Cricket World Cup Upsets: 1983 India to 2023 Afghanistan

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In the world of sports, there's something truly captivating about the underdog winning against all odds. It's the story of determination, resilience, and the sheer refusal to be underestimated.

The ODI World Cup has witnessed its fair share of underdog unpredictable victories that have left fans stunned.

From Afghanistan's stunning win over defending champions England to other memorable upsets, these moments are etched in the tournament's rich history.

Over the 48-year history of ICC World Cups, many teams have sent shock waves across the world by defeating the big cricketing giants and creating some of the most exciting memories of cricketing history.

When the underdogs Afghanistan defeated the defending champions England by 69 runs, they joined an elite list of unlikely heroes who gave their country a moment of pride by overcoming the hardest of obstacles and securing a win over a big country team.

From Kevin O Brian’s heroics against England in the 2011 World Cup, to the ultimate underdogs, India, getting the best of mighty West Indies at the 1983 World Cup.

In this following article, we will take a look at a few top shocking upsets pulled in the World Cup which changed the cricketing world drastically.

1. India vs West Indies (1983)

In one of the most stunning upsets in the history of the World Cup, the Kapil Dev-led India floored two-time defending champions (1975, 1979) West Indies by 43 runs to win their maiden title at the iconic Lord's.

Defending a total of 183, India produced a splendid bowling show to bundle out the mighty West Indies for 140.

2. Zimbabwe vs Australia (1983)

The 1983 edition saw another upset when Zimbabwe surprised the cricketing world by upsetting Australia by 13 runs at Trent Bridge on their World Cup debut.

Duncan Fletcher made 69 not out to help his side post 239 for six from their 60 overs. He also claimed 4/42 as the Australian side boasting of Dennis Lillee, Jeff Thomson, and Allan Border were restricted to 226 for seven.

3. Kenya vs West Indies (1996)

During the 1996 World Cup in Pune, Kenya faced up against the West Indies. Following laborious innings by Steve Tikolo, Hitesh Modi, and Thomas Odoyo, Kenya was bowled out for 166 in 50 overs while batting first.

West Indies struggled to make runs, being bowled out for only 93 runs as a result of Rajab Ali and Maurice Odumbe both taking three wickets. Nine batsmen were bowled on single digits, demonstrating how ineffective the West Indies were in the chase.

4. Zimbabwe vs South Africa (1999)

During the 1999 World Cup, Zimbabwe pulled off a stunning victory over their rival African team, South Africa.

Zimbabwe scored 233/6 in their opening innings of play, with Neil Johnson scoring 76 points in 117 balls.

During the chase, South Africa was reduced to 40/6. Shaun Pollock and Lance Klusner scored half-centuries lower in the order, but South Africa was finally bowled out for 185, leading to one of the greatest upsets in ODI World Cup history.

5. Bangladesh vs Pakistan (1999)

Bangladesh shocked their Asian rival Pakistan by defeating them by 62 runs in Northampton on their first day of competition in the ICC Cricket World Cup.

Bangladesh batted first, they scored 223 runs thanks to innings of 42 runs from Akram Khan and 39 runs from opener Shahriar Hussain.

Pakistani spinner Saqlain Mushtaq also claimed five wickets for his team.

Khaled Mahmud’s three vital dismissals in the second inning destroyed the backbone of Pakistan’s batting and left them five down with only 42 runs remaining, which caused a huge collapse for Pakistan. They bundled at a total of 161 runs.

6. Bangladesh vs India (2007)

Bangladesh got the better of India by five wickets in the group-stage match at Port of Spain and the result eventually caused the team's early elimination.

Mashrafe Mortaza's 4/38 put India in a spot as they collapsed to a below-par 191 in 49.3 overs. Bangladesh chased down the target in 48.3 overs with five wickets intact.

7. Ireland vs England (2011)

Ireland produced a giant-killing act when a Kevin O'Brien-inspired team downed England, chasing down a mammoth 328 with three wickets intact at the M Chinnaswamy in Bangalore.

O'Brien smashed the World Cup's fastest hundred in 60 balls. He hit six sixes and 13 fours in his knock of 113 that came off just 63 balls.

8. Ireland vs West Indies (2015)

Ireland’s title of the giant killers was once again on display against West Indies in the 2015, World Cup in Australia.

At Nelson’s Saxton Oval, Ireland shocked the two-time world champions by defeating West Indies by four wickets.

West Indies batting first, scored 304 runs. Lendl Simmons and Darren Sammy each scored 102 and 89 runs, respectively, as Dockrell claimed three wickets to dismantle the Caribbean batsmen, who lost five wickets for a total of 87 runs.

Paul Sterling and Ed Joyce scored 92 and 84 runs, respectively, before losing their wickets, demonstrating the Irish top order’s tenacity in giving the team a solid start.

After that, Niall O’Brien led the batting with an unbroken 79 runs to give West Indies a shock with four wickets and 25 balls left to bat.