Cricket shines across Google’s global sports rankings
In a year when AI tools, a new pope, and even fictional demon hunters captured the world’s imagination, cricket quietly dominated Google’s Year in Search 2025 across multiple categories—underscoring the sport’s growing global relevance and India’s continuing cricket obsession.
Four IPL franchises ranked among the top 10 most searched sports teams in the world, and three major cricket tournaments appeared in the top 5 most searched global sporting events—more than any other sport. While no cricketers cracked the global “Athletes” top 10, 14-year-old Indian sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi emerged as the 6th-most searched person globally—the highest of any sportsperson this year.
IPL’s global pull: 4 teams in the top 10 most searched
Cricket’s biggest commercial league, the Indian Premier League, stamped its authority in the global “Sports Teams” category, with four franchises making the global top 10:
- Punjab Kings
- Delhi Capitals
- Gujarat Titans
- Lucknow Super Giants
No other league or sport had as many teams featured—highlighting the IPL’s deepening global footprint. They were listed alongside global sporting powerhouses like Paris Saint-Germain, Toronto Blue Jays, and Oklahoma City Thunder.
Asia Cup, Champions Trophy, and Women’s World Cup among top global events
Three of the top five global sporting events searched in 2025 were cricket tournaments:
- Asia Cup
- ICC Champions Trophy
- ICC Women’s World Cup
This strong showing placed cricket above traditional powerhouses like the Ryder Cup, EuroBasket, and even two UFC events. The ICC’s investment in globalizing its events calendar appears to be paying off with increased worldwide attention.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi: India’s breakout cricket star tops national searches
Despite being just 14 years old, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi topped India’s People search rankings and ranked #6 globally, ahead of celebrities like Jimmy Kimmel, Kendrick Lamar, and Greta Thunberg.
According to the Rajasthan Royals official statement:
“A teenage phenomenon. The cricket sensation took the world by storm, emerging as the No. 1 trending personality of 2025 (in India).”
Sooryavanshi’s record-breaking IPL debut season included a six off his first ball, a blistering 35-ball century, and the Super Striker of the Season award. He followed this up with stellar performances in youth internationals, where he became the fastest century scorer in Youth ODIs.
His meteoric rise continued just last week when he smashed an unbeaten 108 off 61 balls for Bihar in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, becoming the youngest centurion in the tournament’s history.
Instagram spotlight and U19 Asia Cup call-up cap a historic year
Sooryavanshi also earned a rare honour off the field—being featured on Instagram’s official global page, only the second Indian cricketer to do so after Virat Kohli. The platform showcased a day in his life at the Rajasthan Royals Academy, highlighting the personality behind the performances.
To top it off, the teenager has now been named in India’s squad for the ACC Men’s U19 Asia Cup 2025, which kicks off in Dubai on December 12.
Cricketers dominate Indian search results
While Vaibhav led the way, the rest of the top 10 most searched people in India were also cricketers—including:
- Priyansh Arya
- Abhishek Sharma
- Shaik Rasheed
- Jemimah Rodrigues
- Smriti Mandhana
- Karun Nair
With two women—Rodrigues and Mandhana—making the top 10, it was a landmark year for women’s cricket visibility online.
What it means for cricket’s digital and commercial future
Google’s report paints a clear picture: cricket is not just a regional sport anymore, but a digital-era juggernaut riding the momentum of young stars, big tournaments, and compelling narratives. With IPL franchises cracking global search rankings and teenage players like Sooryavanshi capturing the imagination of fans worldwide, cricket’s crossover into pop culture and mainstream global attention is accelerating.
As fans shift to online platforms and search becomes the first stop for sports discovery, cricket’s grip on digital mindshare could have enormous commercial implications—particularly for rights holders, advertisers, and social platforms chasing engaged audiences.
2025 was the year cricket dominated search—and the world noticed.
📊 Full Google Year in Search 2025 lists (selected categories)
🌍 Global – Sports Teams (Top 10)
- Paris Saint-Germain FC
- S.L. Benfica
- Toronto Blue Jays
- Punjab Kings
- Delhi Capitals
- Gujarat Titans
- Lucknow Super Giants
- Oklahoma City Thunder
- Indiana Pacers
- Seattle Mariners
🌍 Global – Sports Events (Top 10)
- FIFA Club World Cup
- Asia Cup
- ICC Champions Trophy
- ICC Women’s World Cup
- Ryder Cup
- EuroBasket
- Concacaf Gold Cup
- 4 Nations Face-Off
- UFC 313
- UFC 311
🧑💼 Global – People (Top 10)
- d4vd
- Kendrick Lamar
- Jimmy Kimmel
- Tylor Robinson
- Pope Leo XIV
- Vaibhav Sooryavanshi
- Shedeur Sanders
- Bianca Censori
- Zohran Mamdani
- Greta Thunberg
🏃 Global – Athletes (Top 10)
- Terence Crawford
- Rory McIlroy
- Shedeur Sanders
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
- Jalen Hurts
- Manny Pacquiao
- Alexander Ovechkin
- Cooper Flagg
- Stefon Diggs
- Cam Skattebo
🇮🇳 India – Overall (Top 5)
- Indian Premier League
- Google Gemini
- Asia Cup
- ICC Champions Trophy
- Pro Kabaddi League
🇮🇳 India – People (Top 10)
- Vaibhav Sooryavanshi
- Priyansh Arya
- Abhishek Sharma
- Shaik Rasheed
- Jemimah Rodrigues
- Ayush Mhatre
- Smriti Mandhana
- Karun Nair
- Urvil Patel
- Vignesh Puthur
