• Karnataka clinched the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2024-25 (50-Over) beating Vidarbha in the final.
• Jharkhand won the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2025 (T20) beating Haryana in a high-scoring final.
• Maharashtra won the Senior Women’s T20 Trophy 2025 (Elite) title edging past Madhya Pradesh by just 12 runs in the final.
• West Zone beat North Zone for the Senior Women’s Inter Zonal T20 Trophy 2025.

 

2025 IN HOCKEY

 

4th Continental Crown: India dominated the Men’s Asia Cup Hockey, winning six of seven games and drawing one, before crushing defending champions South Korea 4-1 in the final. The triumph delivered their fourth Asia Cup crown and sealed qualification for the 2026 FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup.

 

Disappointing End: India’s men fell short of another crown, losing 0-1 to Belgium in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup final. Their struggles continued in the FIH Pro League 2024-25, finishing eighth out of nine teams with just 6 wins in 16 games, narrowly avoiding relegation.

 

Year to Forget: India’s women settled for silver after a 1-4 loss to China in the continental meet final. Their bigger setback came in the FIH Pro League 2024-25, finishing last in the 9-team table with just 3 wins from 16 matches, leading to relegation to the 2025-26 Nations Cup.

 

Junior Men Impress: India’s juniors claimed bronze at the FIH Junior World Cup, beating Argentina after a semifinal loss to Germany. The women’s side, however, managed only 10th place. At the Sultan of Johor Cup, the junior men finished runners-up after a narrow 1-2 defeat to Australia.

 

WORLD OF FOOTBALL

 

The Salt Lake Shame: Lionel Messi’s G.O.A.T. India Tour 2025 kicked off chaotically in Kolkata, where a 70-foot statue — became a viral meme — and heavy security at Salt Lake Stadium led to fan unrest, vandalism, and a pitch invasion. Messi, joined by Luis Suarez and Rodrigo de Paul, exited after just 20 minutes, angering ticket-holders. The tour settled down in later cities, with smoother events featuring celebrity meet-ups, balls kicked into the stands, and light-hearted games with local children.

International Highlights

• India won the SAFF U-19 Championship in India, as well as the SAFF U-17 Championship in Sri Lanka.
• India eves clinched the SAFF U-17 Championship title in Bhutan.
• Portugal claimed their second UEFA Nations League title beating Spain in the final — a contest that saw Portuguese great Cristiano Ronaldo and Spanish wonder-kid Lamine Yamal go head-to-head.
• England became the first team to successfully defend the UEFA Women’s EURO crown, they had won in 2022, after beating Spain in the 2025 edition’s final.
• Spain compensated their loss at the Women’s EURO with their triumph at the UEFA Nations League.

 

Indian Leagues

• Mohun Bagan became the first team to successfully defend the title — Indian Super League (ISL) shield — by winning their second ISL title — ISL Cup — and seventh Indian title overall.
• Churchill Brothers were initially declared the provisional champions of I-League by AIFF, but the decision was later overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) who declared Inter Kashi the champions, allowing them promotion to the ISL.

 

Major Foreign Leagues

• Liverpool claimed the 2024-25 Premier League title, equalling Manchester United's record of 20 English league titles. Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah won the ‘Golden Boot’ — top scorer — with 29 goals to his name.
• Barcelona beat Real Madrid by just 4 points to claim their 28th Spanish League (La Liga) title. Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe won the ‘Golden Boot’ award having scored 31 goals. In 4 El Clasicos — Barcelona vs Real Madrid — this year, the Catalans won three, including at the Copa del Ray and Supercopa de Espana finals.
• Napoli claimed their fourth Italian League — Serie A — title, their second in three seasons. The defending champions Inter Milan finished one point behind Napoli. Mateo Retegui (Atalanta) claimed the ‘Golden Boot’ for his 25-goal season.
• Bayern Munich were crowned German League (Bundesliga) champions for a record 33rd time (34th time overall), with their star striker Harry Kane (26 goals) bagging the top goal scorer award.
• Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) clinched their record-extending 13th French League (Ligue 1) title. PSG’s Ousmane Dembele and Marseille’s Mason Greenwood shared the top scorer award having scored 21 goals each.
• Lionel Messi-led Inter Miami claimed their maiden Major League Soccer (MLS) Cup. The Argentine great topped the scoring chart with 29 goals and was the joint most assist maker with 19, sharing the honour with San Diego’s Anders Dreyer.

