India’s Abhishek Sharma becomes Pakistan’s most-searched athlete of 2025

Dubai: Indian cricket found fresh faces and new stories in 2025, a year that produced standout performances and unexpected heroes. These players not only impressed fans at home but also grabbed attention across the border.

On the pitch, the gap between the two teams was clear. India defeated Pakistan in all four encounters the sides played during the year. The Men in Blue won their key clash in the 2025 Champions Trophy and went on to beat Pakistan three more times in the Asia Cup, including the final.

One of the biggest talking points of the Asia Cup was the rise of Abhishek Sharma, who delivered one explosive innings after another. The left-handed opener finished as the tournament’s highest run-scorer, piling up 314 runs at an average of 44.85 and a strike-rate of 200 — numbers that defined India’s aggressive approach throughout the event.

Abhishek Sharma’s breakout year

Abhishek stole the spotlight in both India–Pakistan group games. He smashed 31 off just 13 balls in the first meeting and followed it up with a blazing 74 from 39 deliveries in the next. Although he fell cheaply in the final, his impact had already been felt.

His performances created a buzz in Pakistan, where cricket fans eagerly followed his rise. According to Google’s 2025 search trends, Abhishek was the most-searched athlete in Pakistan — the only non-Pakistani among the top five.

Pakistan’s most searched athletes in 2025

1. Abhishek Sharma (India)

2. Hassan Nawaz (Pakistan)

3. Irfan Khan Niazi (Pakistan)

4. Sahibazada Farhan (Pakistan)

5. Muhammad Abbas (Pakistan)

6. Saim Ayub (Pakistan)

7. Yasir Khan (Pakistan)

8. Kashif Ali (Pakistan)

9. Saif Hassan (Bangladesh)

10. Abdul Samad (Pakistan)

Vaibhav Suryavanshi tops India’s search list

Back home, Abhishek finished third among India’s most-searched personalities. The top spot went to 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi, who became the breakout story of the 2025 IPL while playing for Rajasthan Royals and later impressed for India U-19 and India A.

The list showed India’s cricket-heavy interests, with women’s team star Jemimah Rodrigues also featuring after helping India win the Women’s World Cup for the first time.

Most searched Indians in 2025

1. Vaibhav Suryavanshi

2. Priyansh Arya

3. Abhishek Sharma

4. Shaik Rasheed

5. Jemimah Rodrigues

6. Ayush Mhatre

7. Smriti Mandhana

8. Karun Nair

9. Urvil Patel

10. Vignesh Puthur

2025, for Indian cricket, was not just about trophies. It was a year of new names, bold performances, and rising stars who captured global attention — even from traditional rivals.