Australia has claimed the Cricket World Cup winner five times, the most of any team. India and the West Indies have each won twice, while Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and England have secured the trophy once each.

History of the Cricket World Cup

The first Men’s Cricket World Cup was held in 1975, with a new tournament every four years. Initially, the matches were 60 overs per side, but in 1987, the format switched to 50 overs per team, a rule that remains in place today.

Australia has the most World Cup wins, with titles in 1987, 1999, 2003, 2007, and 2015. The West Indies dominated the early years, winning in 1975 and 1979. India captured the cup in 1983 and 2011. Other winners include Pakistan in 1992, Sri Lanka in 1996, and England in 2019.

Summary of Cricket World Cup winners since 1975

World Cup	Champion Team & Captain	Runners Up & Captain
1975	West Indies (Clive Lloyd)	Australia (Ian Chappell)
1979	West Indies (Clive Lloyd)	England (Mike Brearley)
1983	India (Kapil Dev)	West Indies (Clive Lloyd)
1987	Australia (Allan Border)	England (Mike Gatting)
1992	Pakistan (Imran Khan)	England (Graham Gooch)
1996	Sri Lanka (Arjuna Ranatunga)	Australia (Mark Taylor)
1999	Australia (Steve Waugh)	Pakistan (Wasim Akram)
2003	Australia (Ricky Ponting)	India (Sourav Ganguly)
2007	Australia (Ricky Ponting)	Sri Lanka (Mahela Jayawardene)
2011	India (MS Dhoni)	Sri Lanka (Kumar Sangakkara)
2015	Australia (Michael Clarke)	New Zealand (Brendon McCullum)
2019	England (Eoin Morgan)	New Zealand (Kane Williamson)

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1975: First World Cup (Host: England)

The inaugural Cricket World Cup was held in England, featuring eight teams. The West Indies, led by Clive Lloyd, won the tournament. They went unbeaten in the group stage and defeated New Zealand in the semi-finals. In the final, they scored 291/8 and bowled out Australia for 274 to become the first-ever champions. Lloyd scored a match-winning 102 in the final.

Winner: West Indies
Player of the Final: Clive Lloyd

1979: Second World Cup (Host: England)

The West Indies defended their title, winning the 1979 World Cup. They topped their group and overcame Pakistan in the semi-finals. In the final against England, West Indies scored 286/9 and bowled England out for 194 to win their second consecutive title. Viv Richards shined with an unbeaten 138 in the final.

Winner: West Indies
Player of the Final: Viv Richards

Summary of Cricket World Cup Records

World Cup	Player of the Tournament	Most Runs	Most Wickets
1975	Not Awarded	NZ: G Turner (333)	AUS: G Gilmour (11)
1979	Not Awarded	WI: G Greenidge (253)	ENG: M Hendrick (10)
1983	Not Awarded	ENG: D Gower (384)	IND: R Binny (18)
1987	Not Awarded	ENG: G Gooch (471)	AUS: C McDermott (18)
1992	NZ: M Crowe	NZ: M Crowe (456)	PAK: W Akram (18)
1996	SL: S Jayasuriya	IND: S Tendulkar (523)	IND: A Kumble (15)
1999	SA: L Klusener	IND: R Dravid (461)	NZ: G Allott & AUS: S Warne (20)
2003	IND: S Tendulkar	IND: S Tendulkar (673)	SL: C Vaas (23)
2007	AUS: G McGrath	AUS: M Hayden (659)	AUS: G McGrath (26)
2011	IND: Y Singh	SL: T Dilshan (500)	PAK: S Afridi & IND: Z Khan (21)
2015	AUS: M Starc	NZ: M Guptill (547)	AUS: M Starc (22)
2019	NZ: K Williamson	IND: R Sharma (648)	AUS: M Starc (27)

1983: India’s First World Cup Victory (Host: England)

India surprised the cricketing world by winning the 1983 World Cup. After defeating the West Indies in the group stage, India beat England in the semi-finals. In the final, India set a modest target of 183, but their bowlers delivered a stunning performance, bowling out the West Indies for 140, securing a 43-run victory.

