Jasprit Bumrah and Smriti Mandhana honoured as Wisden's Leading Cricketers in the World

Jasprit Bumrah, Smriti Mandhana Named Wisden’s Leading Cricketers in the World

India’s pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah and star batter Smriti Mandhana have been recognised as the Leading Men’s and Women’s Cricketers in the World in the 2025 edition of the Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack, released Tuesday.

Bumrah enjoyed a stellar 2024, becoming the first bowler in Test history to take 200 wickets at an average under 20. His 71 Test wickets came at an average of under 15, and he was pivotal in India’s T20 World Cup triumph in the Caribbean. Praising Bumrah’s impact, Wisden editor Lawrence Booth called him “quite simply the star of the year,” and marvelled at his performances during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia, where he claimed 32 wickets at a remarkable average of 13.06.

“He was so lethal, so uniquely challenging—a staccato of limbs somehow forming a symphony,” Booth wrote, adding that Bumrah’s excellence had staked a claim to be considered among the greatest of all time.

Mandhana, meanwhile, broke new ground in women’s cricket by amassing 1659 runs across formats in 2024—the highest tally ever by a woman in a calendar year. Her run spree included four ODI centuries, also a record, and was capped by a brilliant 149 in a Test win over South Africa.

Nicholas Pooran was named Wisden’s Leading T20 Cricketer in the World for his explosive performances in the shortest format.

Wisden’s Five Cricketers of the Year

The Almanack’s prestigious Five Cricketers of the Year, an honour awarded only once in a player's career and based on performances in the English summer, had a strong Surrey presence. Gus Atkinson, Jamie Smith, and Dan Worrall, all key figures in Surrey’s third consecutive County Championship title, made the list. They were joined by Liam Dawson of Hampshire and England spinner Sophie Ecclestone.

• Worrall, Australian-born but eligible for England, was central to Surrey’s campaign, taking 52 wickets at just 16 apiece.

• Atkinson enjoyed a breakout Test summer for England, including a sensational 12-wicket haul on debut at Lord’s and a maiden century batting at No. 8.

• Smith also impressed in his debut Test summer, showing both batting skill and wicketkeeping composure.

• Dawson excelled with both bat and ball, tallying 54 wickets and 956 runs at nearly 60, earning praise as the county circuit’s most effective all-rounder.

• Ecclestone, despite struggles during the Women’s Ashes and T20 World Cup, dominated at home with 26 wickets across formats at under 10 apiece, and maintained a miserly economy rate.

Outstanding Individual Performance

The Wisden Trophy for Performance of the Year went to New Zealand’s Mitchell Santner, who took 13 wickets in a match-winning effort against India in Pune, helping the Kiwis seal their first-ever Test series win on Indian soil since 1988 and handing India their first home series defeat in over a decade.

Editorial Reflections and Farewells

In his editorial notes, Booth sharply criticised global cricket governance, describing 2024 as the year “cricket gave up any claim to being properly administered.” He highlighted Jay Shah’s sudden move from BCCI secretary to ICC chair amidst controversy over Champions Trophy venue disputes, and condemned the World Test Championship final between Australia and South Africa at Lord’s as a “shambles masquerading as a showpiece.”

Booth also praised the financial windfall from the ECB’s equity sale in The Hundred, but warned of growing disparities between host and non-host counties. “We are heading for utopia or dystopia, depending on your view,” he wrote.

The Almanack also bids farewell to James Anderson, who retired from Tests with an England-record 704 wickets after a storied 21-year career. It includes moving tributes to Derek Underwood, remembered by Mike Brearley, and Graham Thorpe, whose widow Amanda writes candidly about his struggles with mental health and his tragic passing in 2024.

“He tried so hard to beat it... He also felt immense shame about how he was, but of course there should be no stigma,” Amanda Thorpe wrote. “It felt like he was in the grip of a sickness he just couldn’t get out of.”

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