IPL 2025: Kohli, Bumrah, Iyer headline ESPNcricinfo's team of the tournament

Sai Sudharsan was comfortably clear atop the run-scoring charts, with only Suryakumar Yadav coming within 50 runs of his tally. His consistency was second only to Suryakumar - he scored at least 30 in 12 of his 15 innings, seven of them scores of 50 or more - and he did all that while having his fastest-scoring season: Sai Sudharsan's strike rate of 156.17 was well ahead of his previous best mark of 141.40 in 2023.

The season where he finally got his hands on the IPL trophy was a quintessentially prolific one for Virat Kohli - he topped 600 runs for the third straight campaign - but it's the impact on results that saw him tower over the field. Each of Kohli's eight fifties resulted in RCB wins; no other batter had more than four scores of 50+ in victories. Kohli tallied 584 runs in RCB's 11 wins; no other batter had 450 runs in victories this season.

Jos Buttler thrived in his new role as No. 3 to complete Gujarat's titanic trinity. This was his fastest-scoring IPL campaign, clearing the strike rate of 155.24 he achieved in 2018. Eight of Buttler's 13 innings came in GT wins, and he crossed 30 in seven of them. Four of his five fifties in IPL 2025 came at a strike above 170 - including a 54-ball 97 not out to close out a 204-run chase versus Delhi Capitals.

Coming into the season on the back of a rare lean patch in T20Is, Suryakumar Yadav redefined consistency, scoring at least 25 in all 16 innings (a world record in men's T20s). It's no stretch to say he carried the Mumbai Indians batting - their second-highest run-getter, Rohit Sharma, was 299 runs behind Suryakumar. He finished with the most impact points for a player in IPL 2025; among 11 batters with 500+ runs this season, only two had a better strike rate.

While Shreyas Iyer the captain transformed Punjab Kings' fortunes, Shreyas Iyer the batter was a man on a mission, piling on an all-timer campaign - only two batters have scored 600+ runs in a season at a higher strike rate (Chris Gayle in 2011, Suryakumar Yadav in 2023). He was responsible for two of the best knocks of the season, both at Ahmedabad: 97* off 42 against Gujarat Titans to start the season, and 87* off 41 versus Mumbai Indians to take Punjab through to the final.

This wasn't really a season for allrounders: only three players tallied 200+ runs and 10+ wickets, and two of them - Sunil Narine and Ravindra Jadeja - didn't have many wins to show. Hardik shouldered bowling responsibility early in the season in Jasprit Bumrah's absence, taking 10 wickets in his first four outings. His batting role was limited to being a finisher, and he chipped in with some cameos: 42 off 15 vs RCB, 48* off 23 vs RR and 22* off 9 in the Eliminator vs GT.

Jitesh Sharma may not have been the most destructive finisher in IPL 2025, but when he blew hot, he really caught fire. His 40* off 19 took RCB beyond 200 and set up their first win over Mumbai Indians at Wankhede in a decade; he scripted the heist that ensured RCB's top-two finish with an 85* off 33 versus LSG; his 10-ball 24 was pivotal in the title clash with Punjab Kings. He also had the most dismissals for any wicketkeeper.

Krunal Pandya started IPL 2025 with 3 for 29 against defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders, and ended it with 2 for 17 to clinch the final versus Punjab Kings. He was player of the match on both occasions. He also took 4 for 45 in RCB's thrilling win over Mumbai Indians. Wickets, economy, impact - Krunal ticked all boxes. And while his batting wasn't called upon much, he did hit a match-winning 73* against Delhi Capitals.

The specialist spinner's spot is the only one taken by a player whose team didn't make it to the playoffs. Noor Ahmad was streets ahead of the competition: five wickets ahead of the next-most prolific spinner, and just one shy of the Purple Cap. Only three bowlers with 10 or more wickets struck more frequently than Noor, who took at least two wickets on six occasions.

Best economy for a bowler with 5+ overs this season. An economy of *7.5* at the death (no bowler with 10+ overs in the phase went at less than 8.8 per over). Seven innings where he went at less than six per over. Five hauls of at least two wickets. It's no coincidence that MI's season turned out the moment Jasprit Bumrah was back. If he'd played the entire season, the Purple Cap couldn't have been too far away.

The Purple Cap went to Prasidh Krishna, who marked his return to the IPL after three years with a statement season. He had nine hauls of two or more wickets, and eight spells at less than seven per over. He took 11 middle-overs wickets, the most for a pacer. Prasidh also induced a higher percentage of false shots (41%) than any other pacer in IPL 2025. He made the most of the hard lengths but wasn't a one-trick pony, as KL Rahul found out with one of the deliveries of the tournament.

Completing our pace attack is the serial winner who was the architect of RCB's bowling transformation. Josh Hazlewood was one of only two bowlers to take at least five wickets in all three phases; he was metronomic in the powerplay (economy 7.27), probing through the middle (wicket every 10 balls), and delivered at the death (think 19th over of the chase at Wankhede). He exhibited his big-game chops in Qualifier 1, picking up 3 for 21 - in his first game in over a month.