Top 10 Biggest upsets in the Cricket World Cup

Let us look back at the 10 instances where teams that were labeled as ‘underdogs’, beat test-playing nations in a result that no one expected in the Cricket World Cup.

(Cricket News) The Cricket World Cup, which is contested every four years, is the sport’s premier competition and displays the skill and talent of the top cricketing nations. Even though many cricket matches have a predictable narrative, there have been several that have shocked cricket enthusiasts and the cricketing world. These are the times when history is changed forever, when underdogs win, and when giants fall. In this article, we take a look at the Cricket World Cup’s biggest surprises, going over the games that defied predictions, shattered records, and permanently inscribed their names in the pages of cricketing history.

10. West Indies vs Kenya: 1996 World Cup

Kenya shocked the entire cricketing world by defeating the mighty West Indies by 73 runs in their first-ever World Cup match. Maurice Odumbe, an off-spinner from Kenya, was instrumental, capturing three wickets for a mere 15 runs.

9. Sri Lanka vs Australia: 1996 World Cup

The final of the 1996 World Cup was between the Sri Lanka, who were labelled as underdogs coming into the World Cup and Australia, a team which had won the World Cup prior to this event. Sri Lanka had been through a lot before this World Cup, with Muttiah Muralitharan getting hate from the Australian media for his suspected illegal action, despite being cleared from the ICC.

Arjuna Ranatunga and the Sri Lankan team mates had a point to prove and they punched above their weight to beat the mighty Australians. Arvinda De Silva was awarded the player of the match for his unbeaten century.

8. Zimbabwe vs South Africa: 1999 World Cup

Zimbabwe shocked the odds by defeating South Africa in the 1999 World Cup. In chasing of a 233-run mark, Zimbabwe stunned the Proteas with a 48-run victory. Neil Johnson was awarded the man of the match for his all-round performance, scoring 76 and picking up 3 wickets.

7. Kenya’s 2003 World Cup journey to the semifinals

Kenya was the underdog going into the tournament. They became the first non-Test playing nation to reach the semifinals. They had some luck in the tournament as some matches were called off due to political reasons. Still, they defeated formidable teams like Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka and booked a seat in the semi-finals of the 2003 World Cup.

6. Zimbabwe vs Australia : 1983 World Cup

Zimbabwe shocked the cricketing world by upsetting the mighty Australians in the 1983 World Cup, which was their first-ever World Cup appearance. This victory marked the beginning of Zimbabwe’s journey as a competitive cricketing nation.

5. India vs West Indies: 1983 World Cup

India shocked the two-time defending champion West Indies by 43 runs in one of the most amazing upsets in World Cup history. After West Indies put up a respectable 183 runs in defence, India bowled them out for just 140 runs. The turning point of this match was the dismissal of the dangerous Vivian Richards, which was done by the help of Kapil Dev, who ran backwards to take a stunning catch at deep midwicket.

4. Netherlands vs South Africa: 2023 Cricket World Cup

After two dominating wins against Sri Lanka and Australia, fans expected the match between the Dutch and the Proteas to be a cakewalk for the Proteas. Shockingly that did not happen.

The Netherlands defended a low target of 245 against South Africas powerful batting lineup. Scott Edwards was awarded the man of the match for gritty 78. This was a historical victory for the Dutch, as they became the only non-test-playing nation to defeat South Africa in two different ICC events.

3. India vs Bangladesh: 2007 World Cup

Bangladesh pulled off a stunning upset by defeating India in the 2007 World Cup. After Bangladesh set up a target of 223/9, India’s innings collapsed as they were dismissed for 161. This loss knocked India of the 2007 World Cup and it also bought new changes to India’s white ball set-up.

2. Afghanistan vs England: 2023 World Cup

Afghanistan shocked the defending champions England in the 2023 World Cup, winning by 69 runs. Rashid Khan and Mujeeb Ur Rahman each took three wickets, while Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ikram Ali Khan contributed with the bat. This was Afghanistan’s second win in an ODI World Cup, the first being their victory over Scotland in the 2015 World Cup.

1. Ireland vs England: 2011 World Cup

During the 2011 World Cup, Ireland surprised England by successfully chasing down a large target of 328. Ireland won by a historic margin of three wickets thanks to a landmark innings played by Kevin O’Brien, who scored the then-fastest century in an ODI World Cup.