 

Continental Leagues

• PSG secured their maiden UEFA Champions League title with a thrashing 5-0 win over Inter Milan in the final. Serhou Guirassy (Borussia Dortmund) and Raphinha (Barcelona) were joint top scorers with 13 goals each.
• Tottenham Hotspur (Spurs) won the UEFA Europa League, their first major trophy in 17 years, beating Manchester United in the final.
• Chelsea beat Real Betis for their maiden UEFA Conference League title.
• PSG edged past Spurs through penalties for the UEFA Super Cup title (Champions League winners vs Europa League winners).
• Arsenal defeated defending champions Barcelona for the UEFA Women’s Champions League crown.
• East Bengal clinched the inaugural edition of SAFF Women's Club Championship beating Nepal’s APF FC 3-0 in the final.

 

MORE HIGHLIGHTS

 

No More a Hurdle: Neeraj Chopra finally crossed the 90m barrier with a national record throw of 90.23m at the Doha Diamond League, though he finished second to Julian Weber. He struggled at the World Championships in Tokyo (8th) and took silver at the Zurich Diamond League Final (85.01m). His victories came at the Paris Diamond League, Ostrava Golden Spike, and the inaugural Neeraj Chopra Classic in Bengaluru.

‘I’m Done’: Rohan Bopanna retired in November after a remarkable two‑decade career, ending with his Paris Masters appearance alongside Alexander Bublik. At 45, he had already become the oldest ATP Masters 1000 champion and men’s doubles World No. 1 in 2024. His legacy includes two Grand Slam titles — the 2017 French Open mixed doubles and the 2024 Australian Open men’s doubles — plus numerous ATP trophies.

 

Not that Impressive: 2025 was a tough year for Indian shuttlers. Lakshya Sen finished runner-up at the Hong Kong Open but won the Australian Open. Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty claimed silver in Hong Kong and also at China Masters. Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand lifted the Syed Modi International women’s doubles crown, while Kiran George and Unnati Hooda won singles titles at the Odisha Masters.

 

The Usual Grind: Pramod Bhagat continued his winning spree in 2025, clinching multiple medals across tournaments. He bagged triple golds at both the Japan and Abia Para Badminton Internationals, double gold in Australia, a gold and silver in China, and capped it with a gold and bronze in Indonesia — reaffirming his dominance in singles, doubles, and mixed doubles.

 

Racing to Glory: McLaren’s Lando Norris captured his maiden F1 World Championship at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, edging Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen by just a couple of points with 423. Norris’ teammate Oscar Piastri tallied 410, helping secure McLaren’s second straight Constructors’ crown and their 10th overall.

 

New Rivalry: Jannik Sinner (World No. 2) and top-ranked Carlos Alcaraz split this year’s Grand Slams, each winning two, with three finals featuring both. Sinner triumphed at Wimbledon and the Australian Open, while Alcaraz took the French and US Opens. On the women’s side, four different champions emerged: Madison Keys (Australian Open), Coco Gauff (French Open), Iga Swiatek (Wimbledon), and Aryna Sabalenka (US Open).

 

Other Major Tournaments:

• Italy men defeated Spain for the Davis Cup title.
• Italian eves won the Billie Jean King Cup beating US in the final.
• Sinner overcame Alcaraz test to claim ATP Finals title.
• Elena Rybakina clinched the WTA Finals title defeating Aryna Sabalenka.

 

Redemption to Remember: Marc Marquez’s 2025 season was the stuff of legend. At 32, riding a red Ducati, he stormed to his ninth World Championship — seventh in MotoGP — with a campaign defined by sheer dominance. He won 14 of the first 15 Sprints, stood on the podium in 15 of the first 17 Sunday races, and collected 11 Grand Prix victories, matching his career-best tally. By June, the title was virtually sealed, and his record 545 points across 18 weekends showcased not just victory, but the emphatic scale of his comeback. Rising from a career-threatening injury, Marquez turned adversity into one of the sport’s greatest redemption stories.

