Best T20I XI of the calendar year 2025

Here’s a compact Best T20I XI for the calendar year 2025, picked purely on form and impact across international T20s. 

1. Abhishek Sharma (India) 

Abhishek finished 2025 as one of the most destructive openers in world T20s, supplying quick power at ball one and several long, tournament-defining innings that repeatedly gave India flying starts. His 2025 run tallies and strike-rate put him among the year’s elite openers.

2. Pathum Nissanka (Sri Lanka) 

Nissanka combined textbook defence with smart aggression, converting starts into big contributions in Asian conditions and the T20 Asia Cup. He gave balance to the top order with timing and patience alongside the power hitters.

3. Jos Buttler (England)

Buttler remained England’s keystone. He can both anchor and explode, as and when needed, along with being the wicketkeeper of the side. His experience and finishing instincts make him indispensable.

4. Tilak Varma (India)

Tilak’s 2025 showed maturity where he mixed anchor knocks with boundary-hitting bursts, proving invaluable as a No.4 who can accelerate from the tenth over or rebuild when wickets fall.

5. Dewald Brevis (South Africa)

Brevis produced some of the year’s flashiest innings (including a record 125* in a T20I), combining fearless hitting with the ability to bat long — a rare mix in a young player. His 2025 form justified a top-six spot.

6. Tim David (Australia)

David’s ability to clear deep boundaries and score at an extraordinary strike-rate, including a rapid century in 2025, makes him the perfect late-over detonator in this XI.

7. Hardik Pandya (India)

Hardik brought match-shaping cameos with the bat and valuable overs with the ball. In 2025, he continued to offer the balance every top T20 side needs: power, pace and clutch experience.

8. Corbin Bosch (South Africa) 

Bosch’s rise in 2025 gave South Africa an extra seamer who can hit good lengths, bowl useful death overs and contribute lower-order runs, which is a pragmatic pick for balance.

9. Mohammad Nawaz (Pakistan)

Nawaz’s 2025 T20 role was clear: control the middle overs, force risky strokes and pick wickets with variations. His two-phase value of overs and a few runs with the bat cements him as the spin fulcrum.

10. Varun Chakravarthy (India) 

Varun’s deception and big-overs wicket-taking in 2025 made him a constant threat. His ability to bowl overs at turning points gives this XI a genuine X-factor.

11. Jacob Duffy (New Zealand)

Duffy offered control with the new ball and smart variations at the end. He is an understated but highly effective seam option who picked regular breakthroughs throughout the year.

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