Cricket is one of the oldest sports, and it is now the second-most followed sport on the planet. The biggest cricket tournament to take place in this game is the ICC Cricket World Cup, which is being played once every four years. The very first edition took place in 1975.
So far, there have been 13 editions being played, and Australia are the most successful team with six titles. The ICC World Cup is just a tournament but a national pride, and winning it indicates the dominance and strengths of one country in the world. In this article, we will talk about the list of ICC Cricket World Cup from the very first season to the latest.
List of ICC World Cup Winners list (1975 To 2023)
| Edition | Champion | Captain | Runner Up |
| 2023 | Australia | Pat Cummins | India |
| 2019 | England | Eoin Morgan | New Zealand |
| 2015 | Australia | Michael Clarke | New Zealand |
| 2011 | India | MS Dhoni | Sri Lanka |
| 2007 | Australia | Ricky Ponting | Sri Lanka |
| 2003 | Australia | Ricky Ponting | India |
| 1999 | Australia | Steve Waugh | Pakistan |
| 1996 | Sri Lanka | Arjuna Ranatunga | Australia |
| 1992 | Pakistan | Imran Khan | England |
| 1987 | Australia | Allan Border | England |
| 1983 | India | Kapil Dev | West Indies |
| 1979 | West Indies | Clive Llyod | England |
| 1975 | West Indies | Clive Llyod | Australia |
1. 1975 – West Indies
The first edition of the ICC World Cup took place in England in 1975. A total of 8 teams participated in the tournament, and the Clive Llyod-led West Indies won the first edition. The Caribbean team were undefeated in the tournament. They beat New Zealand in the semi-final, and in the final, they beat Australia by 17 runs to lift the maiden ICC World Cup title.
Well, what can I say on this..
— Sir Vivian Richards (@ivivianrichards) June 23, 2020
It was amazing World Cup campaign and very proud to have contributed well this time towards the title. The feeling was surreal to be back to back World Champions. Some team this @windiescricket was! #OnThisDay pic.twitter.com/xaIxjeOXIZ
2. 1979 – West Indies
West Indies were so dominant between the 1970s and 1980s that they went on to defend the title in the second edition as well. It was once again held in England with 8 participants. Under Clive Llyod, West Indies won the title without losing a game. They beat Pakistan in the semi-final. In the final, West Indies met England and won by 92 runs to win the second title.
3. 1983 – India
West Indies once again were favorites to win the third title, but they suffered a defeat from a team which was an underdog. Team India under Kapil Dev stunned everyone in the tournament and won the title. India won only one game in the first two editions. This tournament was played in England and Wales. A number of players contributed for India and Kapil Dev’s 175 in a do-or-die game against Zimbabwe from 5/17. India met West Indies in the final and got all out for 183, but they restricted a strong West Indian side to 140 and made history.
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4. 1987 – Australia
The fourth edition took place in India and Pakistan, with 8 points. This was the first time an ODI match was reduced 60 to 50 overs. India and Pakistan were favorites to win at home, but Allan Border led Australia to their maiden title. Australia lost only one game in the group stage. They beat Pakistan in the semi-final and won the final against England by seven runs. This win opened floodgates for Australia, and they didn’t stop after that.
5. 1992 – Pakistan
The 1992 ICC World Cup was hosted by Australia and New Zealand with nine teams. Imran Khan led Pakistan to glory, and they became the second Asian team to win the ICC World Cup. Pakistan were lucky to qualify for the semifinal after one of their games was washed out and they got one point. Because there was only one point difference between Pakistan and Australia. Pakistan faced New Zealand in the semifinal and won by four wickets. In the final, they beat England by 22 runs at MCG to lift the title.
6. 1996 – Sri Lanka
The sixth edition saw another Asian country win the title. Sri Lanka, under Arjuna Ranatunga, went on to win their maiden ICC World Cup. This tournament was played in the subcontinent with 12 participants. Sri Lanka finished the group at the top and beat England in the quarterfinal. In the semi-final, Sri Lanka beat India when the outrage broke at Eden Gardens, and Sri Lanka won by default. In the final, Sri Lanka beat by 7 wickets at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore, to win the title.
7. 1999 – Australia
The seventh ICC World Cup saw the golden period for Australia to start. This tournament was played in England and Wales with 12 teams. Australia under Steve Waugh performed consistently and qualified to the Super Six. They finished the Super 6 round in second place. Australia faced South Africa in the semifinal, and it was a historic game. The match ended in a tie, and Australia qualified to the final because of their betting ranking in the Super 6. In the final, Australia thrashed Pakistan by 8 wickets to lift their second title.
8. 2003 – Australia
Australia became the second team to defend their title in 2003. This tournament was held in South Africa, Kenya, and Zimbabwe. Australia finished the tournament without losing a game. They faced Sri Lanka in the semi-final and won. In the final, Australia thrashed India by 91 runs to win the title. It was the first ICC title for Ricky Ponting as captain. Sachin Tendulkar won the Player of the Tournament award with the most runs (673).
9. 2007 – Australia
Australia are the only team to win the ICC World Cup three times in a row. After winning the 2003 edition, Ricky Ponting led Australia to win the 2007, which was hosted in West Indies. Once again, Australia finished the tournament undefeated. In the semi-final, they beat South Africa and met Sri Lanka in the final. Australia won the final by 53 runs to lift their fourth title.
See Also:- T20 World Cup Winner Captain List 2007 to 2024
10. 2011 – India
The 2011 edition was the tournament that ended India’s 28-year-old wait to win the ICC World Cup. It was hosted in the subcontinent, and India were favorites, and they played like one. MS Dhoni led the team well, and there were a number of good performances from the players. India beat Australia in the quarterfinal and knocked them out. In the semi-final, India beat archrival Pakistan to qualify for the final. The final took place at Wankhede Stadium and was finished with MS Dhoni’s iconic six to take India to the World Cup title. Yuvraj Singh was named Player of the Tournament for his all-round performance.
11. 2015 – Australia
The 2015 edition was played in Australia and New Zealand, and both hosts made it to the final. A total of 14 teams participated in the tournament, and Australia under Michael Clarke went on to win the title. Australia beat Pakistan and India in the quarterfinal and semifinal. In the final, Australia beat New Zealand by seven wickets to win the title. Mitchell Starc, who took 22 wickets, won the Player of the Tournament award.
12. 2019 – England
The 2019 edition took place in England and Wales with ten participating teams. That was the first time that England, who invented this game, became the ODI World Cup champions. This win came under Eoin Morgan. England beat Australia in the semifinal and faced New Zealand in the final. The final ended in a tie, and both teams played Super Over. Interestingly, the Super Over was also tied, and England were crowned champions because of the boundary count in the game. New Zealand were unlucky, but that was the rule, and England became the champions.
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13. 2023 – Australia
Since 1987, Australia have won an ICC World Cup in every decade, and they won their sixth title under Pat Cummins in 2023 in India. Australia started the tournament with two consecutive defeats against India and South Africa. But they beat these two teams in knockouts. Australia beat South Africa in the semis and thrashed India in the final in Ahmedabad. With this, Pat Cummins became the first bowler to lead a country to win the ICC World Cup title.
