The 2023 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup is set to commence in India on the 5th of October. The opening match will witness England facing off against New Zealand, reminiscent of the 2019 World Cup Final. This exciting showdown is scheduled to take place at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. This iconic venue will also host the highly anticipated clash between India and Pakistan on the 14th of October.
The two semifinal matches are scheduled for the 15th of November at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium and the 16th of November at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens. India enters this tournament as one of the favorites, and the team is eager to establish their dominance early in the competition.
Before the World Cup kicks off, let’s delve into the historical performance of India’s top performers in past editions:
Top 10 run-scorers for India in the World Cup:
- Sachin Tendulkar occupies the pinnacle of the batting charts as the leading run-scorer in the World Cup across all teams. He boasts a remarkable tally of 2,278 runs in 45 matches, maintaining an impressive average of 56.95. Tendulkar has notched up six centuries and 15 fifties.
- Virat Kohli secures the second position among Indian players, with 1,030 runs in 26 matches at an average of 46.81.
- Sourav Ganguly clinches the third spot with 1,006 runs in 21 matches at an average of 55.88.
- Rohit Sharma, the current captain of the Indian team, follows closely behind Sourav Ganguly. Sharma has tallied 978 runs in 17 matches at an average of 65.20.
- Rahul Dravid claims the fifth position on this list. The prolific batter was a crucial member of the Indian side, amassing 860 runs in 22 matches at an average of 61.42.
- Virender Sehwag takes the sixth spot with 843 runs in 22 matches at an average of 38.31. He played several match-winning innings in the World Cup for India.
- Mohammed Azharuddin, who captained India for the first time in the 1992 World Cup, follows Sehwag with 826 runs in 25 innings at an average of 39.33.
- MS Dhoni, India’s 2011 World Cup-winning captain, holds the eighth position on this list. The wicketkeeper-batsman amassed 780 runs in 25 innings at an average of 43.33.
- Yuvraj Singh, the star player of the 2011 World Cup, follows MS Dhoni with 738 runs in 21 innings at an average of 52.71.
- Kapil Dev, India’s 1983 World Cup-winning captain, completes the list of the top 10 Indian run-scorers with 669 runs in 24 innings at an average of 37.16.
Top 10 wicket-takers for India in the World Cup
Now, let’s take a closer look at the top 10 wicket-takers for India in the World Cup:
- Zaheer Khan, who played a pivotal role with the ball in the 2011 World Cup, leads the charts with an impressive 44 wickets in 23 matches, boasting an average of 20.22.
- Javagal Srinath, one of India’s prominent fast bowlers, secures the second position on the list with 44 wickets in 33 innings, maintaining an average of 27.81.
- Mohammed Shami, anticipated to be one of India’s key fast bowlers in the current World Cup, holds the third spot with 31 wickets in 11 innings, showcasing an average of 15.70.
- Anil Kumble, who played a significant role in India’s World Cup squad until the 2007 World Cup, accumulated 31 wickets in 18 innings at an average of 22.83.
- Kapil Dev, the inspirational leader of the 1983 World Cup, secures the fifth position on this list with 28 wickets in 25 innings.
- Manoj Prabhakar was a part of the Indian squad from 1987 to 1996 World Cups and picked up 24 wickets in 18 innings at an average of 26.66.
- Madan Lal, another crucial member of the Indian side, took 22 wickets in 11 innings at an average of 19.36.
- Yuvraj Singh, who excelled as an all-rounder in the 2011 World Cup, claimed 20 wickets in 14 innings at an average of 23.10.
- Harbhajan Singh was part of the Indian squad from 2003 until the 2011 World Cup, amassing 20 wickets in 20 innings at an average of 40.40.
- Roger Binny, a key all-rounder for India in the 1980s, captured 19 wickets in 9 matches.
This comprehensive review highlights the exceptional contributions of Indian cricketers in previous World Cup editions, setting the stage for another exciting tournament in 2023.
