The International Cricket Council (ICC) Men’s Cricket World Cup is the most prestigious One Day International (ODI) cricket competition in the world. The 50-over tournament takes place every four years with the next event scheduled to occur in India during October and November 2023.
This will be the 13th edition of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup and the first to be played entirely in India. The South Asian country shared hosting duties in 2011, 1996, and 1987.
England hosted the first three ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup tournaments as well as the most recent event in 2019. Twenty teams have competed in the event since its inception. Australia is the most accomplished nation with five championships, while India and the West Indies team have each won the World Cup twice. England, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka are the only other teams to win the tournament.
Below is a closer look at the last five World Cups.
1. England (2019)
England became the fourth host nation to win the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup in 2019 and did so in dramatic fashion. In a match that senior sports writer for The Guardian Andy Bull called “the greatest game ever played,” England finished the final tied at 241 with New Zealand following each team’s 50 overs.
Both teams scored 15 in the super-over shootout and England was declared victorious by hitting more boundaries during their 50 overs. This was the first World Cup final to be determined by boundary count.
England advanced to the final after defeating defending champion Australia by 8 wickets in the semi-final, while New Zealand scored an 18-run victory over India in the other semi-final. England also defeated South Africa, Bangladesh, West Indies, Afghanistan, and India in the round robin. It also defeated New Zealand by 119 runs in the round robin. The final, however, was a much different story.
Led by Ben Stokes, England scored 15 runs in the final over to send the match to the super-over shootout. By the end of the match, most of the 30,000 fans in attendance at Lord’s Cricket Ground erupted in cheer and expressed jubilation for England’s first World Cup.
“I’m pretty lost for words. All the hard work that’s gone in over these four years, this is where we aspired to be,” said team captain Eoin Morgan following the match. “To do it with such a game, I don’t think there will be another like this in the history of cricket.”
2. Australia (2015)
Australia won its fifth World Cup and third in four tries in 2015. The country shared hosting duties with New Zealand and scored a seven-wicket victory over its neighbor in the final. A record 93,013 people attended the match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Overall, 14 venues in both countries hosted a combined 49 matches.
New Zealand and Australia finished first and second, respectively, in Pool A in the round robin. Australia defeated Pakistan and India in the knockout stage, while New Zealand beat West Indies and South Africa. Martin Guptil (New Zealand) led all players in runs with 547, while Mitchell Starc (Australia) and Trent Boult (New Zealand) tied for the tournament lead in wickets with 22.
3. India (2011)
The host nation also enjoyed success at the 2011 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup. India, hosting the event in conjunction with Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, won the World Cup by defeating Sri Lanka by six wickets in the final at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
This was the first ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup final to involve two Asian teams and the first since 1996 that didn’t feature Australia. Yuvraj Singh (India) was named Man of the Tournament. He finished the tournament tied for fourth in total wickets with 15.
4. Australia (2007)
Australia, competing in its fourth consecutive World Cup final, defeated Sri Lanka by 53 runs to win its third consecutive ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup. Ricky Ponting captained the Australian side for the second consecutive World Cup, while Glenn McGrath, who led all players in wickets with 26, was named Man of the Tournament.
Hosted by the West Indies, tournament matches took place at eight venues in Barbados, Jamaica, Saint Lucia, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada, and St. Kitts and Nevis.
The 2007 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup featured the largest field in tournament history with 16 teams, including first-time participants Bermuda and Ireland. Bermuda failed to win a game, while Ireland advanced past the round robin to the Super 8 stage. Australia defeated South Africa in the semi-final, while Sri Lanka beat New Zealand.
5. Australia (2003)
Australia won its second consecutive ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup in 2003. The event, co-hosted by South Africa, Kenya, and Zimbabwe, was the first held in Africa and featured a then record 14 teams, including the debuting Namibia.
Historically good teams like Pakistan, West Indies, South Africa, and England all failed to advance past the group stage. This left Australia to contend with India, Kenya, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, and Zimbabwe in the Super Sixes stage.
Australia defeated Sri Lanka in the semi-finals and beat India by 125 runs in the final at Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa. Pointing, the team’s captain, was named Player of the Match in the final. Sachin Tendulkar (India) earned Man of the Tournament.