Cricket, with its rich history and global following, continues to produce remarkable talents to push beyond the borders of what’s possible. As we move through 2025, the debate about who is the best cricket player in the world right now has intensified, with several extraordinary performers making compelling cases for the crown.
In this Melbet article, we’ll explore the top contenders for this award as well as the justifications.
Key Factors in Determining the Best Cricket Player In The World
Here are some of the main factors that we used to determine the best cricket players in the world:
Batting, Bowling, and All-Rounder Performances
The assessment of who is best cricket player in the world requires a multidimensional approach. Cricket’s unique nature demands excellence across different skill sets, making the evaluation complex yet exhilarating. Batting prowess is one of the major metrics, as consistent run-scoring across challenging conditions serves as a hallmark of greatness.
All-rounders, who are also known as rare players who excel in both batting and bowling, offer a unique perspective in these rankings. Their dual contributions often prove decisive in match outcomes, making them particularly valuable to their teams.
Finally, the best players are consistent and adaptive. They maintain high standards over the years and demonstrate the ability to succeed in varying conditions. Modern cricket demands that players are versatile across three distinct formats, with each requiring distinct skills and approaches. They include:
|
Format |
Key Skills |
Premier Performers |
|
Test Cricket |
Technique, patience, mental strength |
Smith, Root, Kohli |
|
One Day International |
Balance between attack and defense, situational awareness |
Kohli, Williamson, Babar |
|
T20 Cricket |
Power hitting, innovation, bowling variations |
Rashid Khan, Kohli, Babar |
Influence On The Team And Match-Winning Abilities
Leadership extends beyond official captaincy, as it is the ability to inspire teammates and influence game situations positively. Players who shoulder additional responsibility while maintaining personal excellence demonstrate a rare quality that separates good players from the truly great.
Additionally, performances in tournament knockout stages, series deciders, or when facing the game’s strongest opponents provide valuable insight into a player’s mettle and claim to being the best cricket player in the world of all time.
The ability to perform under pressure is another definitive characteristic of the greatest players in cricket. Whether rescuing a team from a precarious position or defending a modest total with the ball, the capacity to embrace pressure rather than succumb to it marks the sport’s greatest performers.
The Top Cricket Players Dominating The World Right Now
Below are some of the greats of cricket who are truly being lauded locally and internationally:
Virat Kohli: The Modern-Day Cricket Legend
Virat Kohli remains an uncontestable cricket powerhouse in 2025. His brilliant play across all cricket formats has set new standards of consistency that modern players struggle to match.
Kohli’s technique has evolved to meet the demands of each format while maintaining his core strengths.
He has a masterful driving signature and an uncanny ability to rotate strike which ensures constant scoreboard pressure. This year, Kohli evolved his batting strategy, especially in T20s, by developing multiple hitting techniques while maintaining his orthodox stroke selections.
Below are some of the stats that tell a story of his versatility:
|
Format |
Matches |
Runs |
Average |
Strike rate |
Centuries |
|
Test |
118 |
10,632 |
54.80 |
56.82 |
38 |
|
ODI |
295 |
14,875 |
58.33 |
94.65 |
49 |
|
T20 |
125 |
4,238 |
49.85 |
141.28 |
1 |
His performance reinforces his claim to be the best cricket player in the world right now in 2025. He has the legendary ability to elevate his game in high-pressure stakes, earning him numerous match-winning innings.
Kane Williamson: A Calm And Composed Leader
New Zealand’s Kane Williamson represents the exact opposite of the high-intensity approach of many of his contemporaries, yet his impact remains equally profound. He embodies leadership in a way that provides stability to his team and defines the ethos of maximum effort and fair play.
In pressure situations, Williamson’s composure becomes his greatest weapon. He possesses a measured approach to building innings, particularly in Test cricket, and this has rescued New Zealand from difficult positions countless times.
Joe Root: England’s Backbone In World Cricket
Root serves as the essential base for English cricket operations. Through his elegant batting style and remarkable consistency, Root established himself as one of the most reliable cricket players globally. His evolution into a better player in white-ball cricket has elevated his position in world cricket rankings.
He also builds innings methodically in Test matches, demonstrating his versatility as a batsman.
With his method of precise footwork, together with soft hands, he successfully plays on multiple field conditions. Spin bowling is his specialty, especially when playing in subcontinental areas where many other professionals encounter difficulties.
Root developed his skills further by adding a more charismatic playing style without compromising the core elements of his technique. His continual development as a player now enables him to properly excel across every match format and all types of playing conditions.
Excellent performances in challenging Australian, South African and Indian conditions display his versatility – which proves essential during the process of identifying who is best cricket player in the world.
Babar Azam: Pakistan’s Rising Star
Through his elegant batting techniques and steady batting performances, Babar Azam established his position among cricket’s most esteemed players from Pakistan. His cover drive shot has gained recognition as one of his signature hitting techniques which matches legendary Indian batter Sachin Tendulkar.
Here are some stats that reflect Babar’s effectiveness:
|
Format |
Matches |
Run |
Average |
Strike Rate |
Centuries |
|
Test |
55 |
4,025 |
47.92 |
55.38 |
11 |
|
ODI |
121 |
5,815 |
57.57 |
88.82 |
19 |
|
T20 |
112 |
3,842 |
43.27 |
129.11 |
3 |
Babar’s consistency across formats stands as his most impressive quality. His ability to score runs regularly against all opposition has seen him rise steadily in the ICC rankings across formats. This reliability makes him a strong contender in discussions about who is the best cricket player in the world of all time
Steve Smith: The Master Of Technique And Concentration
Australian player Steve Smith continues to defy conventional technique while producing extraordinary results, particularly in Test cricket. The combination of his unorthodox methods and unmatched concentration have made him one of the most difficult batsmen to dismiss in cricket history.
