5 Must-Watch Cricket Competitions Still To Come In 2025

Despite well over half the year having come and gone already, there is so much cricketing action still on the horizon in the coming months in 2025.

From Test rivalries that date back to the start of the game to Twenty20 cricket in which batters are looking to launch the ball into different cities, 2025 still has a lot left to give when it comes to top quality cricketing action. 

Below, we have brought together our top five men’s series and competitions left to come later in 2025, and why each deserves to have your attention. 

Australia vs India – October-November 2025 – ODI & T20 Series

Rivalries don’t come much bigger than Australia vs India. The two sides sit at the pinnacle in all three formats of the game with who is the better side changing each time you ask the question. This is the mark of a series that will see contests lurch one way and then the other. 

With the likes of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma retiring for India along with Australia still searching for a true replacement for David Warner at the top, there are a number of moving pieces in this series. 

Of course, there is no shortage of superb talent on show. Indeed, many of the players will know each other well from their stints in the Indian Premier League together. This simply makes the whole contest even more intriguing. 

Will their time playing in the same league for the same teams take some of the edge away? Not likely. 

India have seemed to enjoy the needle in their contest with England, while Australia are known for being as good with their chat on the field as they are at scoring runs and taking wickets. 

Across a three-game ODI series and three-match T20 series, we really will see which of the pair is the best side across the limited overs format. 

Freedom Trophy – India vs South Africa – November 2025

The number four ranked team in the men’s Test game host the second-best side in the longest format. 

India have been one of the best teams in the game for a long time, but they have slipped down the rankings, while they also missed out on the chance to appear in the World Test Championship Final in 2025 as their next opponents and Australia battled for glory. 

Meanwhile, South Africa battled to the trophy at Lord’s in 2025 as they were led by a glorious Aiden Markram century. Their triumph means they are the third new side to win the WTC trophy in three iterations of the trophy.

The blend of pace and power in the South Africa bowling lineup was a major reason why the Aussies struggled, but there are cracks in the Proteas batting lineup, which will likely get deeper if captain Temba Bavuma is to hang up his gloves soon. 

The series itself will be played over two Tests in November. While there are some that call into question the shorter series, it simply means that the two sides will go all-out at each-other across the shortened format in India. 

The Ashes – Australia vs England – November 2025-Januay 2026

As if 2025 had not already served up several memorable series and matches, The Ashes will bring the curtain down on another year of cricket. 

The last time England travelled to Australia in 2021/22, they were soundly beat 4-1. A 2-2 draw in England in 2023 saw the home side fail to secure the urn for the fourth consecutive series. Since their 3-1 win back in 2015, England have drawn two series with Australia, losing the other two. 

England’s fast bowling options such as Jofra Archer and Mark Wood make a trip down under slightly less daunting, but Australia’s own swathe of bowling options will make life difficult for any side touring the country. 

Worrying for England is that their last two trips down under have ended in 4-1 defeats, while their tour of Australia in 2013/14 saw them humiliated in a 5-0 loss. They do have a stunning 3-1 win back in 2010/11 to look back on, but this was a very long time ago now. 

For Australia, this is the chance to ensure they keep hold of the urn for the fifth consecutive series, while it would also underline their position at the top of the men’s Test rankings, not to mention it would keep the bragging rights firmly in Australia’s hands. 

Big Bah League – December 2025–January 2026 – T20 Cricket

Christmas feels like it comes early due to the December-bound return of the Big Bash League (BBL). 

Australia’s biggest domestic cricket tournament, the competition has firmly established itself as a favourite in the T20 game. 

While the Indian Premier League is still the biggest T20 tournament in the game, many will admit to preferring the big hitting and cartwheeling wickets that come from games down under. 

The Hobart Hurricanes arrive for the 2025/26 season as the reigning champions, meaning they have a big target on their backs. 

The ‘Canes only lost two of their 10 group stage matches last term, while they went through the Qualifier and Final without losing a game as they put their stamp on the tournament in some style. 

With a range of talent likely to be called upon for most sides, nothing can be taken for granted in the new season. 

The Hurricanes will fancy their chances of notching another crown, but the lure of the BBL means that players from all over the world clamour for a place in each squad, meaning things can change remarkably quickly.

This is doubly true if a side can pick up a number of big hitting, wicket-taking options. 

Some competitions struggle to build on the momentum of the previous edition, but the Big Bash is not one of these tournaments. With each season that passes, the Big Bash gets even better, with the eyes of Australia and the world glued to the biggest T20 tournament in Australia.

SA20 – December 2025 – January 2026 – T20 Cricket

The SA20 is the biggest Twenty20 competition in South African cricket, with the tournament bringing in big names and eyes from across the world. 

The likes of Faf du Plessis, Rashid Khan, Aiden Markram, Jonny Bairstow, Kane Williamson, Joe Root, Trent Boult, Ben Stokes, Quinton de Kock and Kagiso Rabada were all slated to play in the 2024 edition of the tournament, with world class talent at every turn. 

While not all the big names made it to the competition, the lure of the SA20 is clear for all to see. 

The draw of franchise T20 cricket has seen the best players hoping to impress in the shortest format. 

Last season, it was left to MI Cape Town to secure the trophy after a campaign in which they only lost twice on their way to the trophy. This will not have gone down well with the Sunrisers Eastern Cape, who had won both previous editions of the tournament in 2023 and 2024. 

The four sides that are yet to win the trophy will feel they have a point to prove this year, while the Sunrisers will want a piece of silverware that they had under lock and key back. This simply makes for a contest in which anything could happen.