Top 10 Iconic Moments In Cricket World Cup History
MS Dhoni's six at the 2011 World Cup final (x.com)
The Cricket World Cup, a quadrennial spectacle of bat and ball, has served as a stage where legends are forged and histories rewritten. Since its inception in 1975, this grand event has witnessed moments that have transcended the boundaries of a cricket field, ingraining itself into the memories of fans all over the globe.
Such moments, accompanied by roars of triumphs for some and tears of despair for others, pretty much sum up the very essence of what makes this sport so riveting and beloved.
As fans brace themselves for the 2023 World Cup in India, here at OneCricket we look back at 10 of the most iconic moments from tournament’s rich history.
1. MS Dhoni’s World Cup-winning six, World Cup 2011
Indian captain MS Dhoni, assisted by Gautam Gambhir and Yuvraj Singh in a tense 2011 World Cup final run-chase, sealed the deal with a monster hit in the penultimate over of the match against Sri Lanka. His shot over long-on soared into the Mumbai night sky and culminated a triumphant crusade for his side, as Team India ended their World Cup drought by lifting the title for the first time in 28 years.
2. Ben Stokes’ accidental deflection, World Cup 2019
In a high-stakes 2019 World Cup final at Lord’s, England found themselves in a tight spot chasing New Zealand’s 241. Ben Stokes, the hero of the match, had a moment of serendipity when he dived to complete a second run in a tense final over. A throw from the deep struck his outstretched bat and raced to the boundary. These accidental, vital runs tied the game, and set the stage of a historic Super Over triumph for England.
3. Klusener-Donald semifinal runout, World Cup 1999
World Cup’s perennial underachievers South Africa found themselves on the brink of a spot in the final during their pulsating 1999 semifinal showdown with Australia. However, a bewildering mix-up between a charged-up Lance Klusener and a reluctant Allan Donald shattered their dreams for good, as it resulted in a heart-wrenching runout and yet another World Cup exit for the Proteas.
Australia, on the other hand, qualified through to the finals despite their tied affair owing to their superior tournament net run-rate.
4. Kapil Dev’s running catch to win a final, World Cup 1983
As many believed prior to the 1983 World Cup final, Team India had no business standing toe-to-toe with hat-trick chasers West Indies at Lord’s. Yet, Kapil Dev’s troops somehow managed to spring one surprise after the other before ultimately clinching the coveted title for good.
One of the moments of the historic title clash occurred when a sprinting Indian captain completed a sensational catch to remove West Indies legend Viv Richards. The dismissal triggered a colossal batting collapse within the defending champions’ camp, as they ended up falling 43 runs short of an insurgent Indian side.
5. MS Dhoni’s heartbreaking semi-final runout, World Cup 2019
In a high-stakes semi-final clash between India and New Zealand at the 2019 World Cup, the ‘Men in Blue’ veteran MS Dhoni found himself inches short of his crease against Martin Guptill’s bullet throw from backward square leg. Guptill’s direct hit shattered the stumps, and the dreams of more than a billion Indian fans along with it. The heartbreaking moment also turned out to be Dhoni’s last memory at the international stage as he announced his retirement roughly a year later.
6. Wasim Akram’s twin jolts for England, World Cup 1992
Wasim Akram possibly delivered two of the best balls of the 1992 World Cup at its grand finale in MCG. The legendary speedster swung it both ways throughout the competition and was employed by his captain Imran Khan to break a brewing English partnership at the title clash.
As he has done throughout his career, Akram hurled two unplayable peaches to remove Allan Lamb and Chris Lewis to undo England’s hard work of 13 overs in a space of two deliveries. England never recovered from their untimely setback while Pakistan kept seizing crucial moments to capture their maiden World Cup title.
7. Lasith Malinga’s four from four, World Cup 2007
In a seemingly easy-going World Cup 2007 Super Eights affair, South Africa’s win over Sri Lanka appeared a mere formality in Providence. Sitting just four runs away from their target with half their side still intact, Sri Lanka’s slinging wizard Lasith Malinga titled the entire game in his side’s favour in a space of just four balls.
The cricketer took four wickets in each of those deliveries, marking the first such instance in international cricket, and left clueless Proteas red-faced. However, the South African tail survived enough tense overs thereafter to secure the winning runs and seal the game with a wicket to spare.
8. Wahab Riaz’s spell from hell for Watson, World Cup 2015
Wahab Riaz’s fiery 2015 World Cup quarter-final spell against Shane Watson was a sight to behold, with the Pakistani speedster hurling down menacing bouncers and searing yorkers with relentless pace at will. Riaz unleashed ruthless aggression and bowled like he had a score to settle with the burly Australian.
However, fortunes did not favour the speedster at all on the celebrated day as Watson survived his way to an alluring 64 in an unbeaten run-chase.
9. Venkatesh Prasad’s reply to Sohail, World Cup 1996
In one of India and Pakistan’s earliest World Cup face-off back at the 1996 event, Pakistan’s Aamer Sohail clubbed rival speedster Venkatesh Prasad for a boundary. However, Sohail followed up his hit with a taunting display, asking the Indian bowler to go and fetch the ball.
Prasad, in retaliation, cleaned up the Pakistani captain off the very next delivery, thus signalling a colossal batting collapse for the visitors in Bengaluru. The taunting act and its subsequent dismissal proved costly for Sohail as his side eventually found itself 39 runs short of their task.
10. Adam Gilchrist’s 149 and Australia’s historic hat-trick, World Cup 2007
Australia’s historic 2007 World Cup final win was built on the foundation of Adam Gilchrist’s whirlwind 149 in Bridgetown. The opener blasted 13 boundaries and eight sixes and belted every single bowler from Sri Lanka’s high-flying attack with equal disdain during his 104-ball effort.
While his batting spectacle continues to remain one of the best from any World Cup final, the innings also guided Australia to their third successive title, making them the first and only side thus far to complete a hat-trick of World Cups.
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