In a year that took the shortest format of the game to new levels of power-hitting and strategic suspense, the former Indian cricketer and renowned commentator Abhinav Mukund has introduced its best T20I XI of 2025.
Former cricketer announces his best XI for 2025 T20I format
Although the list has a heavy presence of Indian stars dominating the 2025 calendar, the biggest talking point Jasprit Bumrah There is a high-profile absence of. Despite Bumrah’s impressive performances, Mukund has selected a bowling attack based on current form and the players’ unique impact over the last twelve months. This lineup is a mix of explosive opening power, middle-order stability and a bowling unit featuring some of the most successful “resurgent” stars of 2025.
Strong top order which includes Abhishek Sharma
Mukund’s opening pair reflects the “fearless” brand of cricket of 2025. Abhishek Sharma He took the number one spot after a record-breaking year, where he scored 135 off 54 balls against England. his companions pathum nisanka He has been the perfect example of consistency, finishing the year with 2,345 career T20I runs, including 107 against India in the Asia Cup.
of England jos buttler Are in third place. While he balances between national duties and the IPL, Buttler’s 2025 T20I strike rate hovers around 149, providing an ideal bridge between the powerplay and middle overs.
- Abhishek Sharma in 2025: 21 matches | 859 runs 193.46 strike rate
- Pathum Nissanka in 2025: 18 matches | 625 runs 149.16 strike rate
- Jos Buttler in 2025: 15 matches | 480 runs 164.38 strike rate
Young stars and all-round depth
The middle order is dominated by India’s new age superstars. Tilak Verma Earned the place after a stellar year, including 73 off 42 balls against South Africa in December. After this the “finisher” pair Tim David and South African sensation dewald brevis Are. Brewis, known as “Baby AB”, really burst onto the international stage in 2025, where he broke records with an unbeaten 125 off 56 balls against Australia—the highest individual T20I score for South Africa.
All-round department leadership hardik pandya Are doing, who gave a great performance in 2025. Pandya has most “50+ runs and 1+ wicket” doubles in T20Is. Yuvraj Singh He ended the series against the Proteas in December with 142 runs at an astonishing strike rate of 186.84.
- Tilak Verma in 2025: 20 matches | 567 runs 129.15 strike rate
- Tim David in 2025: 14 matches | 395 runs 197.50 strike rate
- Dewald Brevis in 2025: 17 matches | 464 runs 176.42 strike rate
- Hardik Pandya in 2025: 15 matches | 302 runs 153.29 strike rate
Jasprit Bumrah-less bowling attack
The most controversial aspect of this XI is the exclusion of Bumrah. Instead, Mukund chose New Zealand. jacob duffy and India’s Varun Chakraborty Has been rewarded for his wicket taking ability. It is noteworthy that Bumrah had a strong year in T20Is in 2025, becoming only the second Indian to reach the milestone of 100 wickets and excelling in various series. He finished the year as India’s third highest T20I wicket-taker.
Chakravarthy also performed brilliantly in the T20Is in 2025, finishing as India’s leading wicket-taker and the joint-highest wicket-taker among all Test-playing nations with 36 wickets. His stellar performances earned him the No. 1 ranked T20I bowler in the world and the Player of the Series award in the home series against South Africa. Duffy also became the world No. 1 T20I bowler in April 2025, when he took 4/14 against Pakistan. His impressive performance made him the first Kiwi bowler to take more than 30 T20I wickets in a calendar year. Mukund to complete his bowling attack Mohammad Nawaz And Mustafizur Rahman Selected.
- Varun Chakraborty in 2025: 20 matches | 36 wickets 5/24 B.B.I.
- Jacob Duffy in 2025: 21 matches | 35 wickets 4/14
- Mohammad Nawaz in 2025: 26 matches | 36 wickets 5/19 B.B.I.
- Mustafizur Rahman in 2025: 20 matches | 26 wickets 3/11
Abhinav Mukund’s best T20I XI of 2025: Abhishek Sharma, Pathum Nissanka, Jos Buttler, Tilak Verma, Tim David, Dewald Brewis, Hardik Pandya, Mohammad Nawaz, Jacob Duffy, Varun Chakravarthy, Mustafizur Rahman.
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