2025 turned out to be a year of sharp highs and painful lows for Indian cricket. It started with hope and confidence, giving a feeling that an exciting chapter was unfolding. But as the months passed, that excitement slowly faded away, replaced with disappointment, dressing-room tensions and the exit of some of the games’ biggest names. The season opened on a powerful note in January when India hosted the West Indies for a two-match Test series and ended by dominating them at home.
The first Test was a comfortable win, but it was the second match in Ahmedabad that truly caught everyone’s attention. The Indian team led by Shubman Gill, looked unstoppable at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. It wasn’t just a victory – it was total domination.
Dhruv Jurel made headlines with his first Test century, while Jasprit Bumrah’s pace and Ravindra Jadeja’s skill with the ball left the West Indies struggling. At that point, Indian cricket appeared to have the ideal mix of young talent and experienced stars.
The downward spiral: WTC heartbreak and home shocks
But the early momentum quickly fell apart. Midway through the year brought more heartbreak for Indian cricket fans. In June, India traveled to Lord’s for the World Test Championship Final against South Africa, only to come up short once again.
Despite a strong fight, South Africa’s Aiden Markram scored a century, while Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen bowled with deadly precision, helping the Proteas clinch a 5-wicket win. India was left yet again as the runners-up on the Test stage.
The struggles didn’t end in London. Later in the year, India faced a shocking 0-2 Test series loss at home against South Africa, including a crushing 408-run defeat in Guwahati – the largest by runs in India’s Test history. The so-called “fortress” at home had been broken and the team’s sense of invincibility was gone.
The rift: Gambhir vs. the icons
Away from the pitch, the central narrative of 2025 wasn’t just about runs and wickets, but about a widening rift involving head coach Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.
Kohli was seen seemingly ignoring head coach Gautam Gambhir at the end of the first ODI against South Africa. Some fans noticed the moment during the match on Sunday, November 30 and the clip quickly went viral on social media. The incident happened after Kohli played a match-winning knock and India secured a 17-run win in Ranchi. As Kohli walked back to the dressing room, Gautam Gambhir was sitting near the entrance. Kohli appeared to notice him but walked past without shaking hands or acknowledging the head coach. This brief moment led to speculation online about tension between the two.
Additionally, reports have been doing the rounds about a possible cold war in the dressing room between Kohli and Gambhir. The two have been on opposite sides in several on-field clashes over the years, especially in the IPL, where they have always played for rival teams.
The friction extended to Chief Selector Ajit Agarkar. The BCCI’s “domestic cricket diktat” – which forced seniors like Rohit and Kohli back into the Ranji Trophy to prove their form – was seen by many as a move backed by Gambhir and Agarkar to phase out the veterans.
Unlike Kohli’s silence, Rohit Sharma was frequently seen in heated, animated discussions with Gambhir on the sidelines, signaling a fundamental disagreement over the team’s aggressive “chopping and changing” policy.
A gutted fandom: The end of an era
Sadly the hardest part of 2025 was seeing a golden era come to an end through retirements. In May, the cricket world was stunned when Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli both announced their retirement from Test cricket just days apart. While they continue in ODIs, seeing them in the whites is now a thing of the past.
The sense of loss grew even more in August when Cheteshwar Pujara, known as the “Modern Wall,” retired from all forms of cricket, ending a brilliant career of 103 Tests.
Other experienced players like Piyush Chawla and Varun Aaron also stepped away, leaving fans to face a team that looks very different from the one that began the decade.
Video shows BCCI selector talking separately with Kohli and Gambhir
A video of BCCI selector Pragyan Ojha talking separately with Virat Kohli and coach Gautam Gambhir was going viral. In the clip, filmed at Ranchi Airport, Ojha is first seen sitting with Kohli, listening to him carefully. After some time, he moves to Gambhir, who is sitting on the other side and shares the same conversation with him.
The video comes amid reports that communication between the team management and senior players has dropped, especially between Gambhir, Ajit Agarkar and Virat-Rohit. In the viral clip, while Kohli and Ojha are seen talking together, Gambhir sits alone at a noticeable distance. This has sparked questions on social media about whether a gap still exists between Kohli and Gambhir.
Earlier, Ojha also met Rohit Sharma, where the two shook hands and spoke with smiles. Ojha and Rohit have been teammates before with the Mumbai Indians.
India vs Pakistan on-field drama
Additionally, the 2025 Asia Cup is likely to be remembered not so much for the cricket, but for the intense political tension and on-field hostility that took the India-Pakistan rivalry to a new level. From provocative military symbolism to a strange winners’ ceremony without a trophy, the tournament became a centre of controversy.
The most talked-about moment came during the high-pressure Super four match. As Indian fans repeatedly chanted “Kohli-Kohli,” Pakistan fast bowler Haris Rauf turned towards the crowd and made a gesture suggesting a fighter jet crashing.
Many viewers saw the act as a political message, linking it to disputed claims around “Operation Sindoor”.
In the final, Indian pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah delivered the ultimate “silent” reply. After clean-bowling Rauf with a searing yorker to seal the tail, Bumrah mimicked the same “dipping plane” gesture with a wry smile.
The trophy fiasco
One of the strangest moments in cricket history unfolded after the 2025 Asia Cup final. Even though India beat Pakistan by five wickets, the winning team never lifted the trophy. The Indian side, led by Suryakumar Yadav, reportedly chose not to accept the trophy or medals from ACC President and PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi. The decision was linked to Naqvi’s controversial social media posts and his role as Pakistan’s Interior Minister.
After a delay of nearly 90 minutes, Naqvi is said to have ordered the trophy to be taken away from the stadium. Videos later showed the silverware being carried off as Indian players remained on the field, visibly stunned by the unusual turn of events.
Controversies in IPL 2025
The first big controversy of IPL 2025 came when Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) captain Ajinkya Rahane complained about home advantage after their opening match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, pointing to the spin-friendly conditions. In response, Eden Gardens pitch curator Sujan Mukherjee said KKR had no special requests and, according to BCCI rules, teams cannot influence the pitch.
During Chennai Super Kings’ first match against Mumbai Indians, Khaleel Ahmed was caught on camera putting something in his pocket just before his first delivery, with CSK captain Ruturaj Gaikwad nearby. Although no official action was taken, fans suspected ball-tampering and asked the BCCI to investigate. Interestingly, all videos of the incident that were on social media have now been removed.
Rajasthan Royals also faced controversy over match-fixing allegations. Jaydeep Bihani, convener of the Rajasthan Cricket Association’s ad hoc committee, accused the 2008 champions of tampering after they lost narrowly by two runs to Lucknow Super Giants. The franchise, however, denied the claims, calling them false, misleading, and baseless.