King of Cricket – Who Reigns Supreme in 2025?

Cricket is not just a game but an emotion for the players playing it and for the fans as well. Starting from Kapil Dev winning the first ICC trophy for the country to Rohit Sharma lifting the Champions Trophy 2025, cricket for the Indians has come a long way.

Many legendary players like Kapil Dev, Sourav Ganguly, Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Zaheer Khan, and many more have represented India on an international level. Similarly, some overseas players like Sir Don Bradman, Brian Lara, Ricky Ponting, Alastair Cook, James Anderson, and others have played for their respective countries and achieved many accolades in their careers.

What Does “King of Cricket” Mean?

"King of Cricket" is a nickname fans of cricket use to describe a cricket player who is extremely talented, successful, and respected in the sport. It defines the player as one of the best in the world, they are known for their great performances and winning matches for their team. Fans and experts often give this title to someone who stands out in cricket history. Let's find the answer to who is the king of cricket?

Who Is the King of Cricket Right Now?

Currently, the title of "King of Cricket" is often attributed to Virat Kohli due to his unparalleled achievements and consistent performances across all formats of the game. He is known for his aggressive batting, incredible chase ability, and physical fitness. Kohli has broken a number of records, including one of the fastest players to score 8000, 9000, and 10000 runs in ODIs, most centuries in ODIs. As of now, he continues to be one of the most consistent and respected players in world cricket, dominating the game with his outstanding performance and determination.

1. Virat Kohli – The Consistent Performer

India's former captain Virat Kohli is the top contender for the king of cricket. As he has scored 27000+ runs across all formats (including ODIs, T20Is, Tests). He has been the most impactful cricketer of the current time. His adaptability throughout his career has been remarkable. Under his captaincy, India became unbeatable on the foreign tours.

Batting and Fielding stats

2. Babar Azam – Modern Great with Elegant Technique

Pakistan’s former captain, Babar Azam, is presumed to be the ‘Real King of Cricket’ by the fans of his country. While the player is in the No.2 spot in the ICC Men’s ODI Rankings 2025, he has scored three half-centuries in the last ten innings.

Also, his performance was below average in the recently ended Champions Trophy 2025. Babar was one of the best in the business a few years down the line, but he has failed to keep the momentum going.

Batting and Fielding stats

3. Joe Root – Test King Still Going Strong

England's former captain Joe Root is also a strong contender for the king of cricket. He has scored 16000+ runs across all formats (including ODIs, T20Is, Tests). Recently, he has been in his best form in the test matches. He has the most centuries among all the active players, i.e. 36 centuries.

Batting and Fielding stats

Historical Kings of Cricket

There were some players in the history of cricket who have been considered as the kings of cricket, however, they all have taken retirement from international cricket and are enjoying their post-retirement life with their families. These players are some of the best in their own way of playing and have numerous cricketing records under their name. These players are not just considered legends by fans; even the cricketing fraternity recognises and respects them as true legends of the game.

Sachin Tendulkar – The God Who Became King

Sachin Tendulkar was not just a great cricketer, but some fans worshipped him like a god because of his amazing talent and records. He has earned the title "king of cricket" for being one of the most successful players in cricket for more than 24 years. Players like MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli, and Virendra Sehwag have taken inspiration from him to become professional cricket players. He has tons of records to his name, from most runs in ODIs, Tests, to most centuries in international cricket, all belong to the great Sachin Tendulkar. This shows how legendary a player he was in his era.

MS Dhoni – Captain Cool with a Loyal Empire

MS Dhoni also falls in the category of the "King of Cricket" for his awesome leadership in international cricket. Even great players have tough days, but Dhoni’s never-give-up attitude makes him different from others. He led India to victory in the 2007 T20 World Cup, 2011 ODI World Cup, and 2013 Champions Trophy.

Even in the pressure situation, his calm style, fast stumpings, and big hits made him "Captain Cool." With over 10,000 ODI runs and 183 wicketkeeping catches, he was a star. In 2025, Dhoni’s mark on cricket still makes him a true king.

Who is the New King of Cricket in 2025?

One of the most asked questions of cricket fans is Who is the new king of cricket? Many players show their potential to be the best, but one name stands out above the rest: a player who has been in the spotlight since his Under-19 days and is often called the next Virat Kohli. Shubman Gill has shown the potential to be the answer to this question of who is king of cricket in the current time. He has performed really well when the team was in need. Gill was among the top run scorers for the Indian team in the recent ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

King of Cricket in Different Formats

There are three different formats in which international cricket has been played, and each format has its own dynamics. Each format of cricket has its own unique style of gameplay, and those who master it become the "King" of that format. On the basis of statistical comparison among all the players, we have picked the king of cricket game in each format of the game. However, there is only one universal king of cricket game and i.e. Virat Kohli.

T20 – Suryakumar Yadav / Jos Buttler

When we talk about the king of cricket in world for the shortest format of cricket, then the players who are at the top of the list are the Indian National team's captain Suryakumar Yadav and former English skipper Jos Buttler. Currently, these two players are the most explosive batters of T20 cricket. Recently, they have been playing in the IPL, and both are among the top run scorers of this league.

Here is the statistical comparison between their T20I career:

ODI – Virat Kohli / Babar Azam

The name that comes to mind when discussing the king of cricket in world for ODIs is Virat Kohli. However, former Pakistani captain Babar Azam is often compared to Virat, as he has also been very consistent in ODIs, and his records prove that. Babar has scored 6,235 runs in his ODI career with an outstanding average of 55.17, including 17 centuries. However, there is no real comparison between him and Virat Kohli, as Virat has played over 300 ODIs and scored more than 14,000 runs in his career. He also has 51 centuries to his name.

Here is the statistical comparison between their ODI career:

Test – Joe Root / Kane Williamson

When we talk about the present king of cricket in Test cricket, Joe Root and Kane Williamson are the two names that come to the top of the list. Both are former captains of their respective national teams, and members of fab-four as well. These two players have consistently performed well for their country while playing all around the world.

Here is the statistical comparison between their Test career: