In a surprising development for 2025, Google’s annual search trends report has identified Indian cricketer Abhishek Sharma as the most searched athlete in Pakistan. This unexpected result places him ahead of globally recognized names such as Virat Kohli and Pakistan’s cricketing captain, Babar Azam. The data underscores cricket’s immense popularity in Pakistan, with numerous matches appearing high on search lists, but it highlights a new individual favorite.
Abhishek Sharma’s elevated search volume in Pakistan can be attributed to his aggressive and memorable performances during the recent Asia Cup series between the two rival nations. His fearless hitting, particularly against Pakistan’s fast bowlers like Shaheen Afridi, captured the attention of spectators and online users. Sharma’s quick-fire innings, including a spectacular 31 runs off 13 balls and a significant 74-run contribution from 39 balls, made him a prominent topic of online discussion and searches. Despite a less impactful final, his earlier aggressive batting established him as a search trendsetter.
The top searched athletes in Pakistan for 2025 include Hassan Nawaz, Irfan Khan Niazi, and Sahibzada Farhan, following Abhishek Sharma. Interestingly, the most searched matches in both countries were not between India and Pakistan. Pakistan’s searches leaned towards matches against South Africa, while India’s top trend was the series against England. In India, Abhishek Sharma also garnered considerable search interest, ranking third overall, with Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Priyansh Arya leading the list due to their strong performances in the IPL.