This year sees the end of a long four-year wait, as the 13th edition of the highly anticipated ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup begins in October. The 50-over tournament will be hosted by India, as they look to lift the coveted trophy for the first time since 2011.
World Cup History
The first-ever tournament was hosted by England back in 1975, and the Indian team will be desperate to add to their two previous victories in the tournament. Especially after their disappointing loss to eventual winners England, in the T20 Cricket World Cup Semi-final back in November 2022.
World Cup Victories
Australia is the most successful nation in the history of the Cricket World Cup, with a record five victories to their name. West Indies and India are next with two, while England, Pakistan and Sri Lanka have each lifted the trophy once.
India World Cup Victories
- 1983 – ODI v/s West Indies – India won by 43 runs
- 2011 ODI v/s Sri Lanka – India won by six wickets
World Cup Format
Ten teams will contest for the coveted trophy, with the likes of New Zealand, Australia, England, Pakistan and Bangladesh, already guaranteed a place along with India. The tournament will follow a similar format to 2019, with a round-robin stage followed by nail-biting knockouts.
All of 10 teams will play each other once in the round-robin stage, with a victory worth two points, while a no-result will mean the sides share a point each. The top four teams at the end of the round-robin stage will automatically qualify for the semi-finals.
Favourites
India
As the host nation, India is understandably, many people’s favourite to win the World Cup. India is also currently an early favourite to win the tournament at most major online bookies in India and across the world.
But history proves that being the hosts does not guarantee victory, if anything it can heap even more pressure on players’ shoulders.
However, India was co-host when they last won the tournament, proving they have the ability and experience to use the crowd to their advantage. A partisan crowd will no doubt play a huge part in deciding where the trophy ends up, and India’s passionate, cricket-loving fans will be an inspiration and advantage for the home team.
India currently sits fourth in the ODI world rankings, but they have the quality to beat anybody on their day, especially with Virat Kohli in their ranks. In the recent match against Sri Lanka in Thiruvananthapuram, Kohli hit his third ODI hundred in his last four innings in the fifty-over format.
In total, that was his 46th ODI ton and his 74th international ton overall. HIs unbeaten 166 off 110 balls was as good an innings as you will ever see and adds fuel to the fire when it comes to discussing the greatest cricketers of all time. With an in-form Virat Kohli playing his best cricket, nobody will want to face this Indian team.
Men’s ODI Team Rankings
- New Zealand
- England
- Australia
- India
- Pakistan
- South Africa
- Bangladesh
- Sri Lanka
- Afghanistan
- West Indies
England
The current holders will go into this year’s World Cup confident of retaining the trophy they won in thrilling fashion against New Zealand back in 2019. The defending champions are on a run of form in all cricket formats, which has many people believing they can add to the T20 World Cup victory they achieved in Melbourne back in November 2022.
That scintillating win against Pakistan saw England’s men become the first team to hold both the T20I and ODI World Cup titles at the same time. With the inspirational Ben Stokes, plus Alex Hales, Jonny Bairstow, Jos Butler, Sam Curran and more to call upon, the England team looks formidable.
If anyone other than England is going to lift this year’s trophy, they may well have to beat this England team to do it.
Australia
A comprehensive one-day whitewash of England in November, saw Australia claim an impressive 3-0 series win. While England may claim to have been understrength and missing key players after a long season, Australia showed enough quality to make them contenders for the title once again.
The five-time winners, with victories in 1987, 1999, 2003, 2007 and 2015 editions, are always contenders, irrespective of form. So, it would be foolish to regard them as anything other than potential champions.
New Zealand
The current number-one ranked team in the ODI format, New Zealand will be desperate to claim their first-ever World Cup trophy having come so agonisingly close in 2019. The Kiwis drew the final Super Over but England won on the boundary count-back rule, having scored 26 boundaries to New Zealand’s 17.
It was the first time a One Day International final match required a Super Over, and the first time ever the result has been decided by a boundary count. The fact the match has been described as one of the greatest ever will be no consolation to disconsolate Kiwi fans or players. But make no mistake, this New Zealand team will be out for revenge.
Pakistan
Always among the favourites, Pakistan will want to build on the performances that took them all the way to the T20 World Cup final. Despite New Zealand’s recent ODI series win in Pakistan, this team need no more motivation than the prospect of being crowned World Champions in India.
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