Here are the athletes who made India proud in 2025
What's the story
The year 2025 has been a landmark one for Indian sports, with the nation witnessing a string of historic victories across various disciplines. From cricket to athletics, chess, kabaddi, and hockey, Indian athletes have made their mark on the world stage. The year also saw India winning their maiden ICC Women's Cricket World Cup. On this note, we list down the athletes who made India proud in 2025.
Cricket
Shreyas Iyer powers India to Champions Trophy title
The Indian men's cricket team, under the captaincy of Rohit Sharma, won the ICC Champions Trophy in February-March 2025. Shreyas Iyer was instrumental to India's unbeaten run in the tourney. The batter finished as the tournament's second-highest run-getter, having scored 243 runs across five games at 48.60. As per ESPNcricinfo, Iyer tallied the most runs by a batter operating at number four or lower in a Champions Trophy edition.
Chess
Divya Deshmukh won FIDE Women's World Cup
Indian chess prodigy Divya Deshmukh scripted history in July by becoming the FIDE Women's World Cup champion. In the final held in Georgia, Divya defeated her compatriot Koneru Humpy in the tiebreak. Notably, Divya became the only Indian woman to win the FIDE World Cup. The 19-year-old, who was seeded 15th, also became India's 88th Grandmaster.
Para-archer
Sheetal Devi scripts these records
In September, an 18-year-old Sheetal Devi made the nation proud by winning the gold medal at the World Archery Para Championships in Gwangju, South Korea. She tasted the glory in the Compound Women's Individual event, defeating defending champion Oznur Cure Girdi 146-143. Sheetal secured a total of three medals at the championship: gold (individual), silver (team), and bronze (mixed team).
Javelin throw
Neeraj Chopra finally breaks 90m barrier
Ace javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra scripted history in May by becoming the first Indian to breach the elusive 90-meter mark in men's javelin throw, at the Doha Diamond League. His record-breaking throw of 90.23m, though not enough to win, secured him the second spot in the event. This made him one of only 25 javelin throwers at that time to have thrown beyond 90 meters.
Cricket
Deepti Sharma bags honors at World Cup
In November, Team India won its first-ever ICC Women's ODI World Cup title, defeating South Africa by 52 runs in the final. Deepti Sharma bagged the Player-of-the-Tournament award for her all-round performance throughout the competition. The spinner was the highest wicket-taker in the tournament with an impressive tally of 22 wickets at 20.41. No other bowler even managed 18 scalps. The 27-year-old all-rounder scored a brilliant 58 runs and took five wickets for 39 runs in the final.
Athletics
Animesh Kujur becomes India's fastest sprinter
In July, Animesh Kujur emerged as India's fastest man, clocking record-breaking timings in sprint events. Hailing from Chhattisgarh, the 22-year-old broke the national record by clocking 10.18s (100m) in Greece and 20.27s (200m) in Geneva. With these feats, Kujur also became the first Indian male sprinter to qualify for the World Athletics Championships.