It’s World cup season again! That means a time of eternal celebrations. So far, India has been performing exceptionally, adding to our hopes of bagging the trophy. While you embark in the spirit and celebrate the victory, let us know more about the game’s history and players.
History of Cricket World Cup
It all started when England's first World Cup was played in 1975. The first three matches were recognised as Prudential Cup, owing to Prudential PLC sponsorship. In terms of format, these matches consisted of 60 overs per player. The uniform for the same was white, and the game was played with red balls. Every four years, these World Cup events were held and conducted only during the day.
Until 1992, only eight teams participated in the Cricket World Cup tournament. Gradually, this number increased to 16 by World Cup 2007. Countries like India, England, New Zealand, Australia and East Africa participated in 1975.
In 1987, the World Cup tournament was held outside England for the first time, and 10 overs, maximum of 50, reduced the innings length. Australia marked triumph by winning this match.
And, of course, as the legend goes, India made history in 1983, winning the World Cup for the first time. Years later, by 1996, the number of teams increased to 12 with the participation of three new entrants.
Again in 2011, India witnessed one more triumphant moment, winning the tournament. This was indeed a one-of-a-kind match, etched in the hearts of Indian cricket fans forever.
Initially, the Cricket World Cup tournaments commanded the attention of a select few in the hundreds, but today, its reach is far wider. The game now fascinates millions of spectators worldwide. Just this year, India vs Pakistan match was streamed live by 1.8 crore people on the OTT app, Hotstar.
India and West Indies have recently claimed the prestigious World Cup trophy twice. On the other hand, Sri Lanka, England and Pakistan have only had this fortune once. Again this year, millions await with beating hearts for the T20 world cup final.
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World Cup Champions
Look at the Winners list for men's and women’s world cup tournaments throughout the years.
Women’s Cricket World Cup Champions
- 1975 - West Indies
- 1979 - West Indies
- 1983 - India
- 1987 - Australia
- 1992 - Pakistan
- 1996 - Sri Lanka
- 1999 - Australia
- 2003 - Australia
- 2007 - Australia
- 2011 - India
- 2015 - Australia
- 2019 - England
Women’s Cricket World Cup Champions
- 1973 - England
- 1978 - Australia
- 1982 - Australia
- 1988 - Australia
- 1993 - England
- 1997 - Australia
- 2000 - New Zealand
- 2005 - Australia
- 2009 - England
- 2013 - Australia
- 2017 - England
- 2022 - Australia
Cricket World Cup Best Players
Kapil Dev
Of course, we had to start the list with the legend who marked India’s name on the World Cup board. In addition to this memorable victory, he was also the skipper of the team that defeated the West Indies.
He impressively averaged a 37 in batting and 31 in bowling. In addition, Kapil Dev also has the highest strike rate amongst the top 50 World Cup run-getters. Moreover, his substantial contribution as a frontline bowler is also remarkable.
Ricky Ponting
Apart from Clive Lloyd, he is the only player to win the World Cup twice as a captain in 2003 and 2007. His intimidating 140* also won him the Man Of The Match in 2003. In addition, Ricky is also the second-highest run-scorer after Sachin Tendulkar, with a record of five centuries. He is also among the few players to appear and participate in the four world cup finals.
Muttiah Muralitharan
Making it to the list because of his impeccable bowling strength, this Srilankan player is one of the players to define many matches. Playing across five World cups, he remarkably went on to pick 68 wickets in 39 matches.
Imran Khan
Famous for leading Pakistan’s victory in the 1992 World Cup, Imran Khan is one of the greatest all-rounder players of all time. Imran Khan has the most wickets out of all the players with a history of 500+ runs (34). In addition, he has also marked an impressive bowling average and records a run tally of 666 runs at 35.05.
Steve Vaugh
Known for his impressive girt, Steve Vaugh has a habit of delivering above everyone’s expectations. He played as the captain of Australia, leading the winning glory in 1999, scoring 978 runs with an average of 48.9. He also aced 27 wickets, marking the fourth-highest amongst all all-rounder players. Apart from this, Steve Vaugh also won the tournament as a player in 1987.
Adam Gilchrist
He has undoubtedly one of the most successful wicketkeepers- batters the world has ever seen. Scoring a phenomenal total of 1085 runs and affecting 52 dismissals are just among some of his victories. More interestingly, his average is on the lower side. Nevertheless, Adam was also the Man of the match in 2007 and held the incredible distinction of winning all three World cups he has been a part of.
Wasim Akram
A true Veteran in all the senses of this word, Wasim Akram won the Man of the match title in 1992. He is also one of the greatest all-rounders in world cup history, marking 55 wickets and scoring a noteworthy figure of 462 runs. In addition, his impact on Pakistan’s team has also been phenomenal, contributing to wins with his batting and bowling performances.
Glenn McGrath
As one of Australia’s greatest players, Glenn has played in 4 World Cups, making it to the finals every time. He also took 71 wickets in several matches and held the record for best bowling figures in the World Cup series. Besides an impressive average score, Glenn has also marked two five-wicket hauls in his name.
Sachin Tendulkar
If cheers of his name aren’t already clouding your mind, you are yet to know more about the god! Sachin is the greatest batsman to perform on the World Cup stage, making history with his performance. He has recorded 2278 runs from 44 innings. Remarkably, Sachin has played in 6 World Cups.
Tendulkar also holds the record for most runs at a single World Cup, with colossal 673 runs in the 2003 tournament.
