Men's Test Cricket Team of the Year Announced by The Guardian
The Guardian's men's Test XI of the year was determined by a 13-person selection panel, covering statistics from 1 January 2025 through the third Ashes Test in Adelaide. Votes were tallied to form the XI reflecting outstanding performances throughout the year.
Shubman Gill scored 983 runs at an average of 70 and received 13 votes. He captained India in England, with innings of 147, 269, and 161, accumulating 754 runs in the series.
Travis Head scored 759 runs at 42 with 10 votes, notably opening the fourth innings in Adelaide and scoring a century that helped end England’s Ashes campaign.
KL Rahul contributed 813 runs at 45, with 9 votes, including three hundreds on India's England tour, two in England, and a hundred against West Indies in Ahmedabad.
Joe Root amassed 790 runs at 56 and earned 12 votes. He moved past major all-time run-scorers and scored centuries against India and his first hundred in Australia.
Temba Bavuma, captain of South Africa, scored 310 runs at 52 with 7 votes. He led South Africa to the World Test Championship final and a series win in India amid off-field governance challenges.
Alex Carey excelled as wicketkeeper (wk) with 743 runs at 53 and 45 dismissals (40 catches, five stumpings), receiving 13 votes for his standout wicketkeeping and dependable batting.
Leading bowlers included Mitchell Starc and Jasprit Bumrah. Starc took 51 wickets and scored 283 runs, earning 13 votes. Bumrah took 31 wickets and received 8 votes.
Simon Harmer made a notable return to Test cricket, securing 30 wickets at an average of 14 and receiving 10 votes.
This team reflects the top performers in Test cricket for the year as recognized by The Guardian's panel.