Winner: India
Player of the Final: Mohinder Amarnath

1987: Australia’s First Title (Hosts: India & Pakistan)

For the first time, the World Cup was hosted outside England. Australia claimed their first title by defeating England in a thrilling final, winning by just seven runs. David Boon’s 447 runs and Craig McDermott’s 18 wickets were key in their success.

Winner: Australia
Player of the Final: David Boon

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Most Runs In Cricket World Cup

Player	Runs	Average	Strike Rate	Best
Sachin Tendulkar (India, 1992-2011)	2278	56.95	88.9	152
Ricky Ponting (Australia, 1996-2011)	1743	45.86	79.9	140*
Kumar Sangakkara (Sri Lanka, 2003-2015)	1532	56.74	86.5	124
Brian Lara (West Indies, 1992-2007)	1225	42.24	86.2	116
AB de Villiers (South Africa, 2007-2015)	1205	63.52	117.2	162*

1992: Pakistan’s Only World Cup Win (Hosts: Australia & New Zealand)

Pakistan, led by Imran Khan, won their only World Cup in 1992. After a shaky start, they made a strong comeback and defeated New Zealand in the semi-finals. In the final, Pakistan scored 249 and bowled out England for 227, winning by 22 runs.

Winner: Pakistan
Player of the Final: Wasim Akram

1996: Sri Lanka’s First Title (Hosts: India, Pakistan & Sri Lanka)

Sri Lanka won their first and only World Cup in 1996. After defeating England in the quarter-finals, they reached the final by default after the semi-final against India was stopped due to crowd disturbances. In the final, Sri Lanka chased down Australia’s target of 241 with seven wickets in hand.

Winner: Sri Lanka
Player of the Final: Aravinda de Silva

1999: Australia’s Second Title (Host: England)

Australia won their second World Cup in 1999. After a tied semi-final against South Africa, Australia advanced to the final, where they bowled out Pakistan for just 132 and chased the target comfortably. Shane Warne’s 4/33 in the final was crucial.

Winner: Australia
Player of the Final: Shane Warne

2003: Australia’s Dominance Continues (Hosts: South Africa, Zimbabwe & Kenya)

Australia won their third title, going unbeaten throughout the 2003 tournament. In the final, Ricky Ponting led Australia to a massive 359/2, which proved too much for India, who were bowled out for 234.

Winner: Australia
Player of the Final: Ricky Ponting

2007: Australia’s Hat-Trick (Host: West Indies)

Australia completed a hat-trick of World Cup titles in 2007, defeating Sri Lanka in the final. Adam Gilchrist’s 149 off 104 balls in the final was the standout performance. Glenn McGrath finished the tournament as the leading wicket-taker with 26 wickets.

Winner: Australia
Player of the Final: Adam Gilchrist

Most Wicket In Cricket World Cups

Player	Wickets	Average	Strike Rate	Best Figures
Glenn McGrath (Australia, 1996-2007)	71	18.19	27.53	7/15
Muttiah Muralidaran (Sri Lanka, 1996-2011)	68	19.63	30.3	4/19
Lasith Malinga (Sri Lanka, 2007-2019)	56	22.87	24.89	6/38
Wasim Akram (Pakistan, 1987-2003)	55	23.83	35.4	5/28
Mitchell Starc (Australia, 2015-Present)	49	14.81	19.12	6/28

2011: India’s Second World Cup (Hosts: India, Sri Lanka & Bangladesh)

India won their second World Cup in 2011 under MS Dhoni’s captaincy. After defeating Australia in the quarter-finals and Pakistan in the semi-finals, India chased down Sri Lanka’s target of 274 to win the final. Dhoni’s unbeaten 91 in the final earned him the Player of the Match award.

Winner: India
Player of the Final: MS Dhoni

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