Smith’s Test record places him among the all-time greats of the format. His combination of long innings, batting technique and attacking mindset makes him Australia’s most dependable batsman after Don Bradman.
Through his Test cricket career, he has maintained an above-average batting metric that exceeds 60 runs per innings because of his unique skills in scoring against formidable opposition.
Beyond statistics, Smith has contributed so much to Australian cricket. His performances in the Ashes series and other high-profile contests have often been the difference between victory and defeat for his team. His significant statistics do not prevent him from stepping on the field whenever his team requires his contribution.
Rashid Khan: The World’s Best T20 Bowler
Through his modern bowling techniques, Rashid Khan brought revolutionary breakthroughs to leg spin bowling which made him the most formidable T20 bowler on international fields. Rashid Khan has transformed T20 cricket worldwide through his appearances in the IPL alongside Big Bash and CPL and his participation in PSL. His effectiveness can be attributed to several factors:
- His rapid arm speed makes it difficult for batsmen to read his variations
- Precise control of length and line
- A well-disguised googly that troubles even the best players of spin
- The ability to bowl effectively in different phases of a T20 innings
Finally, the composure of Khan sets him apart. This can be seen whether defending a modest total or trying to break a dangerous partnership.
Comparing the Statistics and Achievements of Top Players
Here are some of the statistics and achievements of top players:
Batting and Bowling Records: Who Stands Out?
Statistical comparison provides a foundation for evaluating the best cricket player in the world right now. Although numbers alone cannot tell the complete story, they offer valuable insight into consistent performance. Here are some staggering insights:
|
Player |
Test Average |
ODI Average |
T20 Average |
Combined Quality Index |
|
Virat Kohli |
54.80 |
58.33 |
49.85 |
9.2/10 |
|
Steve Smith |
61.37 |
43.15 |
27.48 |
8.8/10 |
|
Kane Williamson |
52.62 |
47.83 |
33.72 |
8.7/10 |
|
Babar Azam |
47.92 |
57.57 |
43.17 |
8.9/10 |
|
Joe Root |
49.87 |
50.12 |
35.72 |
8.6/10 |
The Impact Of Players In Global Tournaments
ICC tournaments stand as cricket’s premier competitions because top athletes face maximum scrutiny during their performances. The ability of a player to perform at a high level under intense pressure becomes evident through their strong performance in these tournaments that combine multiple challenging conditions in limited periods.
Kohli delivered a perfect batting display against Pakistan at the 2022 T20 World Cup, while Williamson maintained steady batting during the 2023 World Cup and Root delivered regular performances across the World Test Championship.
Franchise T20 cricket provides another platform for evaluating elite performers. These leagues bring together the world’s best talent in highly competitive environments. Consistent excellence across these tournaments indicates a player’s adaptability and skill level.
The Debate: Who Truly Stands Out As The Best Cricket Player Right Now?
While the debate remains unending, here are some facts that prove the best cricket player as of 2025.
Virat Kohli versus Steve Smith: A Battle of Modern-day Legends
The Kohli-Smith rivalry has defined an era of cricket, with both players establishing credentials that place them among the all-time greats. Their contrasting styles – Kohli’s technical perfection against Smith’s unorthodox effectiveness – provide a fascinating study in batting excellence.
The Influence Of Leadership on Player Success
Leadership provides cricket players with new attributes that enrich their overall performance profile. During Kane Williamson’s captaincy, New Zealand achieved consistent overachievement in world cricket. At the same time, Joe Root guided England through transitional and evolutionary stages.
The ability to maintain personal performance standards while bearing the responsibility of captaincy demonstrates extraordinary mental strength and cricket intelligence. Both Williamson and Root have generally excelled with this additional responsibility, enhancing their credentials in the debate about cricket’s current best player.
Looking To The Future: The Next Generation Of Cricket Stars
Below are some of the next generation of cricket stars:
Emerging Talents To Watch In The Coming Years
While established stars continue to dominate, cricket’s next generation is emerging with skills tailored to the modern game. Several young players have demonstrated the potential to enter the conversation about who might become the best in the future:
- Shubman Gill (India): Technical excellence with modern aggressive intent
- Rishabh Pant (India): Game-changing batting ability and improved wicketkeeping
- Shaheen Shah Afridi (Pakistan): Express pace with remarkable control
- Will Pucovski (Australia): Displays a classic batting style while achieving contemporary scoring patterns.
- Jofra Archer (England): Offers speed while generating bounce and demonstrates ability across all formats of the game.
Players emerging now embody cricket’s upcoming generation because they learned their skills during the three-format cricket era. Their continued development will shape discussions about who is the best cricket player in the world right now 2025 in the coming years.
The Changing Landscape Of Cricket And Its Superstars
T20 league cricket expansion worldwide created substantial changes in the financial aspects of the game while modifying how its performances evolved. Players now face choices about format specialization and international versus franchise commitments.
These choices influence how we evaluate players, with different career paths leading to different types of cricketing excellence. The best players navigate these choices while maintaining high standards across their chosen platforms.
Cricket shows continuous global expansion because several national cricket teams become competitive while producing top-notch players. The growth of cricket creates advantages for the sport while making it harder to compare players between diverse competition levels.
