Top 5 spirit of cricket moments in 2025

Cricket’s best moments aren’t always the ones on the scoreboard. In 2025, the game produced several clear reminders that spirit, decency and empathy still sit at the heart of the sport. Here are five moments that captured the “spirit of cricket” this year — small acts with outsized meaning, each one showing players or teams choosing respect over advantage.

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1. Indian Players Console South African Opponents at Women's World Cup Final

The most prominent display of sportsmanship occurred immediately after India's maiden ICC Women's ODI World Cup victory. Instead of solely celebrating their historic win, Indian players, including Jemimah Rodrigues and Smriti Mandhana, were seen offering heartfelt consolation to the visibly emotional and tearful South African team members. 

Team India has been on the other side of the victory and could understand the Proteas' perspective, hence consoling them. This powerful display of empathy and respect garnered global appreciation, perfectly encapsulating the spirit of the game.

2. Karun Nair stops to check on Chris Woakes

On day one of the fifth Test at The Oval, Karun Nair did something simple and rare. He refused to take a fourth run after England’s Chris Woakes went down clutching his shoulder while saving a boundary. With a chance to steal runs, Nair paused and effectively denied himself a scoring opportunity so medical staff could get to the injured fielder. 

It was the kind of instinctive, sportsmanlike gesture that gets shared and remembered, not because it changed a match’s result but because it underlined the human side of competition. The image of a batsman abandoning potential runs to check on an opponent cut through the noise and felt, for many fans, like a breath of fresh air in an often-hyped sport. 

3. Suryakumar Yadav withdraws an appeal

In the Asia Cup, India captain Suryakumar Yadav withdrew an appeal that had originally ended in a UAE batter being given out after review. Broadcasters showed the confusion as a towel had fallen and the batter had clearly been distracted, and Suryakumar chose to call the batsman back. 

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The decision sparked debate as some saw it as generous, others flagged inconsistency, but in spirit terms, it was a captain using discretion to avoid profiting from an unfair moment. Acts like this matter because they reinforce the idea that teams can police themselves and that the letter and spirit of the laws can coexist.

4. Sarfaraz Ahmed urges Pakistan U19 to “celebrate with decorum”

After Pakistan’s Under-19 side won the Asia Cup, mentor Sarfaraz Ahmed was caught on camera telling his players to celebrate, but “with decorum.” The comment came amid wider tensions around India–Pakistan fixtures that spilt into on-field behaviour that fans and pundits found divisive. 

Sarfaraz’s instruction was noteworthy because it wasn’t about winning or recrimination; it was about inculcating values in young players: win hard, but don’t humiliate your rivals. That kind of off-field guidance from a former international captain to tomorrow’s internationals is the sort of cultural leadership that keeps sporting traditions intact.

5. Pratika Rawal gets her World Cup medal

Pratika Rawal missed semis and finals due to injury but remained part of her team’s campaign. When her medal was presented, an emotional afterword to an injury that denied her time on the field, the moment was a reminder that squads are collective. 

Teams that ensure injured players are visible, valued and celebrated send a strong message. Contributions off the pitch, in the dressing room and in training matter as much as runs and wickets. That recognition of publicly marking an injured player’s role is a soft but powerful expression of cricket’s communal spirit.

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