ICC Men's Cricket World Cup: Greatest ODI XI (1975-2019)

ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023 is just a few months away, and the teams are gearing up for the competition in India with enthusiasm and dedication. England, who are the defending champions, are the favourites to win the title, along with their arch-rivals Australia. Back in 1975, when the One-Day World Cup started in England, the West Indies became the champions by vanquishing Australia in the final at Lord’s. They went on to dominate the tournament in the next edition as well. Riding on the heroics of Gordon Greenidge, Vivian Richards, and Michael Holding, the Caribbean side won the title for the second time in 1979.

In 1983, India beat the West Indies in the final and got a chance to lift the trophy under the majestic leadership of Kapil Dev. Currently, Australia are the most successful team in the marquee One-Day International (ODI) event, as they have five trophies in their cabinet. Of these five titles, the Aussies have won twice under Ricky Ponting. Among the quality sides, New Zealand and South Africa are yet to bag the prestigious trophy. In 12 editions of the World Cup, supporters of the sport have got some incredible players who rocked the tournament a great many times with their scintillating displays.

Let’s have a look at the all-time greatest ODI XI in ICC Cricket World Cup history:

1. Sachin Tendulkar

Sachin Tendulkar is the only Indian player to appear in six World Cup editions, along with Pakistan’s Javed Miandad. In his vast cricketing career, the batting legend played 45 World Cup games and racked up 2278 runs with six tons and 15 half-centuries at a strike rate of 88.98. 

In the 2003 installment of the tournament, Tendulkar became the leading run-scorer with 673 runs in 11 matches at a strike rate of 89.25. Riding on his sensational batting performances, the Men in Blue ended up as the runners-up, losing to Australia in the final at the Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg.

India clinched their second World Cup title in 2011, and Tendulkar played a crucial role in his team’s success. Piling up 482 runs with two centuries and two fifties in nine matches at a strike rate of 91.98, he became the second-leading run-getter in the tournament, following Tilakaratne Dilshan.