The year 2025 marked an exciting chapter for Indian cricket as several promising talents made their international debut. Players like Varun Chakravarthy, Harshit Rana, Sai Sudharsan, Anshul Kamboj and Yashasvi Jaiswal stepped onto the world stage and showcased their potential. Their entry brought fresh energy and depth to the national squad, proving that India’s domestic circuit continues to produce world-class cricketers.
Let’s take a closer look at these exciting newcomers who made their debut for the country in 2025:
1. Varun Chakravarthy:
A mystery-spinner renowned for his crafty variations, Varun Chakravarthy made a memorable ODI debut for India in 2025 during the England series held at Cuttack. At 33 years and 164 days, he became the second oldest ODI debutant for India, trailing only Farokh Engineer.
In that series, he was a standout performer, clinching the Player of the Series title in T20Is against England with an impressive 14 wickets in 5 matches, including a five-wicket haul of 5/24. Later during the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy, he continued his form, picking up his first ODI five-for (5/42) against New Zealand and finishing with 9 wickets across three matches, making him the joint second highest wicket-taker in the tournament.
2. Harshit Rana:
A tall and aggressive right-arm fast bowler from Delhi, Harshit debuted first in Tests on 22 November 2024 against Australia (though that lies just before 2025) and went on to make T20I and ODI debuts in early 2025.
His T20I debut came on 31 January 2025 against England where he impressed by taking 3 wickets as a concussion substitute for Shivam Dube. His ODI debut followed on 6 February 2025 against England where he registered 3/53, a fine start to his limited‑overs career.
3. Sai Sudharsan:
A classy left-handed top-order batter hailing from Tamil Nadu, Sai marked his Test debut for India on 20 June 2025 against England. Before that, he had already featured in limited-overs cricket, with an ODI debut in December 2023 and a T20I debut in July 2024.
4. Anshul Kamboj:
A prolific fast-medium bowler who made headlines domestically by taking all ten wickets in an innings in the Ranji Trophy, Anshul Kamboj earned his opportunity for India in July 2025. He was added to the playing XI for the fourth Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy where he claimed his first Test wicket, that of Ben Duckett.
5. Yashasvi Jaiswal:
Although Yashasvi Jaiswal actually debuted earlier, from 2023 onwards, his ODI debut only came in February 2025 against England where he made 15 runs off 22 balls. Since 2023, he has remained a prolific Test batsman, continuing to shine in 2025. Most recently on 20 June 2025, he scored his fifth Test century, a commanding innings that earned praise on social media as a “nightmare for England” and in early August, he further cemented his resilience by forging a 107‑run partnership with Akash Deep in the fifth Test at The Oval.
These players bring a mix of experience and youth, skills and craft and have already started making waves on the international stage in 2025. With all-round promise in both batting and bowling, they represent the depth and talent that continue to strengthen Indian cricket.
Which player do you think has the longest way to go in Indian cricket?
