The 2023 World Cup comes to an end with tomorrow’s (November 19) final between India and Australia in Ahmedabad. Here are the contenders for the main contenders for the Player of the Tournament award.

Strong Contenders

Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli has had a dream tournament, scoring 711 runs at an average of 101.57 while striking at 90.68 with three centuries and five fifties to his name. Against New Zealand in the semi-final, he scored 117 (113) to notch up a record 50th ODI ton. Kohli surpassed Sachin Tendulkar’s record World Cup tally of 673 runs from 2003 and overall ODI hundreds (49) in the process.

Mohammed Shami

After warming the bench across India’s first four matches, an ankle injury to Hardik Pandya made way for Mohammed Shami in the squad. He hasn’t looked back since then, taking at least four wickets on as many occasions, including five-fors against New Zealand and Sri Lanka.

Shami’s career-best 7-57, also the best ODI bowling figures by an Indian, came in the semi-final against the Black Caps. With 23 wickets from six matches at an astonishing average of 9.13, Shami not only leads the wicket-taking chart but also has the most five-wicket hauls (four) in the tournament’s history.

Adam Zampa

Putting aside his lacklustre outings in defeats to India and South Africa, Adam Zampa has bounced back with three consecutive four-wicket hauls against Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Netherlands, followed by two three-fors against New Zealand and England. With 22 scalps from 10 matches at an average and an economy of 21.40 and 5.47, respectively, the wily spinner has played a big part in Australia’s turnaround to win eight games on the trot to enter the final.

Dark Horses

Rohit Sharma

Rohit Sharma has done what Brendon McCullum did for New Zealand in 2015, taking the opponents by the scruff of their neck from the word go with blazing batting displays. No other player in the top ten of the run-scorers charts has struck at Rohit’s rate – 124.15 while still averaging an impressive 55. Besides being an astute captain, he averted the new-ball threat from Tim Southee and Trent Boult in the semi-final with 47 off 29, laying a platform for India to post a match-winning 397-4.

David Warner 

David Warner has continued from he left off in 2019 and has been Australia’s highest run-aggregator in the tournament, piling on 528 runs at an average of 52.80 while striking at a rate of 107.53. Warner has become the joint-fastest to 1,000 runs in World Cup cricket, owing to his back-to-back 500-plus campaigns. Against Pakistan, the dashing southpaw got a respite early in his innings and racked up a Player of the Match knock of 163 off 124 balls.

Jasprit Bumrah

Teams have tried to negotiate the venom of Jasprit Bumrah by playing him out, and hence, the quick has the unrivalled economy rate of 3.98. Bumrah is still the fifth-highest wicket-taker in the tournament, with 18 scalps from 10 games at an average of 18.33. A ground-breaking performance in the final could see him topple Shami from the top spot.

Unlikely but in the fray

Rachin Ravindra 

Selected in the team only because of injuries to Kane Williamson and Michael Bracewell before the squad announcement, Rachin Ravindra has been a revelation for New Zealand, becoming their batting lynchpin at his maiden World Cup. Ravindra racked up 579 runs at an average of 64.22 and a strike rate of 106.44, with three hundreds and two fifties. His batting exploits have been instrumental in his team’s semi-final finish.

Quinton de Kock

Having never previously lit up a World Cup, de Kock has bowed out from the ODI format on a high, scoring 594 runs in the World Cup 2023 at an average of 59.40 while striking at 107.2. With four tons from seven games at one stage, de Kock was well on course to breach Rohit Sharma’s record of five centuries in a single World Cup in 2019 but faded away. Nevertheless, his successful tournament helped South Africa exceed expectations to finish with a semi-final finish.

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