India’s ODI World Cup wins: Lords triumph in 1983 and 2011 consolidation at home
India are one of the three cricket nations to have won the ODI World Cup more than once.
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The Indian cricket team has been a powerhouse, especially in the limited-overs format, for close to half a century. India’s dominance is bolstered by their triumphs in the One-Day International (ODI) World Cup, not once but twice!
The ODI World Cup was first held in 1975 and India have been part of all 13 editions to date. The cricket tournament is staged every four years and is now played in the 50-over format.
How many times have India won the ODI World Cup
India have won the ODI World Cup two times. The first win came in 1983 when India beat the West Indies in the final. It took close to three decades for India to win the second ODI World Cup after they defeated Sri Lanka in the final in 2011.
The 1975 ODI World Cup in England, which was played in the 60-over format, was India’s maiden appearance at the global showpiece. The Indian cricket team, led by Srinivasaraghavan Venkataraghavan, crashed out in the first round, with two losses and a win.
India’s first-ever match at the ODI World Cup was played against England at Lord’s on June 7. Sunil Gavaskar batted throughout the innings but scored just 36 runs off 174 balls.
The next edition in 1979, also played in England, did not change India’s fortunes. The team exited the tournament in the first round again after losing all three group stage matches.
The Indian cricket team won the ODI World Cup for the first time in 1983. Kapil Dev was the captain and played a pivotal role in the campaign in England.
India were placed in Group B with defending champions West Indies, Australia and Zimbabwe. The Indian cricket team won four matches and lost two to make it past the first round for the first time in an ODI World Cup.
The Indian side defeated hosts England by six wickets in the semi-final at Old Trafford in Manchester to set up the final against West Indies.
India could only score 183 runs batting first in the 1983 World Cup fina but a disciplined bowling effort skittled the West Indies for just 140 runs and gave India their first ODI World Cup trophy at hallowed Lord's in London.
Mohinder Amarnath was named Player of the Match in the final for taking three wickets and scoring 26 runs. Roger Binny of India ended as the highest wicket-taker of the edition with 18 wickets.
The Indian cricket team that won the ODI World Cup in 1983.
India were favourites to defend the title in 1987, which was co-hosted by India and Pakistan. But the defending champions lost to England in the semi-final at the Wankhede Stadium in Bombay (now Mumbai). This was also the first time the ODI World Cup was played in the 50-over format.
The 1992 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand saw India crash out in the first round with five losses, two wins and a no result. The team reached the semi-finals in the 1996 edition but lost to eventual champions Sri Lanka at Eden Gardens in Calcutta (now Kolkata). India made it to the Super Sixes stage in 1999.
In 2003, the Indian team reached the final of the ODI World Cup, hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Kenya, for the second time but fell short again, going down to Australia in the summit clash at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg.
Sachin Tendulkar scored 673 in the 2003 World Cup, which remains the most runs scored by a player in one edition of the tournament. He was also named Player of the Tournament.
After a disappointing outing in 2007, India lifted the title again in 2011, while playing at home this time. The team lost just one match in the lead-up to the final against Sri Lanka.
The Sri Lankan side scored 274/6 and India cruised to 277/4, following a Gautam Gambhir and MS Dhoni master class. While Gambhir scored 97, captain Dhoni remained not out on 91 and hit the last six to take India across the line at the iconic Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
Sachin Tendulkar scored 482 runs to end with the most runs in ODI World Cup history. His tally stands at 2,278 runs.
MS Dhoni celebrates with Yuvraj Singh after scoring the winning runs in the 2011 ODI World Cup final.
Despite being one of the favourites, India were knocked out of the semi-finals of the 2015 and 2019 editions of the ODI World Cup. Rohit Sharma, with 648 runs, was the highest run-scorer in 2019.
In 2023, India dominated the tournament but ultimately lost to Australia in the final. Until the final in Ahmedabad, the Indian cricket team was unbeaten, winning 10 matches on the trot. Virat Kohli (765), with a new record, and Rohit Sharma (597) were the leading run-getters at the Cricket World Cup 2023 while Mohammed Shami (24) was the top wicket-taker. But their efforts fell short in the final.