Australia won the Cricket World Cup 2023 in Ahmedabad by six wickets on Sunday. In the final in Ahmedabad on Sunday, Travis Head starred with a 137 off 120 deliveries, leading Australia to a convincing six-wicket victory. In a men’s World Cup final, Head became the third Australian to score a century. At the 13th edition of the tournament, let’s look at the tops and flops.
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Tops in Cricket World Cup 2023
Afghanistan
A stunning win over defending champions England kicked off the Afghans’ stellar performances.
Rashid Khan took three wickets as Afghanistan bowled out England for 215 in the first major upset of the tournament.
In a display that triggered wild celebrations, they maintained their giant-killing act by hammering Pakistan by eight wickets.
As a result of their four victories, including against Sri Lanka and the Netherlands, Coach Jonathan Trott predicted the team would have a “bright future.”
Glenn Maxwell
A match-winning 106 by Maxwell against the Netherlands in New Delhi was the fastest century in the tournament.
After overcoming cramp and back spasms, Maxwell then scored an unbeaten 201 against Afghanistan in Mumbai to lift Australia from 91-7 to victory.
With 21 fours and 10 sixes in his 128-ball blitz, Maxwell destroyed the Afghan bowling attack.
Cummins called Maxwell’s knock the “greatest ODI innings” and a “freak show.” in a 202-run stand with him.
Virat Kohli
ODI great Virat Kohli recorded his 50th century to surpass compatriot Sachin Tendulkar’s 49 tons to become one of the modern-day greats.
At Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium, Tendulkar’s home ground, he achieved the feat during India’s semi-final against New Zealand.
In 11 matches, Kohli, 35, scored 765 runs including three hundreds to finish as the tournament’s top batsman.
Mohammed Shami also contributed to the team’s success by bowling fast. After sitting out the first four games, he returned with 24 wickets, including a 7-57 in the semi-final.
Flops in Cricket World Cup 2023
Pakistan
After winning the opening two games, Babar Azam’s team ran into a wall under right security that Mickey Arthur referred to as “stifling”.
Their losses to India and Australia hit them hard, but it was their loss to Afghanistan that hurt them as speedster Shaheen Shah Afridi looked out of sorts with 58 runs and one wicket from his 10 overs.
South Africa defeated them by one wicket in a heartbreaking one-wicket defeat, a defeat Azam believes ruined their chances of reaching the semi-finals.
Azam resigned as captain after Fakhar Zaman’s match-winning 126 not out against New Zealand led the 1992 champions to a poor finish.
Buttler and England
With just one win in the first seven games, Jos Buttler’s team failed to defend their title in the tournament.
As a batsman, Buttler did not inspire, scoring just 138 runs in nine matches.
When Buttler led the team to their maiden T20 World Cup victory in 2021, he scored 269 in six matches.
Spirit of cricket
In an ill-tempered match against Bangladesh, Sri Lanka batsman Angelo Mathews became the first batsman to be timed out in 146 years of international cricket.
When Mathews failed to take strike within the two-minute time limit, Bangladesh skipper Shakib Al Hasan appealed the decision.
After Mathews branded Shakib “disgraceful,” the cricket world was divided and the “spirit of cricket” debate flared up again.
Gautam Gambhir, an ex-India batsman, called the action “absolutely pathetic”.
Rahul Dravid, India’s coach, said “we won’t do it” but “you can debate both sides”.