Winners of the Man of the Match in the Cricket World Cup Final – Everything you need to know.
Who was adjudged the man of the match in the 2019 World Cup Final? Which players won the Man of the Match in each of the Cricket World Cup Finals?
As acclaimed American author Mark Twain once said,
“The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.”
– Mark Twain
This quote perfectly epitomizes the World Cup Final for cricketers. It is the pinnacle of achievement, the day many of them dreamed of as a kid.
If you help your team conquer the World Cup Final, your legacy is etched in stone forever and you finally find out what you were born to do.
Without further ado, here is everything you need to know about the player of the match award winners in each ODI Cricket World Cup.
Key Takeaways
Ben Stokes won the most recent player of the match award in the 2019 World Cup Final.
The distribution of the man of the match in WC Finals coincide with the World Cup winners: 5 from Australia and the rest as follows: West Indies, India (2), England, Pakistan, Sri Lanka (1).
7 player of the final winners had all-round contributions, two were bowlers, two keepers, and one (surprisingly, Ben Stokes) contributing only as a batter.
At a Glance: Man of the Match in the Cricket World Cup Final
Player
World Cup
Performance
Clive Lloyd
1975
102 (85) 1/38 1 Run-Out Captain
Sir Vivian Richards
1979
138 (157) 0/35 1 Catch
Mohinder Amarnath
1983
26 (80) 3/12
David Boon
1987
75 (125) 1 Run Out
Wasim Akram
1992
33 (18) & 3/49
Aravinda de Silva
1996
107*(124) 3/42 2 Catches
Shane Warne
1999
4/33
Ricky Ponting
2003
140*(121) Captain
Adam Gilchrist
2007
149(104) 2 Catches 1 Stumping
Mahendra Singh Dhoni
2011
91*(79) 1 Run-Out 1 Catch Captain
James Faulkner
2015
3/36
Ben Stokes
2019
84*(98)
List of Award Winners: Man of the Match in the Cricket World Cup Final
1. Sir Clive Lloyd (West Indies), 1975 Prudential World Cup Final
Performance: Century, Wicket, Run-Out, Captain
Result: West Indies defeat Australia by 17 runs
Runs: 102 (85)
Strike Rate: 120.00
4s/6s: 12/2
Wickets: 12-1-38-1
Economy: 3.16
Match Situation
Batting first, West Indies were in a precarious position at 50/3. In comes captain cool, Clive Lloyd, and stitches a 149-run partnership with Rohan Kanhai against the Australians. West Indies end at 291/8 after their 60 overs. Imagine, a 120-strike rate in 1975. That too in a World Cup Final.
Australia start out well in response. Standing at 115-2, the Chappell brothers look to carry Australia home before Lloyd-Richards run out captain Ian Chappell for 62. No worries, Australia are still in the game at 170-4 with Doug Walters at 35.
Not anymore. Walters bowled Lloyd, reads the scorecard the next ball. Australia fight it out till 274, but the match was lost much before that.
2. Sir Vivian Richards (West Indies), 1979 Prudential World Cup Final
Performance: Century, Economical Bowling, Catch
Result: West Indies defeat England by 92 runs
Runs: 138* (157)
Strike Rate: 87.89
4s/6s: 11/3
Wickets: 10-0-35-0
Economy: 3.50
Match Situation:
I will read you the scorecard of nine players for WI that day.20, 13, 9, 45, 4, 0,0, 0, 0*. Collis King scored 86 (66) & Viv Richards scored 138*(157).
Richards came to the crease when Greenidge departed. When he began, the score was 22/1. Then, be batted and batted and batted. In the end, West Indies had 286/9 in 60 overs.
Brearley-Boycott began slowly but steadily taking England to 129. Joel Garner, though, had other plans. His figures read 5/38 as England collapsed from 129/0 to 194/10.
A classic from Vivian Richards. A sign for more to come in the next decade.
3. Mohinder Amarnath (India), 1983 Prudential World Cup Final
Performance: 3 Wickets, Runs on the Board
Result: India defeat West Indies by 43 Runs
Runs: 26 (80)
Strike Rate: 32.50
4s/6s: 3/0
Wickets: 7-0-12-3
Economy: 1.71
Match Situation:
When you think of Mohinder Amarnath, you think of his batting exploits and Test centuries. Not in the 1983 final.
With Dujon & Marshall in a 43-run partnership, there was still outside hope for the West Indies. They had recovered from 76/6. Then Amarnath took the wickets of Dujon, Marshall, and Holding to wrap up a famous victory for Team India.
Earlier, he was India’s third highest scorer with 26 runs, surviving the early spells of the West Indian fast bowlers.
