New Delhi: The year 2025 has emerged as a landmark in cricket, delivering four maiden champions across premier tournaments, each shattering prolonged title droughts with displays of resilience and skill.
Hobart Hurricanes ignited the celebrations by securing their inaugural Big Bash League (BBL) crown in January, overpowering Sydney Thunder by seven wickets in the final. Mitchell Owen’s explosive 108 off 42 balls, coupled with captain Nathan Ellis’s three-wicket haul, propelled the Hurricanes to chase 183 in just 14.1 overs, ending finals heartbreaks from prior seasons.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) followed suit in June, clinching their first Indian Premier League (IPL) trophy after 18 attempts. In a thrilling final match against Punjab Kings, RCB successfully defended 190/9, limiting their opponents to 184/7, thanks to the pivotal spell of Krunal Pandya and the strikes of Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Virat Kohli’s anchoring 43 and Rajat Patidar’s leadership sealed the triumph.
South Africa etched history in the World Test Championship (WTC) final at Lord’s, defeating Australia by five wickets to claim their first ICC men’s trophy since 1998. Aiden Markram’s resilient 136 and Kagiso Rabada’s nine wickets across innings powered a successful chase of 282, under Temba Bavuma’s astute captaincy.
Capping the year, India’s women’s team triumphed in the ODI World Cup final on November 2 in Navi Mumbai, routing South Africa by 52 runs for their inaugural title after 52 years. The commanding total of 298/7 was underpinned by Shafali Verma’s 87, Deepti Sharma’s all-round brilliance (58 runs and 5 wickets for 39 runs), and contributions from Smriti Mandhana, as they bowled out the Proteas for 246.
This quartet of victories underscores cricket’s evolving landscape, inspiring future generations.