India in ODI World Cup is a legacy, and it is a long legacy. From ‘underdogs of cricket’ to ‘powerhouse of cricket’, India has transformed throughout these years.
Right from the start, India has been participating in the ODI World Cups. This process began in 1975, and a lot of time has flown under the bridge since then.
They have produced new heroes, new players and would also see themselves getting crowned as champions in 1983 and 2011.
Get the summary of how India has fared in different editions of the ODI World Cup over the years.
India in ODI World Cup | Underdogs to Powerhouse
Since 1975, 12 editions of ODI World Cups have taken place. India won the trophy in 1983 and would then go on to repeat the same feat in 2011.
With the ICC World Cup 2023 in India, the question is… can India repeat the heroics of 2011?
Take a look at India’s campaign in different editions starting from 1975.
India in ODI World Cup | 1975
In the Prudential World Cup, India played three matches and went on to lose two. This meant they were knocked out of the tournament very early.
The team was led by S Venkatraghvan and had stalwarts like Sunil Gavaskar and Madan Lal, but the team couldn’t acclimate to the fifty-over format quickly.
They opened their campaign against England, losing the match by 202 runs. In the next match, they beat East Africa by ten wickets only to lose their next match to New Zealand, which effectively ended their campaign.
India in 1979 ODI World Cup
Nothing much changed in a gap of four years. The format remained the same, with eight teams divided into two groups of four teams each.
- In this edition, India couldn’t even win a single match.
- They opened their campaign with a nine-wicket loss to West Indies.
- In the next match, New Zealand beat them by 8 wickets.
- In the final match, they lost to Sri Lanka, which was then known as a ‘minnow’ team.
Here, we have given Group B standings in which India was placed last.
1983 ODI World Cup Campaign of India
And finally, India’s moment arrived as they went on to beat West Indies in the final. The cricketing excellence of India in ODI World Cup history starts here.
- They opened their campaign against West Indies whom they beat by 34 runs. In the next match against Zimbabwe, India won by 5 wickets.
- They lost their next two games against Australia and West Indies, only to bounce back strong.
- They beat Zimbabwe and Australia to reach the semi-finals, where they beat England to seal a spot in the finals.
In the final, they beat West Indies by 43 runs to lift their maiden trophy.
India in 1987 ODI World Cup
Known as the Reliance World Cup, the tournament was being played in the subcontinent for the first time.
- India reached the semi-final but lost to England.
- In fact, India had lost the opener against Australia in Chennai, but went on to win every match in the tournament.
- Perhaps, they had peaked early because they couldn’t win the match which mattered the most.
The semi-final, where defending champions lost to England and were knocked out.
India in 1992 ODI World Cup
This was perhaps the most disastrous World Cup campaign for India since 1979.
- India played eight matches and went on to win just two, which came against Pakistan and Zimbabwe.
- Apart from this, they went on to lose games against Australia, New Zealand, West Indies and South Africa, failing to qualify for the last-four.
India in 1996 ODI World Cup
The ODI World Cup was back in India.
- India had played well in the tournament, winning three and losing two matches.
- However, they lost the semi-final against Sri Lanka after crowd trouble.
This was a historic low for Indian cricket and ensured that India were knocked out.
India in 1999 ODI World Cup
On English soil, India put up a decent show.
- They finished second in their group, winning three and losing a couple of matches.
- They gave their fans a perfect gift when they beat Pakistan in Manchester.
India in 2003 ODI World Cup
Four years later under Sourav Ganguly, India reached the final and lost to Australia by a heavy margin.
Nevertheless, they played some outstanding cricket after a slow start in the campaign.
Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar turned out to be the best batter of the tournament but couldn’t take his team to the trophy.
India in 2007 ODI World Cup
Four years later, India was knocked out of the World Cup in the very first round.
They played three matches, losing their first match against Bangladesh.
They bounced back with a huge win over Bermuda, but went on to lose against Sri Lanka in the next match, which meant curtains for them.
India in 2011 ODI World Cup
India in 2015 ODI World Cup
India once again played great cricket to reach the semi-final only to lose.
They beat the likes of Pakistan, South Africa to reach the last-four where they were comprehensively beaten by Australia at the iconic Sydney Cricket Grounds.
Indian in 2019 ODI World Cup
Under the leadership of Virat Kohli, India went on to make a statement, winning all group stage matches except the one against hosts England.
Nevertheless, they came back well to win against Sri lanka and Bangladesh.
Against New Zealand in the semi-final, which was played for two days, India lost the match by 18 runs to get knocked out of the World Cup.
Final Thoughts On India in ODI World Cup
As can be seen from the above statistics, barring the first two World Cup and the 1992 edition, the performance of India in ODI World Cup is commendable.
In 2011 and 1983, they went on to win the trophy. In 1987, 1996, 2015 and 2019, they reached the semi-finals. In 2003, they reached the final.
2007 is perhaps the lowest point since they had stalwarts in the team and yet were knocked out in the first round after losing to Bangladesh. Let’s wait and see what the 2023 world cup brings for India!
FAQ On India in ODI World Cup
India has won two World Cups.
.
They have won the 2011 and 1983 editions.
There is no definite answer to this. However, looking at sheer numbers, India has the largest fan base and perhaps is the most popular cricket team in the world.
