The Champions Trophy returned in 2025. Across the year, 20 teams played 115 men’s ODIs. The Wisden.com editorial team has picked the best men’s ODI spells of 2025.
5. Jofra Archer 9-3-18-4 vs South Africa, Southampton, September 7
One may argue that England had as good as pocketed the game after piling 414-5, but to convert that into the biggest win by runs in the history of the format, they needed excellent bowling on a reasonably flat deck. Archer took care of that with four wickets inside is first five overs to reduce South Africa to 18-5. All four wickets – Aiden Markram, Ryan Rickelton, Matthew Breetzke, Tristan Stubbs – were of top-order batters, while three of his victims were caught-behind and one caught at slip. South Africa crashed to 72 all out.
4. Varun Chakravarthy 10-0-42-5 vs New Zealand, Dubai, March 2
Varun was not the first bowler to take 5-42 in the match (Matt Henry did that in the afternoon), but his was the more devastating spell of the two. Chasing 250 on a somewhat tricky surface, New Zealand were in it at 49-1 when Varun took out Will Young with a googly. New Zealand recovered to 150-4, but another Varun googly took care of Glenn Phillips. Michael Bracewell would have survived had he reviewed that LBW call, but he chose not to. Mitchell Santner was bowled by pace before Varun won the battle of the 5-42s by getting Henry caught in the deep. Four of his five wickets were without the aid of a fielder – not bad for a bowler playing his second ODI.
3. Jayden Seales 7.2-0-18-6 vs Pakistan, Tarouba, August 12
Defending 295, Seales as good as sealed – pun not intended – the game in his first spell. He began by having Saim Ayub (whom he had got in the two previous games as well) caught behind, while Abdullah Shafique tried to hit out but could not clear the infield. Then Seales produced two peaches: Mohammad Rizwan shouldered arms to one that jagged back from a length, while Babar Azam’s flick was beaten by both pace and seam movement. Seales returned to pick up two more wickets to finish with 6-18, the best figures for the West Indies since the 1983 World Cup as well as the best ODI figures of 2025. Pakistan crashed to 92.
2. Keshav Maharaj 10-1-33-5 vs Australia, Cairns, August 19
This one, too, followed a now-familiar pattern on this list: a bowler triggering a collapse with a reasonable score to defend. After South Africa made 296-8, Australia raced to 60-0 in seven overs. Then Travis Head fell, and with the left-hander out of the way, Temba Bavuma brought on Maharaj. He hit the back leg of Marnus Labuschagne to trap him LBW with his first ball; turned one sharply to bowl Cameron Green in his next over; and struck twice in two balls in his next over. He soon bowled Aaron Hardie – a fifth wicket without the help of a fielder – to leave Australia reeling at 89-6: they eventually made 198. Maharaj’s figures are the best for a South African spinner in Australia.
1. Azmatullah Omarzai 9.5-0-58-5 vs England, Lahore, February 25
Ibrahim Zadran set a plethora of records during his 177 to take Afghanistan to 325-7 in what was essentially a knockout for both teams, but that target had to be defended against an explosive English unit on a flat pitch. But in conditions that offered little assistance, Omarzai, having already blasted a 31-ball 41, rose to the challenge.
He bowled Phil Salt early, but England looked on course at 216-4 in the 37th over. Omarzai’s bouncer probably surprised Jos Buttler, whose pull gathered no momentum as he was caught at deep square-leg.
But England caught up again, and this time Omarzai repeated the short-pitched ball. The ball was probably too close to Root, who edged while trying to uppercut. Then, with 17 to defend in 14 balls, he had Jamie Overton holing out in the deep. Two overs later, he finished the game when Adil Rashid was caught along the straight boundary.
Follow Wisden for all cricket updates, including live scores, match stats, quizzes and more. Stay up to date with the latest cricket news, player updates, team standings, match highlights, video analysis and live match odds.
