The ICC ODI World Cup 2023 concludes with Australia reclaiming the World title for the sixth historic time. But this world event, through its 48 matches, produced some unforgettable moments which have been etched in cricketing history. Looking back at the magical cricketing carnival, SportsTiger brings you the CWC 2023 rewind.
Also Read: 5 Reasons that cost Team India the CWC 2023 Final against Australia
Here we will lock back at moments, performances, players and teams; who created magic across India’s ten spectacular venues which made this World Cup an unforgettable tournament. Before we go into the list, Dilshan Madushanka’s 21 wickets, England’s complete capitulation and the fall of South Asian giants – Pakistan and Sri Lanka, are a few honourable mentions
Coming back to the list, here’s SportsTiger’s CWC 2023 rewind:
Rachin’s Dream Debut
New Zealand youngster Rachin Ravindra produced a magical debut World Cup with his flamboyance and composure. The Blackcaps star gets his name after combining two cricketing greats – Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar, which certainly played a part in his tally of 578 runs with three tons and two half-centuries. Ravindra emerged as a fan favourite and showcased his talent on the world stage with elegance and ease.
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South African Caranage
Despite another heartbreaking semi-final loss, South Africa showcased a fearless brand of cricket which took them from a dark horse team to a title contender. The Proteas’ batting unit comprising Quinton de Kock, Aiden Markram, Rassie van der Dussen, Henrich Klassen and David Miller put on a hitting clinic with some of the highest scores in tournament history. They breached the 300-run barrier multiple times with ease and blew out the opposition batting first.
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Maxwell’s Double Big Show
Throughout the CWC 2023, batters have put in stellar performances, but Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell takes the cake with his big-hitting ability in this regard. Maxwell scored 400 runs in nine innings, but the Victorian big-hitter had two of the best performances of clean hitting in this tournament. The first knock was his 106 in just 44 balls with nine fours and eight sixes against the Netherlands, which also was the fastest ton in World Cup history. The second one was his double-century against Afghanistan and became the first batter to score 200 while chasing while batting on one leg.
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Sultan of Seam: Mohammed Shami
Indian fast bowler Mohammed Shami had arguably the best bowling performance at an ODI World Cup with his tally of 24 wickets in seven matches. After missing out on the first three games, Shami kick-started his tournament with a five-wicket haul against New Zealand. He then went out to take 19 more wickets and ended as the highest-wicket-taker in the World Cup. Shami stuck to his strengths as he picked up three fifers and one four-fer with magical seam movement.
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Afghan’s Resurgence
After a disappointing 2019 World Cup, Afghanistan emerged as a force to reckon with in 2023. After losing their opening two encounters, the Afghans took down three former World Cup winners – England, Pakistan and Sri Lanka in consecutive games. The Afghani team also showcased rapid growth as they performed as a unit. The batting took great strides while the bowling continued to spin around webs of mystery against opposition batters.
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The Orajne Upset
Continuing the trend from the ICC T20 World Cup 2022, the Netherlands produced the biggest upset of CWC 2023 by defeating a red-hot South African team in Dharamshala. The Dutch made no mistakes and didn’t allow the Proteas to run away with the game as they put aside the ‘Associate Nation’ tag. Playing New Zealand-esque cricket, Scott Edwards and Co. set up a tricky total and then defended it with grit and determination to complete a 38-run triumph.
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Mathews’ Race Against Time
Amidst many firsts, Sri Lankan all-rounder Angelo Mathews created history by becoming the first player in international cricket to be timed out. Playing against arch-rivals Bangladesh, Mathews came out to bat but could face his first ball due to an issue with his helmet. The Lankan veteran took over two minutes and after Shakib Al Hasan’s appeal, Mathews was timed out. The dismal led to massive outrage, arguments and discussions around the cricketing zeitgeist, including Mathews’ forensic report regarding the issue.
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King Kohli’s Conquests
Named the Player of the Tournament, India’s Virat Kohli had a historic performance in the ICC ODI World Cup 2023. Kohli, from match one, grew into the batting juggernaut as he posted 765 runs across 11 matches. The Indian number three also smashed three centuries and six half-centuries to break Sachin Tendulkar’s record for most runs in a single ODI World Cup. He also broke Tendulkar’s record of 49 ODI centuries and completed his 50th ODI ton to be numero uno in this metric.
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Near Perfect India
The Rohit Sharma-led Team India, throughout this tournament, showcased total cricket with high-performing players across each department. The Men in Blue routed through the round-robin stage with nine consecutive triumphs before taking down New Zealand in the semi-finals. Despite, falling short in the Final, this Indian unit will go down as one of the best overall teams in cricketing history.
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The Australian Remontada
Coming to the end of this list, cricket fans will never forget this Australian team led by Pat Cummins as they clinched their sixth ODI World Cup trophy. But the picture wasn’t this pleasant for the Kangaroos as they lost both their opening two games against India and South Africa. From this point forward, Australia went on to win nine straight games and clinch their sixth title. Cummins showcased immense growth through this tournament and emerged as one of the best leaders in international cricket.
