Cricket is one of the most loved sports in the world and in a country like India is more like a religion than a sport. It is an emotion, a celebration of sports. Cricket has now been divided into three formats as we call it.
The 5 day test match where two teams bat twice and decide who the winner is.
The 50 over format where both teams bat for a period of 50 overs on the same day and the winner gets decided and the newest yet the most popular format - T20 cricket where both teams battle it out for 20 overs each of intense batting, bowling and fielding.
Now, everyone has their own tastes and preferences. Some absolutely love test cricket because it's the real deal and rightly so too. Some love the classic version - the 50 over format and most love the T20 format which is fast, short, intense and very entertaining at the same time.
But…
No matter what format you choose, prefer or love, when it's time for the WORLD CUP and we mean THE 50 OVER WORLD CUP and not T20 World Cup ( with all due respect), things get pretty serious, pretty heated and intense. You may like whatever format of the game but when it's time for the CRICKET WORLD CUP after every 4 years, it's bigger than Diwali, Christmas, Eid or any celebration of any kind. There have been 12 World Cups in the 44 years so far. Let us look at which teams have won it and how many times have they done that.
1. Australia - 5 Times
Aussies have dominated this sport for a better part of two decades and also have the highest number of World Cup wins than their rival counterparts. They have won the 50 over world cup in 1987, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2015. They have been one of the top sides in the world in this game and continually do so even now.
2. India - 2 Times
Do we need to tell you the years or have the flashbacks started? The 1983 world cup win with Kapil Dev being handed the trophy in the Almighty Lords Stadium and that too to an underdog Indian side whom nobody had given any chance of winning a few matches let alone the World Cup as a whole. Or are you reminded of the Wankhede moment when Mahendra Singh Dhoni slams Nuwan Kulasekra over long-on for a 6 with Ravi Shastri’s commentary now echoing in your ears too? Yuvraj Singh was the man of the tournament in the 2011 edition of the world cup. There was a heartbreak in the 2019 World Cup Semi final but India still are one of the best sides in the game with plenty of raw talent at their disposal and should win a few back to back over the years. Hopefully Fingers crossed.
3. West Indies - 2 Times
There have been good teams and there have been bad teams. There have been dominant teams and well performing teams. But has there ever been a team like the West Indies in the 1970’s era?
Dominance would simply be an understatement!
Clive Llyod’s West Indies have been one of the scariest and dominant teams to have ever played the game and will continue to be so in the time to come. This West Indies team won back to back world cups with this dominant side. Had it not been for India causing a huge upset in the 1983 world cup, this team would have gone on to win even more world cups and trophies.
4. England - 1 Time.
Last over 15 runs? Ben Stokes? 2 sixes? 2 run outs? Super over? Lords Stadium?
The Craziest Final ever?
The last edition of the game was won by England at home and that too in the most dramatic fashion with no team knowing who will win till the last ball and the last breath.
Eoin Morgan’s side who certainly were the favourites leading upto the tournament finally did what no other English side ever could and they finally won the 50 over world cup.
5. Pakistan - 1 Time.
The 1992 Imran Khan led Pakistan was an amazing team and rightly were crowned the world champions. Though nobody had given them even the slightest chance but yes, they did and did it in some style. Having legends like Imran Khan, Wasim Akram, Javed Miandad, Inzamam-ul-haq etc helped them beat England in the Final by 22 runs and eventually become the world champions of the game.
6. Sri Lanka - 1 Time.
In 1996 Sri Lanka became the first host/ co-host team to have won the 50 over world cup. There was some controversy to their qualification also as two matches that were forfeited by visiting teams due to the bombings in Sri Lanka went in their favour and they walked straight into the quaterfinals. However taking nothing away from the Arjuna Ranatunga led side, they eventually went on to become the World Champions after beating Australia in the final where Aravinda de Silva scored an unbeaten 107 and backed it up with 3-42 with his bowling helping the co-hosts win the tournament. Sanath Jayasuriya was acclaimed the Man of the Series of the 1996 world cup.