Indian Players with Ordinary World Cup Records: The 2023 World Cup in India is already generating a lot of buzz. All the teams are fine-tuning their squads to take a shot at glory. India, the home team will start as one of the favourites. They have been one of the most consistent sides in the World Cup. Their track record especially in the last 3 World Cups has been very impressive.
Most of their players have dominated the batting and bowling charts. These players boast of outstanding numbers. But there have been a few Indian legends who have had underwhelming records in ODI World Cups.
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We look at Indian Players with Ordinary World Cup Records:
#3 Harbhajan Singh
The turbanator was a match-winner for the country during his heydays. Harbhajan Singh played over 236 ODIs picking 269 wickets at an average of 33.35. His strike rate of 46.3 was par for the course. Singh picked up 2 four-wicket hauls and 3 five-wicket hauls. But Harbhajan was far from effective in the ODI World Cups across 3 editions. He had to contend for a spot with Anil Kumble in the 2003 edition while he was India’s first-choice spinner in 2011.
Singh picked just 20 wickets in 21 World Cup games at an average of 40.40. His strike rate of 57.7 was on the higher side. He didn’t pick up a single 4-fer or a 5-fer in all three editions.
#2 Virender Sehwag
The Nawab of Najafgarh, Virender Sehwag, was an absolute beast in Test cricket. He remains one of the finest Indian Test openers of all time. But his numbers in the ODI format weren’t that flattering. A lot was expected from him in the 2003 World Cup but he failed to score even a single century. Sehwag scored a hundred against Bermuda in the 2007 World Cup but India exited in the first round itself.
He did start the 2011 World Cup on a strong note smashing 175 against Bangladesh. The 2011 edition was his best edition. His semifinal blitz against Pakistan remains one of his best World Cup knocks. Sehwag scored a total of 843 runs in 22 games at an average of 38.31. His strike rate of 106.17 though remains Sehwagesque.
#1 Virat Kohli
There is little doubt in anyone’s mind that he is amongst the top ODI players of all time. Virat Kohli has insane numbers in ODI cricket. He has most of the ODI records to his name. In his 15-year career, Kohli has smashed 12,898 runs in 275 games at an average of 57.32. His strike rate of 93.62 is top-notch. But his records in World Cups pale in comparison to his overall numbers. He started his World Cup career with a brilliant ton on debut.
Kohli’s other significant contribution came in the 2011 World Cup finals wherein he steadied India’s ship after a wobbly start. He also started the 2015 World Cup with a century against Pakistan but his form tapered off afterwards. Kohli scored over 400 runs in the 2019 edition but it was Rohit Sharma who dominated the proceedings. In 26 World Cup games, Kohli has scored 1,030 runs at an average of 46.81 which is 11 points lower than his career average. His strike (86.70) in World Cups is 7 points less than his overall numbers.
