Afghanistan’s win against England at Delhi will feature towards the top of the list of all the upsets in the history of men’s ODI World Cup.
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*Ranked in ascending order
Bangladesh v South Africa, Providence 2007
A total of 251-8 should not have troubled South Africa too much. However, after Syed Rasel’s struck, the Bangladeshi spinners – Mohammad Rafique, Abdur Razzak, Shakib Al Hasan – took over. They shared six wickets as South Africa crashed to 184. It was Bangladesh’s second famous win of the edition, after…
Bangladesh v India, Port of Spain 2007
… they routed, and effectively knocked out, India in their tournament opener. The early blows came from Mashrafe Mortaza (4-38), Rafique and Razzak struck thrice each, and India were shot out for 191. The three Bangladeshi teenagers – Tamim Iqbal, Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib – then saw Bangladesh home.
India v West Indies, Old Trafford 1983
India, having beaten only East Africa across the 1975 and 1979 editions, were up against the West Indies, who were yet to lose at the World Cup. India won by 34 runs, but that was because the West Indian last pair put up 71. Later that month, India – to the surprise of many – lifted the trophy.
Bangladesh v England, Chattogram 2011
England’s six league matches at the 2011 World Cup were arguably the tightest contests of this edition. Here, chasing 226, Bangladesh were cruising at 155-3 before a sudden collapse reduced them to 169-8. Mahmudullah, still not four years into ODIs, sealed a remarkable win with No. 10 batter Shafiul Islam.
Sri Lanka v India, Old Trafford 1979
True, India had not won a World Cup match, or had not even hosted an ODI until that point. But they, unlike Sri Lanka, were a bonafide Full Member. In this peculiar ‘ODI’ that had both a rest day and a reserve day, Sri Lanka made 238-5 before Somachandra de Silva (3-29) spun out India for 191 with his leg breaks.
Zimbabwe v England, Albury 1992
Zimbabwe came into this match off the back of 18 consecutive defeats. Here, too, they made only 134 against a side that had already qualified for the semi-finals. Yet, in their first encounter with Eddo Brandes, cricket’s most famous chicken farmer, England collapsed to 125. Brandes played only thrice more against England, but the four ODIs fetched him 11 wickets at under 10 apiece including a hat-trick.
Kenya v Sri Lanka, Nairobi 2003
Kenya were aided by numerous factors at the 2003 World Cup – South Africa had a brain-fade and New Zealand gave away a walkover – but they also beat, among other teams, three ICC Full members. Here, Collins Obuya (5-24) spun them to a 53-run win that was instrumental in their famous semi-final qualification. Twenty years after the fairytale win, Obuya still plays international cricket.
Bangladesh v Pakistan, Northampton 1999
The win that was almost certainly paved the path for Bangladesh to become a Full Member in a year’s time. After making 27 to take his side to 223-9, Khaled Mahmud (ODI batting average 14, bowling average 43) rocked Pakistan with 3-31. Three Pakistanis were run out, and they collapsed to 161.
Ireland v England, Bengaluru 2011
Not just a win, but a tournament record chase, aided by the fastest World Cup hundred (both records were broken in 2023). England’s 327-8 looked massive once they had Ireland at 111-5, but Kevin O’Brien decided that this was his day, smashing a 63-ball 113. But then, this a 2011 league match featuring England, so anything was possible…
Ireland v Pakistan, Kingston 2007
Four years before Bengaluru there was Kingston, when Ireland knocked Pakistan out of the World Cup. Of the six Irish bowlers, all of whom claimed at least a wicket, Boyd Rankin had 3-32, but Andre Botha’s 8-4-5-2 was just as significant. The adjusted target was only 128, but things looked difficult when Niall O’Brien – Kevin’s elder brother – walked out at 15-2. His unbeaten 72 was the only score above 16 in the innings, and only above 30 in the match.
Afghanistan v England, Delhi 2023
Over the years, Afghanistan have come leaps and bounds in T20Is, while their some of their cricketers, led by Rashid Khan, were big names in franchise cricket. But they had some distance to cover in ODIs, especially at the World Cup, where they had won one match across two editions. Rahmanullah Gurbaz’s 57-ball 80 allowed them to reach a position they could avert a subsequent collapse with patient batting. Once they made 284, England crashed to 215 against their spinners, who took 8-104.
Kenya v West Indies, Pune 1996
The West Indies were still one of the best sides in the world in 1996. Always graceful, when they met the Kenyans, they invited them to a post-match dinner. It seemed a formality after Kenya folded for 166, but then came Rajab Ali (3-17), then Maurice Odumbe (3-15), and the West Indians were shot out for 93. “Lara is shamed by a 15-stone shopkeeper [Tariq Iqbal], a dentist [Dipak Chudasama] and a tennis player [Aasif Karim],” ran the headline in the Daily Mirror of Nairobi. The dinner went ahead.
Zimbabwe v Australia, Trent Bridge 1983
At least Kenya had played some World Cup cricket before stunning the West Indies. The Zimbabweans had problems even showing up. Their players organised raffles and ran yard sales things to raise money. Some worked as bouncers in casinos. And now, they were up against Australia – without Greg Chappell, true, but with Allan Border, Rod Marsh, Dennis Lillee, and Jeff Thomson.
Australian captain Kim Hughes was perhaps complacent (“We’ll find out what they’re like when we get out there on the park”). When they reached ‘the park’, Australia could neither dismiss nor last against Duncan Fletcher, Hughes’s Zimbabwean counterpart. If his 69 not out lifted Zimbabwe from 94-5 to 239-6, his 4-42 reduced them to 133-4. They eventually made 226-7.
