Australia has claimed the Cricket World Cup winner five times, the most of any team. India and the West Indies have each won twice, while Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and England have secured the trophy once each.
History of the Cricket World Cup
The first Men’s Cricket World Cup was held in 1975, with a new tournament every four years. Initially, the matches were 60 overs per side, but in 1987, the format switched to 50 overs per team, a rule that remains in place today.
Australia has the most World Cup wins, with titles in 1987, 1999, 2003, 2007, and 2015. The West Indies dominated the early years, winning in 1975 and 1979. India captured the cup in 1983 and 2011. Other winners include Pakistan in 1992, Sri Lanka in 1996, and England in 2019.
Summary of Cricket World Cup winners since 1975
| World Cup | Champion Team & Captain | Runners Up & Captain |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | West Indies (Clive Lloyd) | Australia (Ian Chappell) |
| 1979 | West Indies (Clive Lloyd) | England (Mike Brearley) |
| 1983 | India (Kapil Dev) | West Indies (Clive Lloyd) |
| 1987 | Australia (Allan Border) | England (Mike Gatting) |
| 1992 | Pakistan (Imran Khan) | England (Graham Gooch) |
| 1996 | Sri Lanka (Arjuna Ranatunga) | Australia (Mark Taylor) |
| 1999 | Australia (Steve Waugh) | Pakistan (Wasim Akram) |
| 2003 | Australia (Ricky Ponting) | India (Sourav Ganguly) |
| 2007 | Australia (Ricky Ponting) | Sri Lanka (Mahela Jayawardene) |
| 2011 | India (MS Dhoni) | Sri Lanka (Kumar Sangakkara) |
| 2015 | Australia (Michael Clarke) | New Zealand (Brendon McCullum) |
| 2019 | England (Eoin Morgan) | New Zealand (Kane Williamson) |
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1975: First World Cup (Host: England)
The inaugural Cricket World Cup was held in England, featuring eight teams. The West Indies, led by Clive Lloyd, won the tournament. They went unbeaten in the group stage and defeated New Zealand in the semi-finals. In the final, they scored 291/8 and bowled out Australia for 274 to become the first-ever champions. Lloyd scored a match-winning 102 in the final.
- Winner: West Indies
- Player of the Final: Clive Lloyd
1979: Second World Cup (Host: England)
The West Indies defended their title, winning the 1979 World Cup. They topped their group and overcame Pakistan in the semi-finals. In the final against England, West Indies scored 286/9 and bowled England out for 194 to win their second consecutive title. Viv Richards shined with an unbeaten 138 in the final.
- Winner: West Indies
- Player of the Final: Viv Richards
Summary of Cricket World Cup Records
| World Cup | Player of the Tournament | Most Runs | Most Wickets |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | Not Awarded | NZ: G Turner (333) | AUS: G Gilmour (11) |
| 1979 | Not Awarded | WI: G Greenidge (253) | ENG: M Hendrick (10) |
| 1983 | Not Awarded | ENG: D Gower (384) | IND: R Binny (18) |
| 1987 | Not Awarded | ENG: G Gooch (471) | AUS: C McDermott (18) |
| 1992 | NZ: M Crowe | NZ: M Crowe (456) | PAK: W Akram (18) |
| 1996 | SL: S Jayasuriya | IND: S Tendulkar (523) | IND: A Kumble (15) |
| 1999 | SA: L Klusener | IND: R Dravid (461) | NZ: G Allott & AUS: S Warne (20) |
| 2003 | IND: S Tendulkar | IND: S Tendulkar (673) | SL: C Vaas (23) |
| 2007 | AUS: G McGrath | AUS: M Hayden (659) | AUS: G McGrath (26) |
| 2011 | IND: Y Singh | SL: T Dilshan (500) | PAK: S Afridi & IND: Z Khan (21) |
| 2015 | AUS: M Starc | NZ: M Guptill (547) | AUS: M Starc (22) |
| 2019 | NZ: K Williamson | IND: R Sharma (648) | AUS: M Starc (27) |
1983: India’s First World Cup Victory (Host: England)
India surprised the cricketing world by winning the 1983 World Cup. After defeating the West Indies in the group stage, India beat England in the semi-finals. In the final, India set a modest target of 183, but their bowlers delivered a stunning performance, bowling out the West Indies for 140, securing a 43-run victory.
