Pakistan's Most Searched Athlete Of 2025 Is Indian. Not Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma Or Jasprit Bumrah

The year 2025 is coming to an end. As one looks back, there will be moments that stand out for everybody. Google's most-searched list is one parameter to judge the highs for a particular subject. Going by that, an interesting trend has come to notice from Pakistan: the country's most-searched athlete in 2025 is from India! In fact, none of Pakistan's top cricketers like Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi, or Mohammad Rizwan are in the top-five list. Youngsters such as Hassan Nawaz, Irfan Khan Niazi, Sahibzada Farhan, and Muhammad Abbas are among the top five.

However, google's most-searched cricketer in Pakistan in 2025 was India's Abhishek Sharma. The world No. 1 T20I batter, who went from strength to strength in 2025 in the shortest format, was the top run-getter in the 2025 Asia Cup with a tally of 314 runs at a strike rate of 200. In fact, he slammed a 39-ball 74 against Pakistan in the Asia Cup Super 4 stage. In 17 T20I matches in 2025, he scored 756 runs at an average of 47.25, including a century.

There was also a surprise in the most-searched cricket terms in Pakistan. Pakistan vs South Africa topped the list ahead of the Pakistan Super League and the Asia Cup.

Meanwhile, South Africa's T20I captain Aiden Markram put a premium on Abhishek Sharma's wicket, saying the new-age Indian opener embodies fearlessness and the ultra-aggressive style of play that has reshaped the format. Having seen Abhishek up close at Sunrisers Hyderabad, Markram did not hide the respect he has for the 25-year-old left-hander.

"I've played with Abhi before at Sunrisers, a great guy and bats really well, so no doubt it's a big wicket for us," he said on the eve of their five-match T20I series opener at the Barabati Stadium.

"Whoever takes the new ball, that's a challenge to hopefully get him early. He is a match-winner and it's an important wicket for us." Markram said modern T20 batting is being driven by youngsters who see attacking intent as both entertainment and opportunity.

"It's probably just the fearlessness - being given complete licence to take the game on from ball one," he said.

"Some players you almost just want them to spread their wings and take the game on. If they come off, the team is in a really strong position. The game is moving in that direction." He added that the modern generation is naturally inclined toward high-impact cricket.

"The younger guys coming through naturally are playing that way because that's entertainment, but it's also an opportunity for them to get into leagues and play T20 cricket for their country. They end up doing some really cool things."

With the IPL auction on December 16 in Abu Dhabi, Markram, who has been retained by Lucknow Super Giants, said individuals may try to impress, but the World Cup in February remains the true focus.

"Some guys are in the auction and there could be an element of wanting to impress. But that's definitely not the main reason we're here. If the team does well, naturally individuals benefit and that's the extra bonus."

South Africa, runners-up at last year's T20 World Cup, have since slipped in bilaterals, losing to West Indies, India, Australia, and Pakistan.

Topics mentioned in this article

India Cricket Team Pakistan Cricket Team Abhishek Sharma Cricket