The Times of India Sports Awards (TOISA) returns for its eighth edition, celebrating the achievements and inspiring journeys of India’s finest athletes. The TOISA 2025 ceremony will be held on March 21, 2026, in Lucknow, bringing together the country’s top sporting icons and emerging stars.This edition will honour performances across more than 45 categories during the evaluation period from January 1 to December 31, 2025. It was a remarkable year for Indian sport, marked by standout performances at global and continental events.The year 2025 proved historic for Indian cricket, especially in the women’s game. The Indian women’s team clinched their first-ever ICC title, winning the ODI World Cup at home. The men’s team also enjoyed a successful year, lifting the ICC Champions Trophy and the Asia Cup.Cricketers from Uttar Pradesh played a key role in these achievements, with Agra’s Deepti Sharma being named Player of the Tournament in the women’s triumphant ODI World Cup campaign. Alongside Deepti, Kuldeep Yadav has also been nominated in the TOISA 2025 Cricketer of the Year category.The experienced all-rounder Deepti shone with both bat and ball, scoring 215 runs and taking 22 wickets in nine matches at the World Cup. It was one of the greatest all-round performances in World Cup history, as she became the first cricketer (male or female) to achieve the rare feat of 200 runs and 20 wickets in a single edition.In the men’s team, wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav played a pivotal role in India’s Champions Trophy and Asia Cup triumphs. He dazzled at the Asia Cup, finishing as the leading wicket-taker with 17 scalps in just seven matches. Kuldeep also delivered crucial breakthroughs at the Champions Trophy, taking seven wickets in five games, and ended the year as India’s highest wicket-taker across formats with 60 wickets in 25 matches.UP cricketers nominated for TOISA 2025:Deepti SharmaDate of Birth: August 24, 1997Place of Birth: Agra, Uttar PradeshSport: CricketMajor Achievements in 2025:ICC ODI World Cup 2025: Winner – Player of the TournamentODI stats in 2025:Batting – 596 runs in 23 matches | Ave. 49.66 | SR 98.18 | 6 fiftiesBowling – 39 wickets in 23 matches | Ave. 27.1 | Econ. 5.12 | 1 FiferT20I stats in 2025:Batting – 143 runs in 17 matches | Ave. 14.3 | SR 113.49Bowling – 22 wickets in 17 matches | Ave. 23.22 | Econ. 7.8Deepti Sharma was named Player of the Tournament at the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup after delivering one of the greatest all-round campaigns in the event’s history. Across nine matches, she scored 215 runs and claimed 22 wickets, becoming the first cricketer — male or female — to achieve the rare double of 200 runs and 20 wickets in a single World Cup edition. Her standout performance in the final in Mumbai was particularly significant, helping India seal the title.Kuldeep YadavDate of Birth: December 14, 1994Place of Birth: Unnao, Uttar PradeshSport: CricketMajor Achievements in 2025:ICC Champions Trophy 2025: WinnersACC Asia Cup 2025: WinnersTest stats in 2025: 20 wickets in 4 matches | Best 5/82 | Ave. 23.15 | Econ. 3.47ODI stats in 2025: 19 wickets in 11 matches | Best 4/41 | Ave. 29.0 | Econ. 5.28T20I stats in 2025: 21 wickets in 10 matches | Best 4/7 | Ave. 10.23 | Econ. 7.04Kuldeep Yadav enjoyed a sensational 2025, finishing as India’s highest wicket-taker across formats with 60 scalps in 25 matches. The wrist-spinner played a vital role in India’s triumphant campaigns at the ICC Champions Trophy and the Asia Cup. At the Champions Trophy, he claimed seven wickets in five games, delivering crucial breakthroughs during the title run.However, it was at the Asia Cup where Kuldeep truly dazzled. He topped the tournament’s wicket-taking charts with a remarkable 17 wickets in just seven matches, far ahead of the next best tally of 10 by Shaheen Afridi. Though he narrowly missed out on the Player of the Tournament award — which went to teammate Abhishek Sharma for his record 314 runs — Kuldeep’s match-winning spells were central to India’s title-winning campaign.
