File photo of World Cup 2023-winning Australian team© AFP
The 2023 ICC World Cup unfolded over a thrilling span of six weeks, featuring 48 matches of captivating ODI cricket among 10 proud cricket countries. Filled with remarkable achievements and new records, the ODI World Cup witnessed impressive performances from various players and teams, rewriting the history books in several aspects of the game.
Australia extend dominance with sixth World Cup crown
Australia emerged as the winners by defeating India in the final at the Narendra Modi Stadium. The six-wicket victory further cemented their status as the most dominant team in cricket's history.
Individual brilliance was showcased by players like Travis Head, whose superb 137 off 120 in the final marked only the second instance of a centurion in a World Cup final chase. Australia had bowled out India on 240 and chased down the target in exactly 43 overs.
ICC World Cup 2023 league stage
India dominated the group stage, winning all nine matches and securing the top spot with 18 points. South Africa followed, winning seven out of nine games despite a surprise loss to the Netherlands and a heavy defeat by India post-qualification.
Australia recovered from initial losses to India and South Africa, winning seven consecutive matches to qualify with 14 points. New Zealand clinched the final knockout spot, earning ten points after a strong start followed by four consecutive defeats.
Pakistan (8 points), Afghanistan (8 points), England (6 points), Sri Lanka (4 points), the Netherlands (4 points) and Bangladesh (4 points) ended the league stage in respective order.
Top run scorers
Virat Kohli's exceptional form throughout the tournament led him to set multiple records, including the most runs in a single World Cup edition (765) and surpassing Sachin Tendulkar's record for the most centuries in ODIs with his 50th ton in the semi-finals against New Zealand.
Though Kohli's team didn't end up with the trophy, he was among the finest performers in the tournament and finished with an average of 95.62 in the tournament. Rohit Sharma (597) and Quinton de Kock (594) were second and third, respectively, on the list of top run-scorers in ODI World Cup 2023.
Top wicket-takers
Indian pacer Mohammed Shami, with 24 wickets from seven matches, was the top wicket-taker in the 2023 World Cup. He set a groundbreaking record by securing the fastest 50 wickets in World Cup history, achieving this milestone within a mere 17 innings. His exceptional performance culminated in a stellar bowling display, particularly highlighted by his phenomenal figures of 7/57 against New Zealand in the crucial semi-final match, marking the best-ever bowling performance by an Indian in ODIs.
Australian leggie Adam Zampa was the leading wicket-taker for champions Australia with 23 from 11 matches and was the second-highest wicket-taker overall. In all, five bowlers took 20 or more wickets in India. Sri Lanka's Dilshan Madushanka was third on the list with 21 wickets from nine matches.
Notable records
Rohit Sharma's aggressive batting style propelled him to become the player with the most centuries (7) across Cricket World Cups, surpassing Sachin Tendulkar, and setting new records for hitting the most sixes (31) in a single tournament.
Glenn Maxwell's extraordinary double century (201*) in a thrilling chase against Afghanistan stood out as the tournament's highest score by a batter in one innings. Glenn Maxwell's 40-ball century against the Netherlands was the fastest in World Cup history.
Mitchell Starc solidified his position in cricketing history, ascending to become the tournament's third-highest wicket-taker. Accumulating a total of 65 wickets throughout his World Cup career, the Australian surpassed the esteemed records set by legendary bowlers such as Pakistan's Wasim Akram and Sri Lanka's Lasith Malinga.
Australia's Adam Zampa concluded the World Cup campaign with a commendable achievement. With 23 wickets, he joined the ranks of the joint-most wicket-takers among spinners in the history of the Cricket World Cup, equalling the illustrious record set by Muttiah Muralitharan.
Unfortunately, Pakistan's Haris Rauf faced a less favourable record in the tournament, conceding 533 runs. This statistic marked Rauf as the bowler who conceded the most runs in a single edition of the Cricket World Cup.
Top team performances
South Africa's explosive start in the tournament saw them set a new record for the highest total by a team in a World Cup game (428/5 against Sri Lanka), with exceptional performances from Quinton de Kock, Rassie van der Dussen, and Aiden Markram, who collectively contributed to the team's remarkable batting display.
South Africa became the first team to score four 350-plus scores in a single Cricket World Cup after hammering runs against Sri Lanka, England, Bangladesh and New Zealand.
Overall, the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023 was a spectacle filled with exceptional performances, thrilling encounters, and a plethora of new records that added to the rich history of cricket's most prestigious event.
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