The Indian cricket team is the only side apart from Australia and the West Indies to win the Cricket World Cup on multiple occasions.
India has been triumphant twice – 1983 and 2011. The Men in Blue have also been the runners-up, in 2003, when they suffered a big defeat against Australia.
India under Virat Kohli goes into the ICC World Cup 2019 as one of the leading favorites to win the trophy. They start their Cricket World Cup campaign against South Africa on June 5.
India has played a total of 75 matches in the World Cup so far. The side has won 46 matches, besides losing 27, drawing one and having one no result. The Asian side also has a win percentage of 62.83.
India has a chance to better the stats when they take the field in the 2019 Cricket World Cup, How? Let’s have a look and analyze India at Cricket World Cup
Virat Kohli has a solid side under his belt. Ahead of India’s journey in the CWC 19, we look at the statistics and their past performances in this article.
Past Performances of India at Cricket World Cup
The Indian cricket team has crashed out of the group stage on three occasions (1975, 1979 and 2007). In 1975, they finished third in their group to crash out.
Four years later, India finished last in Group B and there was a side that still looked new to the format. The results embodied that.
Going by India’s past record in ODIs and in the World Cup, they were not expected to even progress beyond the Group stage of the 1983 Cricket World Cup in England.
But Kapil Dev’s side played unbelievably and stunned Windies to win the coveted trophy. The confidence led India to perform well in 1987. But they exited in the semis that year.
In 1992, India made an exit from the round-robin stage and they went out rather sheepishly. They finished seventh in the league stage and failed to produce substance.
In 1999, India crashed out after reaching the Super Six. Mohammad Azharuddin’s side could not quite put in a string of performances in the World Cup that was held once again in England.
Besides being the semi-finalists in 1987, India also reached the same stage in 1996 and 2015. Both times a lot was expected from the side, but somehow they fell short in pivotal stages.
The year 2003 saw India play their heart out under Sourav Ganguly. Unfortunately, they lost just twice in the tournament and both those games were against Australia that included the final.
India ended as the runners-up after Australia pummelled them. The year 2007 saw India exit from the group stage.
India’s other big moment was in 2011. At home, they went on to script history and win the second World Cup after 28 years. Skipper MS Dhoni played a majestic inning in the finale to hand India a deserved win against Sri Lanka.
Highest and lowest totals of India at Cricket World Cup
India’s highest ever innings score in the Cricket World Cup came in 2007 when they amassed 413/5 against Bermuda. Interestingly, it is also the second highest score in the World Cup. They achieved the same in Port of Spain. Virender Sehwag fired a breezy 114 to help the side amass a big total. Ajit Agarkar and Anil Kumble picked three wickets each to down Bermuda.
India’s lowest total came against Australia in Centurion in 2003 (125). Sachin Tendulkar top scored with 36. Aussies chased down the target in 22.2 overs by a commanding nine wickets.
Sachin the hero for India in Cricket World Cup
Tendulkar has scored the most runs for India in the Cricket World Cup. The GOAT amassed 2,278 runs from 45 matches. He averaged a whopping 56.95. The opening batsman had also amassed the most centuries in the World Cup (6). Australia’s Ricky Ponting and Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara (both 5) feature next in the list. Tendulkar also smashed 15 fifties which is a record till date. The legend defined his aura in the biggest stage.
His best moment with the bat came in 2003 when he ended up as the highest run-scorer (673). Till date, nobody has gone on to break this record. Only Matthew Hayden (659) came close in 2007.
Tendulkar shined in the 2011 World Cup as well and made sure he became a World Cup winner. The Master Blaster will forever be regarded as the most daring player in Cricket World Cup history.
Other batting records
Ganguly’s 183 against Sri Lanka in 1999 is the highest individual score by an Indian player in the World Cup.Dada achieved the feat against Sri Lanka in Taunton. Indian batsmen have accounted for a total of 24 tons in the CWC. They remain two below Australia (26).
Ganguly and Dravid’s partnership of 318 runs for the second wicket is still a record in the Cricket World Cup. They achieved the same against Lanka in 1999.
Zak and Srinath defined India’s bowling
Zaheer Khan and Javagal Srinath accounted for 44 wickets each in the Cricket World Cup. That’s the joint-highest record by an Indian bowler in the World Cup. Zaheer was superb in both 2003 and the 2011 World Cup. The left-arm pacer holds the record the most number of wickets taken by an Indian player in a single edition of the World Cup (21 in 2011).
Srinath’s contribution shouldn’t go unnoticed. The warhorse had excellent mileage and contributed immensely in ODI cricket. He averaged 27.81 with the ball in World Cup cricket. He also took two four-wicket hauls.
Meanwhile, Ashish Nehra (6/23 against England in 2003) holds the record for the best bowling performance by an Indian player in the Cricket World Cup. He ripped apart England at Durban in what was a fiery spell.
Only five Indian bowlers have taken five-wicket hauls in the CWC. Ashish Nehra (6/23), Venkatesh Prasad (5/27), Robin Singh (5/31), Yuvraj Singh (5/31) and Kapil Dev (5/43) are the ones.
Other crucial records and stats
Rahul Dravid had 16 dismissals as a keeper in the 2003 World Cup. This is the most number of dismissals by an Indian wicket-keeper in a single edition of the Cricket World Cup. Veteran wicket-keeper MS Dhoni, who will play a crucial role in the 2019 World Cup, has a record. He has the most number of dismissals by an Indian wicket-keeper in the World Cup (32).
Meanwhile, former greats Syed Kirmani against Zimbabwe in 1983 and Nayan Mongia against Zimbabwe in 1999, have accounted for the most number of dismissals by an Indian wicket-keeper in an innings in the Cricket World Cup.
Eight number of catches taken by Anil Kumble is the highest by an Indian player in the World Cup. Mohammed Kaif (4 catches) has the most number of catches taken by an Indian player in an innings in the Cricket World Cup.
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