- Winner: India
- Player of the Final: Mohinder Amarnath
1987: Australia’s First Title (Hosts: India & Pakistan)
For the first time, the World Cup was hosted outside England. Australia claimed their first title by defeating England in a thrilling final, winning by just seven runs. David Boon’s 447 runs and Craig McDermott’s 18 wickets were key in their success.
- Winner: Australia
- Player of the Final: David Boon
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Most Runs In Cricket World Cup
| Player | Runs | Average | Strike Rate | Best |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sachin Tendulkar (India, 1992-2011) | 2278 | 56.95 | 88.9 | 152 |
| Ricky Ponting (Australia, 1996-2011) | 1743 | 45.86 | 79.9 | 140* |
| Kumar Sangakkara (Sri Lanka, 2003-2015) | 1532 | 56.74 | 86.5 | 124 |
| Brian Lara (West Indies, 1992-2007) | 1225 | 42.24 | 86.2 | 116 |
| AB de Villiers (South Africa, 2007-2015) | 1205 | 63.52 | 117.2 | 162* |
1992: Pakistan’s Only World Cup Win (Hosts: Australia & New Zealand)
Pakistan, led by Imran Khan, won their only World Cup in 1992. After a shaky start, they made a strong comeback and defeated New Zealand in the semi-finals. In the final, Pakistan scored 249 and bowled out England for 227, winning by 22 runs.
- Winner: Pakistan
- Player of the Final: Wasim Akram
1996: Sri Lanka’s First Title (Hosts: India, Pakistan & Sri Lanka)
Sri Lanka won their first and only World Cup in 1996. After defeating England in the quarter-finals, they reached the final by default after the semi-final against India was stopped due to crowd disturbances. In the final, Sri Lanka chased down Australia’s target of 241 with seven wickets in hand.
- Winner: Sri Lanka
- Player of the Final: Aravinda de Silva
1999: Australia’s Second Title (Host: England)
Australia won their second World Cup in 1999. After a tied semi-final against South Africa, Australia advanced to the final, where they bowled out Pakistan for just 132 and chased the target comfortably. Shane Warne’s 4/33 in the final was crucial.
- Winner: Australia
- Player of the Final: Shane Warne
2003: Australia’s Dominance Continues (Hosts: South Africa, Zimbabwe & Kenya)
Australia won their third title, going unbeaten throughout the 2003 tournament. In the final, Ricky Ponting led Australia to a massive 359/2, which proved too much for India, who were bowled out for 234.
- Winner: Australia
- Player of the Final: Ricky Ponting
2007: Australia’s Hat-Trick (Host: West Indies)
Australia completed a hat-trick of World Cup titles in 2007, defeating Sri Lanka in the final. Adam Gilchrist’s 149 off 104 balls in the final was the standout performance. Glenn McGrath finished the tournament as the leading wicket-taker with 26 wickets.
- Winner: Australia
- Player of the Final: Adam Gilchrist
Most Wicket In Cricket World Cups
| Player | Wickets | Average | Strike Rate | Best Figures |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Glenn McGrath (Australia, 1996-2007) | 71 | 18.19 | 27.53 | 7/15 |
| Muttiah Muralidaran (Sri Lanka, 1996-2011) | 68 | 19.63 | 30.3 | 4/19 |
| Lasith Malinga (Sri Lanka, 2007-2019) | 56 | 22.87 | 24.89 | 6/38 |
| Wasim Akram (Pakistan, 1987-2003) | 55 | 23.83 | 35.4 | 5/28 |
| Mitchell Starc (Australia, 2015-Present) | 49 | 14.81 | 19.12 | 6/28 |
2011: India’s Second World Cup (Hosts: India, Sri Lanka & Bangladesh)
India won their second World Cup in 2011 under MS Dhoni’s captaincy. After defeating Australia in the quarter-finals and Pakistan in the semi-finals, India chased down Sri Lanka’s target of 274 to win the final. Dhoni’s unbeaten 91 in the final earned him the Player of the Match award.
- Winner: India
- Player of the Final: MS Dhoni
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