From Heartbreak To History: How 2025 Became The Year Of The Underdogs

2025 turned out to be a breakthrough year for several major sports franchises and national teams as they finally found their night of crowning glory after decades of heartbreak. From Tottenham Hotspur's first European success in 41 years to Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) finally ending their Indian Premier League (IPL) title drought, the so-called "perennial chokers" finally took center stage.

The Hurricanes' Storm

The first team on this list is the Hobart Hurricanes, who ended their 14-year wait for a title by beating the Sydney Thunder at home in the 2024/25 Big Bash League (BBL) final. In the final, Mitchell Owen laid the foundation for a seven-wicket win at the Ninja Stadium, smashing 108 runs off just 42 balls. Captain Nathan Ellis led his troops from the front; he returned figures of 3/23 in the final, capping off the season with 13 wickets. Prior to 2024-25, the Hurricanes were one of only two sides, alongside the Melbourne Stars, to have never lifted the BBL title.

The North London Paradox

Next on the list are Tottenham Hotspur, one of the traditional "Big Six" sides of the English football ecosystem. It turned out to be a strange season for the North London giants. Spurs narrowly escaped relegation after finishing 17th in the Premier League, yet went on to win the UEFA Europa League for the first time in their history, beating domestic rivals Manchester United by a solitary goal from captain Cristian Romero. Despite Ange Postecoglou fulfilling his promise of ending the club's 17-year trophy drought, the Australian manager was shown the door by the board after a turbulent campaign in the English top flight.

Paris Finds Its Crown

Just 297 miles away in France, Spanish manager Luis Enrique landed a first Champions League title for Paris Saint-Germain, who routed Inter Milan 5-0 in the final in Munich. The triumph for the Parisians came after more than a decade of massive investment from their Qatari owners, and five years after they lost to Bayern Munich in their only previous final appearance. This win was more than just a club milestone; it was a watershed moment for French football. PSG became just the second-ever French winner of European football's biggest prize, following Marseille's lone success in 1993.

The King's Coronation

Switching sports, RCB are next on the list, having enjoyed similar emotions after ending a 17-year drought to lift their first IPL title in June. The Bengaluru-based franchise defeated fellow "chokers" Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the final by a narrow margin of six runs at the world's largest cricket stadium in Ahmedabad. Franchise icon Virat Kohli, who joined the franchise as a 19-year-old in 2008, broke down upon finally getting his hands on the elusive silverware. Kohli, now 37, had played in all three of RCB's previous final appearances, including the heartbreaking 2016 campaign as captain.

Proteas Pride and Women in Blue

Turning toward the international circuit, South Africa's triumph over Australia in the World Test Championship (WTC) final at Lord's was no mean feat. The Proteas managed to shed the "perennial chokers" tag after ending a 27-year ICC trophy hoodoo. Captain Temba Bavuma and his men received a heroes' welcome upon their return to the Rainbow Nation, securing only their second major trophy since the ICC KnockOut in 1998.

To cap off our list, the Indian Women's Cricket Team's victorious ODI World Cup campaign was the "cherry on top." An all-round masterclass from Shafali Verma and Deepti Sharma liberated the "Women in Blue" from years of knockout stage failures as they overcame a Laura Wolvaardt-inspired South Africa in the final on home soil. However, Jemimah Rodrigues' century in the semi-final against defending champions Australia was the true turning point, as India chased down a record World Cup target of 339 to announce their arrival as the new queens of the sport.

Topics mentioned in this article

Royal Challengers Bengaluru Hobart Hurricanes South Africa Cricket Team India Women Paris Saint-Germain Tottenham Hotspur Football yearender2025