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 event will be held on March 21, 2026 in Lucknow, bringing together top sporting icons and rising stars of the country.This edition will honor performances in more than 45 categories during the evaluation period from January 1 to December 31, 2025. It was a remarkable year for Indian sports, with impressive performances at global and continental events.The year 2025 turned out to be historic for Indian cricket, especially in the women’s game. The Indian women’s team won their first ICC title by winning the ODI World Cup at home. The men’s team also enjoyed a successful year ICC Champions Trophy and the Asia Cup.Cricketers from Uttar Pradesh along with Agra played a key role in these achievements. Deepti Sharma Being named Player of the Tournament in the victorious Women’s ODI World Cup campaign. with Deepti, Kuldeep Yadav Also nominated in the TOISA 2025 Cricketer of the Year category.Experienced all-rounder Deepti shone with both bat and ball, scoring 215 runs and taking 22 wickets in nine matches in 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 was instrumental in India’s Champions Trophy and Asia Cup victories. He performed brilliantly in the Asia Cup, taking 17 wickets in just seven matches. Kuldeep also achieved significant success in 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: 24 August 1997Place of Birth: Agra, Uttar PradeshSports: CricketKey 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 half-centuriesBowling – 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 adjudged the player of the tournament at the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup after leading the biggest all-round campaign in the event’s history. In nine matches, she scored 215 runs and took 22 wickets, becoming the first cricketer—male or female—to score 200 runs and 20 wickets in a single World Cup edition. His impressive performance in the final in Mumbai was particularly important, helping India capture the title.Kuldeep YadavDate of Birth: 14 December 1994Place of Birth: Unnao, Uttar PradeshSports: CricketKey achievements in 2025:ICC Champions Trophy 2025: WinnerACC Asia Cup 2025: WinnerTest 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, taking India’s most wickets across all formats with 60 scalps in 25 matches. The wrist-spinner was instrumental in India’s victorious campaigns in the ICC Champions Trophy and Asia Cup. In the Champions Trophy, he took seven wickets in five games, a key achievement during the title run.However, it was in the Asia Cup where Kuldeep really surprised. He topped the tournament’s wicket-taking charts with an impressive 17 wickets in just seven matches, well ahead of Shaheen Afridi’s next best tally of 10. Although he missed out on the Player of the Tournament award — which went to teammate Abhishek Sharma for his record 314 — Kuldeep’s match-winning spells were central to India’s title campaign.
