The biggest cricket competition, the ODI World Cup, is set to take place from October 5, with previous edition finalists New Zealand and England facing each other in the tournament opener. Fans are eagerly waiting to witness the fierce battle between 10 teams in the premier 50-over tournament, which will be hosted across 10 different venues in India. Here are the ODI World Cup winners, West Indies (1975), India (1983,2011), Australia (1987,1999,2003,2007,2015), Pakistan (1992), and Sri Lanka (1996). We will be looking at these winners in detail below.
With India set to host the entire tournament for the first time, many have picked Rohit Sharma and Co. as favorites to lift their third title. However, the challenges posed by five-time champions Australia, defending champions England, Pakistan, and New Zealand cannot be taken lightly. Meanwhile, two-time champions West Indies will not be competing this time as they failed to qualify for the marquee event.
As the coming days are set to witness exciting action, let’s take a look at the ODI World Cup winners from each edition.
1975 – West Indies
Clive Lloyd-led West Indies became the first-ever ODI World Cup champions after beating Australia by 17 runs in the final at Lord’s. The Windies won all three group matches and defeated New Zealand in the semi-finals. It was captain Lloyd’s magnificent century that helped them to upset Australia in the summit clash.
1979 – West Indies
The golden period of West Indies continued as the Clive Lloyd-led side successfully defended their title with a win over England in the final at Lord’s. On the back of Viv Richards’ unbeaten 138, the Windies set the hosts a target of 287 to win. In reply, Joel Garner destroyed the English batting unit by taking five wickets and they were bowled out for 194 runs.
1983 – India
The then-mighty West Indies entered the final of the 1983 WC with the aim of lifting the coveted crown for the third time in a row. However, they were stunned by the then-minnows Team India, who won the final by 43 runs. Batting first, the team led by Kapil Dev managed to score only 183 runs. But Mohinder Amarnath and Madan Lal grabbed three wickets each to bowl out the opponents for 140.
1987 – Australia
With their first Cricket World Cup victory in 1987, beating England in the final, Australia announced their dominance for years to come. Batting first, Australia scored 253 runs on the back of David Boon’s 75 runs. England could only manage 246/8 in reply.
1992 – Pakistan
Pakistan won their maiden World Cup title by defeating England by 22 runs in the final. On the back of brilliant half-centuries from captain Imran Khan and Javed Miandad, Pakistan set a target of 250 runs. The English line-up looked good to chase, but Wasim Akram’s dismissal of Alan Lamb and Chris Lewis in successive balls changed the game.
1996 – Sri Lanka
For the fourth time in a row we had new world champions, this time it was Sri Lanka who comfortably beat Australia in the final. Chasing 242, the home team lost wickets of their openers early on, but Aravinda de Silva’s unbeaten 107 guided them to a seven-wicket victory with 3.4 overs to spare.
1999 – Australia
Australia beat Pakistan by eight wickets at Lord’s to join West Indies in the list of teams that have won the World Cup twice. Australia lost twice in the group stage, but the final was more one-sided as the Kangaroos chased down a paltry score of 133 with 179 balls to spare. It was the late Shane Warne’s four-wicket haul that demolished the Pakistan batting line-up.
2003 – Australia
Australia clinched their third World Cup title with a massive 125-run victory over India in South Africa. Captain Ricky Ponting’s 140 not-out helped them to post a total of 359/2 in the first innings. Virender Sehwag (82) and Rahul Dravid (47) tried to fight back but ultimately ended up at 234/10.
2007 – Australia
The Mighty Australians completed a hat-trick of World Cup victories. Adam Gilchrist’s 149 proved to be the match-winner for Australia as they beat Sri Lanka by 53 runs in a rain-affected final.
2011 – India
2011 ODI World Cup jerseys (Source: Twitter)
Under the leadership of MS Dhoni, India became the first country to win the ODI World Cup on home soil in 2011. India entered the final after defeating Australia in the quarter-finals and Pakistan in the semi-finals. Mahela Jayawardene’s unbeaten 103 helped the visitors post a total of 274/6. Crucial knocks by Gautam Gambhir and MS Dhoni sealed the second World Cup title for India with 10 balls to spare.
2015 – Australia
Australia beat New Zealand by seven wickets in the final at the MCG to clinch their fifth ODI World Cup title. The Black Caps were favourites to win the summit clash given their dominance in the group stage. However, they could only set a target of 184 runs in the final, which Australia comfortably chased down with 101 balls remaining.
2019 – England
England won their maiden World Cup title in the most dramatic fashion. After the two teams were tied in both 50 overs and a Super Over, England declared winners on the basis of more number of boundaries. New Zealand suffered heartbreaks in the back-to-back editions, while England won by the barest of margins.
ODI Cricket World Cup Winners Country Wise:
Below is the ODI Cricket World Cup Winners list from the year 1975, the year of the first World Cup to 2023
| Year | Host | Winner | Runner-up | Result |
| 1975 | England | West Indies | Australia | West Indies won by 17 runs |
| 1979 | England | West Indies | England | West Indies won by 92 runs |
| 1983 | England | India | West Indies | India won by 43 runs |
| 1987 | India and Pakistan | Australia | England | Australia won by 7 runs |
| 1992 | Australia and New Zealand | Pakistan | England | Pakistan won by 22 runs |
| 1996 | Pakistan and India | Sri Lanka | Australia | Sri Lanka won by 7 wickets |
| 1999 | England | Australia | Pakistan | Australia won by 8 wickets |
| 2003 | South Africa | Australia | India | Australia won by 125 runs |
| 2007 | West Indies | Australia | Sri Lanka | Australia won by 53 runs |
| 2011 | India and Bangladesh | India | Sri Lanka | India won by 6 wickets |
| 2015 | Australia and New Zealand | Australia | New Zealand | Australia won by 7 wickets |
| 2019 | England and Wales | England | New Zealand | The match tied after regular play and a super over; England won on a boundary count |
| 2023 | India | Australia | India | Australia won by 7 wickets |
Also Check : ODI World Cup Schedule 2023 -Cricket