ODI World Cup winners full list: Australian men dominant; double delight for India, West Indies
Australia are record six-time champions. Know the full list of ODI World Cup winners.
Cricket
Over the last five decades, cricket has undergone rapid evolution. However, a turning point occurred in the sport's history when the first One Day International (ODI) was played between England and Australia in Melbourne on January 5, 1971.
Two years later, the International Cricket Council (ICC), then known as the International Cricket Conference, planned to host the men’s Cricket World Cup in 1975.
In all, 13 editions of the ODI World Cups have been played so far. Australia have won six trophies while West Indies and India have won two titles each. Pakistan, Sri Lanka and England complete the list of ODI World Cup winners.
West Indies emerge as early trendsetters
The first edition of the men's ODI Cricket World Cup in 1975 was played in England featuring eight teams — England, India, Australia, Pakistan, West Indies, New Zealand, Sri Lanka and East Africa.
The West Indian cricket team, led by Clive Lloyd, won the inaugural World Cup by defeating Australia in the final by 17 runs at Lord’s.
Bowlers Keith Boyce, Andy Roberts and Bernard Julien and legendary batter Vivian Richards and Lloyd himself helped the Caribbean side win the Cup without losing a match.
England also hosted the next two editions of the World Cups. With their core intact, the West Indies won the 1979 edition as well, defeating the hosts by 92 runs in the final.
Underdogs India end West Indies reign
India exited in the group stages at the 1975 and 1979 ODI World Cups and very few gave them a chance to lift the title in 1983.
West Indies and India progressed to the semi-finals from a group also consisting of Australia and Zimbabwe. India went on to beat England in the semi-finals while West Indies got the better of Pakistan.
After bowling out India for a modest 183, West Indies looked set for their third title on the trot. However, inspired bowling performances from Mohinder Amarnath and Madan Lal, who took three wickets each, helped India bowl out West Indies for 140 in 52 overs. It remains the lowest-ever total successfully defended in a World Cup final.
It was also the last time West Indies played in the final of the ODI World Cup.
Australia win maiden title
The 1987 World Cup was hosted jointly by India and Pakistan. Though the number of teams remained the same, the matches were played over 50 overs per side instead of 60 in previous editions.
After failing to make the semi-finals in 1983, Australia, under the leadership of Allan Border, emerged as a true force in the 1987 World Cup. They beat Pakistan by 18 runs in the semi-finals and riding on David Boon’s 75, posted 253/5 against England in the final to win by 17 runs at the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
Imran Khan’s cornered tigers
The 1992 ODI Cricket World Cup was co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand. Nine teams, including South Africa, participated in the fifth edition.
Played in a league format where each team faced the other eight teams once to qualify for the semi-finals, Pakistan won just one of their first five games. However, they sneaked into the semi-finals by winning the next three league stage matches.
Inzamam-ul-Haq’s 60 off 37 helped Pakistan beat pre-tournament favourites New Zealand in the semi-finals by four wickets. Pakistan, led by captain Imran Khan’s 72, posted 249/6 in the final and bowled out England for 227 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Sri Lanka beat the mighty Australia
The 1996 Cricket World Cup was jointly hosted by India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. A total of 12 teams, divided into two groups, fought for places in the quarter-finals.
The island nation, led by Arjuna Ranatunga, remained unbeaten during the group stage. Sri Lanka beat England by five wickets in the quarter-finals, defeated India by 131 runs in the semi-finals and then handed Australia a seven-wicket defeat to win the title in Lahore.
Australia’s unrivalled dominance
No team in cricket history dominated the sport the way the Australian team did in the 1990s and 2000s. Steve Waugh’s Australian team, who sneaked into the final on the basis of net run-rate after the tied semi-final with South Africa, strolled past Pakistan final to win the 1999 World Cup in England.
Four years later, Ricky Ponting’s men added a third World Cup title to Australia’s cabinet, beating Sourav Ganguly-led India by 125 runs in the summit clash at the Wanderers in Johannesburg.
Ponting’s Australia enjoyed another unbeaten campaign in the West Indies in 2007. Powered by Adam Gilchrist’s 149 this time, Australia beat Sri Lanka by 53 runs in the final to become the first cricket team in history to win a hat-trick of World Cup titles.
India win title after 28 years
The 2011 World Cup, hosted by India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, was the first time two Asian teams — India and Sri Lanka — clashed in the final. A total of 14 teams, divided into two groups of seven, played for a spot in the quarter-finals.
India, who lost to South Africa and tied with England in the group stages, ousted Australia in the quarter-finals, defeated Pakistan in the semi-finals and beat Sri Lanka in the final by six wickets to claim their second trophy.
MS Dhoni’s composed captaincy style, Yuvraj Singh’s match-winning knocks and crucial breakthroughs from Zaheer Khan proved pivotal in India’s title-winning run.
Australia reclaim top prize
In 2015, Australia matched India’s feat of winning the World Cup on home soil. The number of teams and format remained the same like the 2011 World Cup.
Though New Zealand and India emerged unbeaten from the group stages, Australia beat both sides en route to winning their fifth title. After beating Pakistan by six wickets in the quarter-finals, Australia beat India by 95 runs in the semi-finals and handed New Zealand a seven-wicket loss at the MCG to win the title.
Mitchell Starc, for taking 22 wickets in eight matches, was adjudged player of the tournament.
England win World Cup on boundary count
After losing the World Cup final three times, England finally claimed the World Cup trophy by beating New Zealand in the 2019 World Cup final at the iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground in London.
The final ended in a tie with England bowled out on 241 in reply to New Zealand’s 241/8 in 50 overs. Ben Stokes’ 84 not out took the match into the super over which was won on ‘boundary count’ by England after even the super over was tied with both sides ending up on 15 runs.
Earlier in the competition, England defeated Australia by eight wickets in the semi-final after finishing third in the league stage.
Australia beat favourites India
Australia won their sixth ODI World Cup title after beating hosts India in the final of the 2023 World Cup in Ahmedabad. India were unbeaten coming into the final against an ‘underdog’ Australian team that had a shaky start to the tournament, which involved losing their opening two matches. In the semi-finals, India beat New Zealand while Australia won a tight contest against South Africa to make the summit clash.
In the final, Australia won the toss and bowled first, limiting the mighty Indian batting line-up to just 240. Led by Travis Head’s century (137 in 120 balls), Australia chased the target down comfortably with six wickets and seven overs to spare.