 

AWARDS & HONOURS

 

National Sports Awards

• Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award: Manu Bhaker (Shooting), D. Gukesh (Chess), Harmanpreet Singh (Hockey), and Praveen Kumar (Para-Athletics).
• Arjuna Award: Jyothi Yarraji (Athletics, Track and Field), Annu Rani (Athletics, Javelin Throw), Rakesh Kumar (Para-Athletics, High Jump), Preeti Pal (Para-Athletics, Sprint), Jeevanji Deepthi (Para-Athletics, Long Jump), Ajeet Singh (Para-Athletics, High Jump), Sachin Sarjerao Khilari (Para-Athletics, Sprint), Dharambir (Para-Athletics, Sprint), Pranav Soorma (Para-Athletics, Sprint), H Hokato Sema (Para-Athletics, Sprint), Nitu (Boxing), Saweety (Boxing), Vantika Agrawal (Chess), Salima Tete (Hockey), Abhishek (Hockey), Sanjay (Hockey), Jarmanpreet Singh (Hockey), Sukhjeet Singh (Hockey), Rakesh Kumar (Para-Archery), Nitesh Kumar (Para-Badminton), Thulasimathi Murugesan (Para-Badminton), Nithya Sre Sumathy Sivan (Para-Badminton), Manisha Ramadass (Para-Badminton), Kapil Parmar (Para-Judo), Mona Agarwal (Para-Shooting), Rubina Francis (Para-Shooting), Swapnil Suresh Kusale (Shooting), Sarabjot Singh (Shooting), Abhay Singh (Squash), Sajan Prakash (Swimming), Aman (Wrestling)
• Lifetime Arjuna Award: Murlikant Rajaram Petkar (India’s first Paralympic gold-medallist in swimming)
• Dronacharya Award: Deepali Deshpande (Shooting) and Armando Agnelo Colaco (Football)
• Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puraskar: Physical Education Foundation of India for promoting sports
• Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Trophy: Chandigarh University, Lovely Professional University, and Guru Nanak Dev University.

 

ICC Awards

• Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for ICC Men’s Cricketer of the Year: Jasprit Bumrah (IND)
• Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy for ICC Women’s Cricketer of the Year: Amelia Kerr (NZ)
• ICC Men’s Test Cricketer of the Year: Jasprit Bumrah (IND)
• ICC Women’s ODI Cricketer of the Year: Smriti Mandhana (IND)
• ICC Men’s ODI Cricketer of the Year: Azmatullah Omarzai (AFG)
• ICC Women's T20I Cricketer of the Year: Amelia Kerr (NZL)
• ICC Men's T20I Cricketer of the Year: Arshdeep Singh (IND)
• ICC Women’s Associate Cricketer of the Year: Esha Oza (UAE)
• ICC Men’s Associate Cricketer of the Year: Gerhard Erasmus (NAM)
• ICC Emerging Women’s Cricketer of the Year: Annerie Dercksen (RSA)
• ICC Emerging Men’s Cricketer of the Year: Kamindu Mendis (SRI)
• ICC Umpire of the Year: Richard Illingworth (ENG)
• ICC Men's Test Team of the Year: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ben Duckett, Kane Williamson, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Kamindu Mendis, Jamie Smith (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Pat Cummins (c), Matt Henry, Jasprit Bumrah.
• ICC Men's ODI Team of the Year: Saim Ayub, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis (wk), Charith Asalanka (c), Sherfane Rutherford, Azmatullah Omarzai, Wanindu Hasaranga, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, AM Ghazanfar.
• ICC Women's ODI Team of the Year: Smriti Mandhana, Laura Wolvaardt (c), Chamarti Athapaththu, Hayley Matthews, Marizanne Kapp, Ashleigh Gardner, Annabel Sutherland, Amy Jones (wk), Deepti Sharma, Sophie Ecclestone, Kate Cross.
• ICC Men’s T20I Team of the Year: Rohit Sharma (c), Travis Head, Phil Salt, Babar Azam, Nicholas Pooran (wk), Sikandar Raza, Hardik Pandya, Rashid Khan, Wanindu Hasaranga, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh.
• ICC Women’s T20I Team of the Year: Laura Wolvaardt (c), Smriti Mandhana, Chamari Athapaththu, Hayley Matthews, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Melie Kerr, Richa Ghosh (wk), Marizanne Kapp, Orla Prendergast, Deepti Sharma, Sadia Iqbal.

