India captain Harmanpreet Kaur’s striking image from the ICC Women’s World Cup final has been named the Wisden Photo of the Year 2025, celebrating a defining moment in India’s historic triumph.
A photo taken by Getty Images photographer Matthew Lewis shows Harmanpreet collecting the ball during the final against the South African national cricket team at the DY Patil Stadium. India secured a memorable 52-run victory to secure theirs the first senior ICC women’s world title.
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Lewis, who has now won the prestigious award three times after earlier successes in 2014 and 2022, said the image was born out of a spontaneous creative idea during a match.
This picture of Harmanpreet Kaur collecting the ball, taken @mattlewispix — one of the ICC’s official photographers — at last year’s ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup final, was named Wisden Photographer of the Year 2025. pic.twitter.com/7g6EQLf5Uv—ICC (@ICC) April 1, 2026
“During the finale, the DJ asked the audience to turn on their flashlights,” Lewis said. “I noticed Harmanpreet they called for the ball and thought it would be fun to create the illusion that there were more cricket balls than the real one.”
The result was a visually engaging photograph that plays with perspective, reminiscent of a spot the ball puzzle, while capturing the energy and atmosphere of a modern floodlit finale.
THE IMAGE CAPTURES A UNIQUE MOMENT
The photo stood out among this year’s entries for its combination of technical quality and creativity. It was adjudged the best across categories which included Men’s Professional Cricket, Women’s Professional Cricket and Recreational Cricket.
Renowned cricket photographer Patrick Eagar, who was part of the judging panel, praised the image for its originality and emotional appeal.
“This year’s winner qualified on the first two points, but had an extra element of humor,” Eagar said. “It’s a contemporary photo from the modern game and will make you smile. It’s also a bit of a puzzle.”
Lewis’ entry had already won the women’s professional cricket category before being selected as the overall winner.
OTHER WINNERS ALSO RECOGNIZED
In the men’s professional category, Andrew Boyers was awarded for his photograph of Australia captain Pat Cummins dismissing South Africa’s Marc Jansen with a crisp return catch during the World Test Cup final.
The recreational cricket award went to Jed Leicester for his image of the Overstone Park under-13 girls celebrating at Lord’s despite losing to Bexley in the ECB Junior National Championship final.
All winning photographs will be featured in the 2026 edition of the Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack, scheduled for release on 16 April.
The recognition of Harmanpreet’s image not only highlights a creative photo moment but also immortalises a landmark in Indian women’s cricket.
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Issued by:
Amar Panicker
Published on:
01 April 2026 20:59 IST
