Wisden’s 2023 World Cup debutants XI

The 2023 World Cup saw a lot of stellar performances from players appearing in an ODI World Cup for the first time. Ranging from teenagers to 36-year-olds, age was no bar for players turning up and performing in an ODI World Cup for the first time.

Here is Wisden’s World Cup debutants XI consisting entirely of players for whom the 2023 World Cup was their first.

Rachin Ravindra – New Zealand

578 runs @ 64.2, SR 106.4, 2 fifties, 3 hundreds
5 wickets @ 78.6, ER 5.98

Only 24, the southpaw had played a grand total of 12 ODIs before the World Cup, but ended up scoring nearly 600 runs and taking five wickets. He scored hundreds against England, Australia, and Pakistan, each at greater than a run a ball. The 2023 World Cup established him as a star for the future.

Travis Head – Australia

329 runs @ 54.8, SR 127.5, 1 fifty, 2 hundreds
2 wickets @ 50.5, ER 4.81

Playing in his first World Cup, Head had to miss out on the first five matches as he was recovering from a fractured hand. Australia’s patience with him paid off immediately when he scored a 67-ball 109 on comeback, before following it up with Player of the Match performances in the semi-final and final.

Shreyas Iyer – India

530 runs @ 66.2, SR 113.2, 3 fifties, 2 hundreds

Having established himself as a middle-order certainty in the India ODI XI after the 2019 World Cup, Iyer started the World Cup quietly but came into his own in the latter half. Starting with the match against Sri Lanka, Iyer scored 75-plus in four consecutive games including a blistering 70-ball 105 against New Zealand in the semi-final. He ended the tournament with 530 runs, the third-highest among Indians.

Daryl Mitchell – New Zealand

552 runs @ 69, SR 111.1, 2 fifties, 2 hundreds

The 32-year-old late bloomer who has been one of the most consistent batters across formats in the last few years, had a stellar maiden World Cup campaign, holding New Zealand’s middle order together. Both his hundreds came against India, with the second of those threatening to take the semi-final away from the hosts in a massive run-chase. He finished as the fifth-highest run scorer in the tournament.

Mohammad Rizwan – Pakistan

395 runs @ 65.8, SR 95.4, 1 fifty, 1 hundred

The Pakistan wicketkeeper was appearing in his first ODI World Cup. Batting at No.4, Rizwan was consistent as ever, going past 30 in seven out of the eight innings he batted. His best knock came against Sri Lanka, an unbeaten 131 off 121 balls that took Pakistan to the highest successful run-chase in World Cups.

Heinrich Klaasen – South Africa

373 runs @ 41.4, SR 133.2, 1 fifty, 1 hundred

Featuring in an ODI World Cup for the first time, Klaasen came with a dangerous reputation, having scored more than 500 runs at a strike rate greater than 150 in ODIs this year. He lived up to it, scoring nearly 400 runs at a strike rate of over 130 while batting at No.5. His finest outing came against England, where he battled the Mumbai heat to score 109 off 67 balls.

Azmatullah Omarzai – Afghanistan

353 runs @ 70.6, SR 97.8, 3 fifties
7 wickets @ 38.6, ER 7.11

Only 23, the Afghan seam-bowling all-rounder had a breakthrough World Cup. He was often promoted up the order to provide momentum to the innings, which he successfully did on numerous occasions. With the ball, he was expensive, but picked regular wickets. The new-ball spell against Australia in Mumbai and the 97 not out against South Africa in Ahmedabad are two performances that won’t be forgotten soon.

Marco Jansen – South Africa

157 runs @ 31.4, SR 110.6, 1 fifty
17 wickets @ 26.5, ER 6.51

The left-arm seamer has been around in the international circuit for the last couple of years now. South Africa gambled with him at the No.7 spot with not much lower order batting backup available and he delivered with both bat and ball in his debut World Cup. He took the new ball for South Africa, and despite being wayward at times, provided early breakthroughs. His regular cameos with the bat went a long way in providing reassurance to the South African batting order as well.

Gerald Coetzee – South Africa

20 wickets @ 19.8, ER 6.24

Another young South African fast bowler had a memorable debut World Cup. In the squad only because of the absence of Anrich Nortje, 23-year-old Coetzee stepped up for his team, bowling 150kph-plus rockets regularly. He ended the tournament with a spell to remember in the semi-final, bowling his heart out for eight overs on the trot to keep South Africa in the game till the very end. His 20 wickets are the most by a South African in a single World Cup edition.

Keshav Maharaj – South Africa

15 wickets @ 24.7, ER 4.16

Another South African bowler, albeit this time a much more experienced one. Only 13 wickets away from being the leading wicket-taker in Test cricket among South African spinners of all time, Maharaj played – and excelled – in his first ever ODI World Cup. He took 15 wickets, but more importantly, he conceded just 4.16 per over. Only Jasprit Bumrah bowled more overs than him at a better economy rate in the World Cup.

Dilshan Madushanka – Sri Lanka

21 wickets @ 25, ER 6.70

The 23-year-old left-arm seamer from Sri Lanka had a memorable outing in an otherwise forgettable World Cup for the island nation. Playing in his first World Cup, Madushanka finished as the third-highest wicket taker in the tournament.