The Men’s World Cup 2023 recently concluded with Australia lifting their sixth trophy in the history of the tournament. This edition of the prestigious tournament has been a rollercoaster ride, with many surprises and shock defeats. The cricketing world witnessed intense clashes, spectacular performances, controversies, and unexpected twists in the recently concluded edition of the Men’s World Cup ODI.
In the Men’s World Cup ODI 2023, every participating nation showcased their brilliance, team spirit, perseverance, and resilience. However, there are several moments that entirely encapsulate the essence of the thrill of this edition of the Men’s World Cup ODI. Here we have got you covered with the key highlights from the tournament, which India successfully hosted.
Here are the top highlights from the Men’s World Cup ODI 2023.
1. Australia Regaining the Glory
Australia’s Men’s World Cup ODI 2023 campaign will be remembered for years. They found themselves at the bottom of the points table with the initial two defeats. However, the Aussies turned their fortunes with seven successive wins, eventually clinching victory in the semifinal and final against South Africa and India, respectively, to lift the coveted World Cup trophy. In the final against hosts India, Australia were clinical across all departments, with T Head emerging as a star player to help his side win a record-extending sixth Men’s World Cup ODI triumph.
2. G Maxwell’s heroics against Afghanistan
G Maxwell displayed his willpower and determination to help Australia seal a thrilling three-wicket against Afghanistan in the league stage of the tournament. The 34-year-old played a scintillating unbeaten knock of 201 off 128 balls to chase down the target of 292. Maxwell stepped up when Australia were 91/7 and played the innings of his life. However, it is important to note that G Maxwell played with cramps and back spasms. He put his body on the line to take his team through the finishing line. His incredible knock has been considered one of the greatest innings in the history of ODI cricket.
3. M Shami’s Brilliance
M Shami was the most lethal bowler for India in the recently concluded edition of the Men’s World Cup ODI. He was benched for the initial four matches of the Men in Blue’s campaign and then led the team’s pace attack in the next 11 matches, including the semifinal and final. In just seven matches, Shami emerged as the leading wicket-taker for India, with 24, including three fifers and a four-wicket haul, at an average of 10.70 and an economy rate of 5.26. His best bowling performance came in the semifinal against New Zealand, where he recorded his best figures of 7/57.
4. Afghanistan’s dream World Cup
Afghanistan might not have qualified for the semifinal but they had a dream run in the Men’s World Cup ODI 2023. They handed shock defeats to big teams such as the defending champions England, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. Their best performance came against England, where they bundled out the defending champions for 215 and won the match by 69 runs. In the recently concluded edition of the tournament, Afghanistan won more than one match. They finished the campaign with four wins and five losses in nine matches.
5. V Kohli’s 50th ODI Century
V Kohli scripted a historic feat during the semifinal against New Zealand at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. The 35-year-old became the first batsman to record 50 centuries in the history of ODI cricket, surpassing S Tendulkar’s previous record of 49 centuries. He achieved this milestone during his incredible innings of 117 off 113 balls against Kiwis. Additionally, Kohli shattered several other records including most 50+ scores (8) and most runs (765) in a single edition of the Men’s World Cup ODI. V Kohli had his best campaign in this Men’s World Cup ODI but fell short of winning the prestigious trophy.
6. Netherlands Shock Upsets
Another team that sprung us a surprise was the Netherlands. The Dutch team handed a shock defeat to South Africa with a stunning 38-run win in Dharamshala. Then, they defeated Bangladesh by 87 runs, which was the Netherlands’ best performance in the recently concluded edition of the tournament. The Netherlands concluded their campaign with two wins and seven losses and finished at the bottom of the points table. However, they had a memorable campaign with two shock defeats.
7. R Sharma’s record-breaking century
R Sharma had a great campaign in the Men’s World Cup ODI 2023. However, his major achievement was shattering S Tendulkar’s record of six centuries in the history of the tournament. He achieved this feat during his masterclass innings of 131 off 84 balls in the league stage match against Afghanistan. R Sharma was the third-highest run-getter of the Men’s World Cup ODI 2023, amassing 597 runs, including a century and three fifties, at an average of 54.27 in 11 matches. He fell just three runs short of becoming the first batsman to aggregate 600 runs in two different editions of the tournament.
8. A Mathews Timed Out Incident
For the first time in the history of international cricket, a batsman was dismissed in the form of a ‘timeout’. This incident happened during the match between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, where A Mathews failed to take the crease within a stipulated timeframe of two minutes, as per Men’s World Cup ODI playing conditions. Bangladesh captain S al Hasan appealed to umpires for a timeout against Mathews. After much deliberation on the field, the umpire asked A Mathews to walk back to the pavilion for taking more than two minutes to bat. This has become a matter of debate, drawing a line between sportsmanship spirit and fair play rules.
