Wisden cricketers' almanack honours four Indians among cricketers of the year

Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant, Mohammed Siraj, Ravindra Jadeja and Deepti Sharma. File pics/PTI

In an unprecedented occurrence for cricket on these shores, the Wisden Cricketers' Almanack, the world's most prestigious cricket annual that some still like to call the bible of cricket, has selected four Indian cricketers to be among their five cricketers of the year.

India Test captain Shubman Gill, seasoned all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant, and pacer Mohammed Siraj make it in the famous yellow-jacketed annual. Nottinghamshire captain Haseeb Hameed, the England opener who came on the 2016-17 tour to India, is the fifth Cricketer of the Year.

Indian honours don't end with the Cricketers of the Year section. Gill claims the Wisden Trophy for his performance against England in last year's Edgbaston Test, where he scored 269 and 161 to play a lead role in India's massive 336-run win. India women's player Deepti Sharma was picked as one of the Leading Cricketers in the World.

Wisden editor Lawrence Booth on the Indian stars...

Shubman Gill's run-making dominated the Anderson-Tendulkar Test series, his tally of 754 the most in a series for India against England. That included a remarkable double of 269 and 161 at Edgbaston, in between hundreds at Headingley and Old Trafford.

Ravindra Jadeja played a crucial role in India's fightback in England, topping their averages with 516 runs at 86. His six scores of 50 or more included a match-saving century in Manchester.

Rishabh Pant's helter-skelter excellence was one of the summer's highlights, not least at Headingley, where he made 134 and 118. He added three half-centuries - the last after breaking his foot.

Mohammed Siraj took more wickets - 23-in the England-India Test series, securing a 2-2 draw with a last-ditch five-for at The Oval, including three of England's final four wickets on a dramatic final morning.

Deepti Sharma helped inspire India to World Cup glory on home soil, scoring 215 runs at 30 and taking 22 wickets at 20 with her off-spin - an unprecedented double at a World Cup by a man or woman. The final against South Africa was a distillation of her talents: five wickets, a half-century and a run-out.

Aussie domination in Wisden

>> Australia have had five cricketers in one edition and four cricketers twice.
>> L Hassett, W Johnston, R Lindwall, A Morris, and D Tallon featured in the 1949 edition.
>> In 1973, Wisden picked Greg Chappell, Dennis Lillee, Bob Massie, and Keith Stackpole
>> In 1994, they selected David Boon, Ian Healy, Shane Warne, and Merv Hughes

Legends speak

Former India all-rounder Mohinder Amarnath, a Wisden honouree in 1984, welcomed the achievement:
‘I am very happy. It shows we are dominating world cricket across formats. The contribution of the four has been huge; their performances speak for themselves. I am happy for all four, but Jadeja in particular. He has contributed immensely to India's major victories and has often remained unsung. It [his 1984 selection] carried special significance at a time when Indian cricket was not held in the same regard globally.'

Former India captain Dilip Vengsarkar, who was among Wisden's Five in 1987, said the honours reflected India's strong showing in England:
‘The India-England series in 2025 was keenly contested. India played outstanding cricket, which is why Gill, Jadeja, Pant and Siraj have been recognised. Siraj bowled his heart out, especially on the final day at The Oval. Test cricket is the ultimate format. Players are judged by their performances in Tests. Obviously, I felt happy because it (his 1987 honour) was a form of recognition for my performance. We dominated that 1986 England side and that is always special'

Kapil Dev, who featured in Wisden's Five in 1983, called it a proud moment:
‘This is excellent news - four Indian cricketers in one edition. This is India's time. The way we are playing across the world, it's a great honour. I do not remember what I did [after winning a feature in Wisden's Five in 1983]. I have moved on. But four cricketers [in one year], I'm very happy. This is prestigious for all Indians'

Former India women's captain Diana Edulji said Deepti Sharma's recognition reaffirmed her status as a leading all-rounder:
‘This is a great honour coming from Wisden. It vindicates that we deserved to win the World Cup. More Indians getting into Wisden will be better for our youngsters, who will look to emulate these achievers. They can be looked up to as role models'

1933
Year the first Indian Test cricketer - CK Nayudu - was picked among Wisden's Five