 

FIFA Best Awards

• FIFA Men’s Player of the Year: Ousmane Dembele (France / PSG)
• Men’s Goalkeeper: Gianluigi Donnarumma (PSG)
• Men’s Coach of the Year: Luis Enrique (PSG)
• Puskas Award (Best Goal): Santiago Montiel (Argentina)
• FIFA Women’s Player of the Year: Aitana Bonmati (Spain / Barcelona)
• Women’s Goalkeeper: Hannah Hampton (England / Chelsea)
• Women’s Coach of the Year: Sarina Wiegman
• Marta Award (Best Goal in Women’s Football): Lizbeth Ovalle (Mexico / Liga MX Femenil)
• FIFA Fair Play Award: Dr Andreas Harlass-Neuking (Germany)
• FIFA Fan Award: Zakho SC supporters

 

Ballon d’Or

• Men’s Ballon d’Or: Ousmane Dembele (France, PSG)
• Women’s Ballon d’Or: Aitana Bonmati (Spain, Barcelona)
• Men’s Kopa Trophy (U21 Player): Lamine Yamal (Spain, Barcelona)
• Women’s Kopa Trophy: Vicky Lopez (Spain, Barcelona)
• Men’s Yashin Trophy (Goalkeeper): Gianluigi Donnarumma (Italy, PSG)
• Women’s Yashin Trophy: Hannah Hampton (England, Chelsea)
• Men’s Gerd Muller Trophy (Goal Scorer): Viktor Gyokeres (Sweden, Sporting CP/Arsenal)
• Women’s Gerd Muller Trophy: Ewa Pajor (Poland, Barcelona)
• Men’s Johan Cruyff Trophy (Coach/Manager): Luis Enrique (Spain, PSG)
• Women’s Johan Cruyff Trophy: Sarina Wiegman (Netherlands, England national team)
• Men’s Club of the Year Trophy: PSG (France)
• Women’s Club of the Year Trophy: Arsenal (England)
• Socrates Award (best humanitarian work by a footballer): Fundacion Xana (Spain)

 

Laureus Sports Awards

• World Sportsman of the Year: Mondo Duplantis (Pole Vaulter)
• World Sportswoman of the Year: Simone Biles (Gymnastics)
• World Team of the Year: Real Madrid (Football)
• Breakthrough of the Year: Lamine Yamal (Football)
• Comeback of the Year: Rebeca Andrade (Gymnastics)
• Sportsperson with a Disability: Jiang Yuyan (Swimming)
• Action Sportsperson of the Year: Tom Pidcock (Mountain Biking)
• Sport for Good Award: Kick4Life (Football x Gender Equity)
• Sporting Icon Award: Rafael Nadal (Tennis)
• Lifetime Achievement Award: Kelly Slater (Surfer)

 

SPORTS STARS WE LOST IN 2025

• Dilip Doshi (India): The spinner represented India in 33 Tests and had stints in county cricket with Nottinghamshire and Warwickshire.
• Diogo Jota (Portugal): The Portuguese star had scored 65 goals in 182 games for Liverpool, winning the Premier League, FA Cup and League Cup. Before Anfield, he impressed at Wolves, and earned 49 Portugal caps, ending with their Nations League triumph in June.
• Dickie Bird (England): Became a legendary cricket umpire after a playing career at both Yorkshire and Leicestershire.
• Fauja Singh (British-Indian): British-Indian man, who was believed to be the world's oldest marathon runner, died after being hit by a car in India at the age of 114. He began running at 89 and ran nine full marathons between 2000 and 2013.

Also read: Year in Review: 25 Global Events That Shaped 2025