KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Vaibhav Suryavanshi became IPL’s youngest centurion at just 13 years old.
- Dewald Brevis holds the record for South Africa’s highest T20I score.
- Mitchell Owen won BBL MVP with explosive batting and handy bowling.
- Jayden Seales is a rising West Indies pacer with over 100 scalps.
The popularity of cricket continues to flourish. The International Cricket Council (ICC) estimates more than 2.5 billion fans worldwide follow the game, making it the second most-viewed sport, behind football.
Each era in cricket produces a cadre of emerging players; players who provide the game with new energy, skills, and creative approaches. These young guys often end up being setting standards and inspiring the next wave of cricketers with their talent and desire to succeed.
In this article, we have identified five rising stars to watch for in 2025. Would you like to place a bet on matches involving these players, but are unsure where to bet? Check out MyBettingSitesIndia for a list of the best Indian bookmakers.
The young southpaw grabbed headlines last year as the youngest cricketer ever selected in an IPL auction. At just 13 years old, this kid had immense potential. But was he good enough for a league like the IPL?
This southpaw silenced all critics by dispatching the very first ball he faced for a maximum, crushing whatever doubts that remained about his ability to convert his potential into performance. He went on to score a brilliant century while opening for Rajasthan Royals alongside Yashaswi Jaiswal.
He proved he possessed both skill and big-match temperament to excel among established T20 players in the highly competitive IPL. Furthermore, he scored 252 runs from 7 matches in a landmark season, during which he became the youngest half-century and the youngest centurion in the tournament. Below, you can see the top scorers of IPL each year.
Fondly known as Baby AB, Dewald Brevis came up clutch with a match-winning innings of 38 off 18 in the SA20 final, helping MI Cape Town secure their first championship. The gifted youngster has continued to progress steadily without looking back.
He made an impressive debut for CSK in the IPL earlier this year, scoring 225 runs from 6 matches — the only bright spot for the five-time champions in an otherwise forgettable season, where they finished last on the points table.Joining as a replacement, the 22-year-old grabbed his second IPL chance (following MI stints in 2022 and 2024) wholeheartedly.
He continued his fine form in international cricket, smashing a century off only 41 balls against Australia in Cairns. He finished with 125, setting the record for the highest score by a South African in a T20 international, formerly held by T20 veteran Faf Du Plessis.
Mitchell Owen enjoyed a remarkable year in T20 cricket, excelling with both bat and ball. Just like Brevis, Owen played a crucial role in helping his franchise, the Hobart Hurricanes, win their first-ever BBL Championship earlier this year.
As an aggressive opener, he demolishes the opposition’s new ball attack, a tactic that proved highly beneficial for him this BBL season, where he scored 452 runs in 11 matches at an impressive strike rate of 203. The 23-year-old Tasmanian proved his BBL form was no accident, delivering an impressive all-round performance for Washington Freedom in MLC 2025.
He excelled with both bat and ball, amassing 288 runs and claiming 14 wickets in 7 games, securing the tournament’s MVP award. He also seized the opportunity to represent his country, scoring a match-winning 50 and taking a wicket on his T20I debut against the West Indies.
It’s been a while since the West Indies produced a proper fast bowler, but Jayden Seales, the 23-year-old right-arm pacer from Trinidad and Tobago, is proving to be a talented player with a lot of promise. With more than 100 international wickets for West Indies, Seales has shown his effectiveness in the longer format, mastering both new and old ball.
Although he doesn’t possess express pace to unsettle batsmen, his natural ability to swing the new ball into and away from the batter and to produce reverse swing. His skill with the old ball has established him as one of the most exciting fast-bowling talents both in the West Indies and globally.
He has adapted those skills to the shorter formats of the game, recently taking his first five-wicket haul in an ODI in a match-winning performance that helped West Indies dismiss Pakistan for a sub-100 total. This delivered their first series win against their Asian rivals in 34 years.
Regarded as one of the promising young cricketers going around in the English circuit, Jacob Bethell has risen to prominence with his thrilling batting style, perfectly suited for the shorter formats of cricket.
Bethell brings a complete skill set: he can attack lower in the order, bowl left-arm offspin, and field superbly on the ground. He has garnered enough interest from franchises in the IPL and the BBL already, and it is now a matter of time before he cements his spot in the national setup, particularly in the short formats.
He has been named captain of the English team facing Ireland in a T20 series, indicating he is highly valued and being prepared for a leadership role alongside Harry Brook, who is a fine young player himself.
Ans: Vaibhav Suryavanshi made his IPL debut at only 13 years old and was the youngest half-centurion and centurion in IPL history.
Ans: Dewald Brevis is called “Baby AB” because he had similarities to AB de Villiers’s batting style and explosive stroke play.
Ans: Jacob Bethell was named captain for England’s T20 series against Ireland and is viewed as an all-rounder with crazy potential and leadership.
