The Cricket World Cup has a long history of giants stumbling against underdogs. “Biggest” is a matter of opinion, but these men’s ODI World Cup results are the ones that appear on nearly every list, starting with the most famous.
- India beat West Indies, 1983 final. On June 25 at Lord’s, India won by 43 runs to claim their first title. West Indies were two-time defending champions, and India had won only one match in the previous two tournaments. Many consider it the biggest upset ever.
- Kenya beat West Indies, 1996. Making their World Cup debut, Kenya posted just 166 and then bowled out a team featuring Brian Lara and Courtney Walsh for 93 in Pune, winning by 73 runs.
- Bangladesh beat Pakistan, 1999. In their first World Cup, Bangladesh beat an unbeaten Pakistan by 62 runs at Northampton, with Pakistan’s chase of 224 undone partly by three run-outs.
- Kenya beat Sri Lanka, 2003. Leg-spinner Collins Obuya took 5-24 as Kenya won by 53 runs in Nairobi, a result that helped launch their run to the semi-finals.
- Ireland beat Pakistan, 2007. On March 17 in Kingston, Ireland won by three wickets for their first-ever World Cup win. It knocked Pakistan out of the tournament.
- Bangladesh beat India, 2007. Bangladesh won by five wickets in Port of Spain, eliminating a star-studded India in the group stage.
- Ireland beat England, 2011. Chasing 328 in Bengaluru, Ireland won by three wickets thanks to Kevin O’Brien’s 50-ball century, then the fastest in World Cup history.
- Afghanistan beat England, 2023. Afghanistan beat the defending champions by 69 runs in Delhi.
- Netherlands beat South Africa, 2023. In a rain-affected match in Dharamsala, the Netherlands won by 38 runs.
These results show how much smaller teams have narrowed the gap, though the favorites usually still win the tournament. For another side of cricket’s talent pipeline, read our guide to the Ranji Trophy.
Sources: Al Jazeera, Wisden, Onmanorama, SportsBoom, Sport360.