When we discuss who was the best, we are not just going to talk about numbers. Yes, numbers are important but they are not the only thing. It is the context, it is the situation which makes those numbers look great. That’s what differentiates great from the good ones.
Across all formats combined (Tests + ODIs + T20Is), the main contenders for “Cricketer of the Year 2025” would be Joe Root, Shubman Gill, Jacob Duffy and maybe Matt Henry. However, Root and Gill, for me, remain the top 2 contenders for the best cricketer for 2025.
Since both belong to the batting fraternity, the best batsman should stand out for his heavy run scoring, his adaptability across formats, conditions and match situations.
Runs Scored
Root’s all‑format profile in 2025 is outstanding. He has scored 1,598 international runs in 24 matches and 31 innings at an average of 57.07 across formats. His split reads 571 Test runs at 63.44 and 779 ODI runs at 70.81, while he did not feature heavily in T20Is for England.
Shubhman Gill Gill has played 35 international matches this year and scored 1,764 runs at an average of 49. These figures include seven centuries and three half-centuries.
Why is Shubman Gill Kyro’s Cricketer of the Year 2025?
While Gill is the leading run scorer, Root has the better average between the two batter. However, it is the context and situation which makes Gill as the Cricketer of the Year. His Test tally (979 runs vs Root’s 571) is significantly higher, and that includes a series‑defining performance against England. Root’s stronger ODI volume is real, but in the combined race, Gill’s heavier Test output and multi‑format participation has put him narrowly in front.
Unlike Joe Root (limited T20I role) and many others, Shubman Gill plays all three formats regularly and also has the pressure of putting his team ahead of himself as a leader. The 754‑run Test series against England, capped by a marvellous 269, is one of the defining performances of the year, shaping not just matches but the narrative of India’s season and his future as a leader.
While Root, Duffy, Henry and others built powerful arguments through dominance in specific formats or raw wicket hauls, no other player replicated Shubman Gill‘s extraordinary balance of elite run aggregates, sky-high averages, the unrelenting pressure of top-order roles across three formats, and those unforgettable, match-altering innings that defined entire series.
Gill’s 2025 wasn’t just about numbers; it was about delivering under the weight of captaincy, opening against world-class attacks in Tests and ODIs, and still posting the year’s highest combined international runs near 1,800 at an average hovering around 50, all while anchoring India’s campaigns in high-stakes clashes like the England Test series where his 269 became legendary.
That seamless fusion of workload endurance, technical adaptability, and great performances across red-ball grinds, 50-over chases, and white-ball platforms sets him apart as the definitive, most compelling Cricketer of the Year for 2025.
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