2025 – The year underdogs conquered sports history
2025 became the ultimate “Year of Breakthroughs” in sports as underdogs triumphed and long droughts ended. From RCB’s IPL glory to India Women’s first World Cup win, Hobart Hurricanes’ BBL title, and Kane’s long-awaited trophy, history was rewritten across arenas.
2025 will forever be remembered as the “Year of Breakthroughs”, a time when underdogs rose, curses were broken, and long-suffering fans finally got their fairytale endings. From cricket pitches to football fields, teams that had lived in the shadows found their moment in the sun.
It all began in January when the Hobart Hurricanes stunned Sydney Thunder in the Big Bash League final, chasing down a massive total with Mitchell Owen’s breathtaking 108 off 42 balls. From there, the floodgates of redemption opened, culminating in India Women’s historic World Cup triumph in November, their first-ever world title.
The Drought-Enders: A Table of Triumphs
| Team/Player | Trophy Won | Opponent in Final | Scoreline | Drought Ended | Star Performer | Venue & Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart Hurricanes | Big Bash League (BBL) | Sydney Thunder | 7-wicket win | 14 years (1st ever) | Mitchell Owen (108 off 42) | Bellerive Oval, Jan 27 |
| Newcastle United | Carabao Cup | Liverpool | 2-1 | 70 years | Dan Burn, Alexander Isak | Wembley, Mar 16 |
| Harry Kane (Bayern) | Bundesliga | — | Title clinched | Personal (1st major) | Kane: 26 goals | May 4 |
| Crystal Palace | FA Cup | Manchester City | 1-0 | 119 years (1st major) | Eberechi Eze | Wembley, May 17 |
| Paris Saint-Germain | UEFA Champions League | Inter Milan | 5-0 | 1st ever | Vitinha & young squad | Allianz Arena, May 31 |
| Royal Challengers Bengaluru | IPL | Punjab Kings | 6-run win | 18 years | Virat Kohli, Krunal Pandya | Ahmedabad, Jun 3 |
| South Africa | World Test Championship | Australia | 5-wicket win | 27 years (ICC) | Aiden Markram (100) | Lord’s, Jun 14 |
| India Women | ICC Women’s World Cup | South Africa | 52-run win | 1st ever | Shafali Verma (87), Deepti Sharma (5-39) | DY Patil, Nov 2 |
ALSO SEE: 5 legends without whom India Women's could have not win World Cup 2025
Why 2025 Was Magical
Underdog Revolution: Hobart, Palace, and RCB, once symbols of heartbreak, finally became champions. Even PSG, long mocked for failing in Europe, delivered a flawless 5-0 rout in the Champions League final.
Personal Redemption: Harry Kane ended the “trophyless” jibes with a Bundesliga crown. Virat Kohli’s emotional “Ee Sala Cup Namdu” moment united Bengaluru like never before.
Records & Legacy: Deepti Sharma’s all-round heroics redefined the Women’s World Cup, while Aiden Markram’s hundred buried South Africa’s “chokers” tag.
From Geordie roars to Indian tears of joy, 2025 healed sporting hearts worldwide, proof that perseverance always pays off.
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