Mitchell Starc and Deepti Sharma earned top honours in the 2026 edition of Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack.
Starc was named the Leading Men’s Cricketer in the World after a stellar 2025 season, while Sharma received the title of Leading Women’s Player for her match-winning performances in India’s historic World Cup triumph.
Starc, 36, dominated the year with 55 Test wickets at an average of 17.32, including a career-best 6 for 9 against West Indies. He followed that with 31 wickets in the Ashes, helping Australia secure a series victory.
Sharma, 28, powered India to its maiden 50-over World Cup title with 215 runs and 22 wickets. Her all-round brilliance peaked in the final against South Africa, where she scored 58 runs and claimed 5 for 39.
Wisden also honoured four Indian men’s players—Shubman Gill, Ravindra Jadeja, Rishabh Pant, and Mohammed Siraj—as part of its Five Cricketers of the Year list. Gill, India’s captain, won the Wisden Trophy for his 430-run performance in the Edgbaston Test against England. Abhishek Sharma was named the Leading T20 Player after surpassing 1,000 runs at a strike rate of over 200.
Former England opener Haseeb Hameed completed the list after leading Nottinghamshire to the County Championship title with 1,258 runs.
The 163rd edition of Wisden also reflected on England’s Ashes defeat and paid tribute to legendary umpire Dickie Bird, remembered for his fairness and charm.