4. David Boon (Australia), 1987 Reliance World Cup Final
Performance: 75 (125), Run-Out
Result: Australia defeat England by 7 Runs
Runs: 75 (125)
Strike Rate: 60.00
4s/6s: 7/0
Match Situation:
One of the closest World Cup Finals. While it was Mike Veletta’s 45*(31) that propelled Australia to 253, it was David Boon’s steady 75 that provided Australia with the base.
England had contributions from Gooch, Bill Athey, Mike Gatting, Allan Lamb that drew them close , but the lower order couldn’t push through.
5. Wasim Akram (Pakistan), 1992 Benson & Hedges World Cup Final
Performance: 33 (18) & 3/49
Result: Pakistan defeat England by 22 runs
Runs: 33 (18)
Strike Rate: 183.33
4s/6s: 4/0
Wickets: 10-0-49-3
Economy: 4.90
Match Situation:
A true all-round performance by Wasim Akram. Wasim came it at #6 with Pakistan at 197/4 in 43.3 overs. Imran Khan had departed for 72, but Wasim provided Inzamam support with a quick 33 (18) to take Pakistan to a competitive 249/6.
Wasim first nicked England’s golden boy, Ian Botham for a duck in the third over. Still, England recovered from 69/4 to 141/4. Then came in Wasim and delivered those two deliveres to Allan Lamb & Chris Lewis. England 141/6 and never recovered.
6. Aravinda de Silva (Sri Lanka), 1996 Wills World Cup Final
Performance: Century, 3 Wickets, 2 Catches
Result: Sri Lanka Defeat Australia by 7 Wickets
Runs: 107*(124)
Strike Rate:
4s/6s: 13/0
Wickets: 9-0-42-3
Economy:
Match Situation:
Wickets, runs, catches. Aravinda de Silva provided an all-round spectacle for the generation.
His off-breaks had taken out a dangerous Mark Taylor for 74, Ricky Ponting for 45, and Ian Healy for two. To top it off, he took catches to dismiss Steve Waugh and Stuart Law.
However, Australia had runs on the board with 241 runs and the famous Jayasuriya-Kaluwitharana pair were back in the hut within 23 runs. Then, Aravinda de Silva formed two partnerships to take Sri Lanaka home.
Gurusinha-de Silva scored 125 together, while de Silva & Ranatunga put together 97 runs to take Sri Lanka home with 22 balls remaining.
7. Shane Warne (Australia), 1999 ICC World Cup Final
Performance: 4/33
Result: Australia defeat Pakistan by 8 Wickets
Wickets: 9-1-33-4
Economy: 3.66
Match Situation:
An anti-climactic final. At 77-3 , Pakistan were decently poised.
Then came Warne. Ijaz Ahmed. Moin Khan. Shahid Afridi. Wasim Akram. All back in the pavilion. Pakistan would collapse for 132 in 39 overs. Australia chased it with almost 30 overs to spare.
8. Ricky Ponting (Australia), 2003 ICC World Cup Final
Performance: 140*(121), Captain
Result: Australia defeat India by 125 Runs
Runs: 140*(121)
Strike Rate: 115.70
4s/6s: 4/8
Match Situation:
Sourav Ganguly won the toss and chose to field first. Match was lost right there or so is what the narrative suggests. In reality, it was anexhibition of high-quality batting.
Gilchrist & Hayden set the tone with 105-runs in just 14 overs (Gilchrist would take it to a whole new level in the next edition). Ricky Ponting made sure there was no spot in the field left to score. 8 sixes, fours. Ponting, 140*, Martyn 88*, Australia 359/2.
Tendulkar out in the first over. India lose by 125 runs.
9. Adam Gilchrist (Australia), 2007 ICC World Cup Final
Performance: 149 (104), 2 catches, and 1 stumping
Result: Australia defeat Sri Lanka by 53 runs (D/L method)
Runs: 149 (104)
Strike Rate: 143.26
4s/6s: 13/8
Match Situation:
One of the least remembered World Cups. A tournament ridden with controversies, rain, mismanagement, Bob Woolmer’s death, and the financial loss induced by India-Pakistan’s early exits. For a few moments, the negativity was upstaged by one of the greatest final knocks.
Adam Gilchrist absolutely smashed it. 8 sixes, 143.26 SR. An opening partnership of 172 in 22.5 overs, in which Hayden only scored 38 (55).
And Gilchrist was not done. He did his part as a keeper by catching Tharanga & Russel Arnold and stumping Malinga at the end.
10. MS Dhoni (India), 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup Final
Performance: 91*(79), Run-Out, and a Catch
Result: India defeat Sri Lanka by 6 Wickets
Runs: 91*(79)
Strike Rate: 115.18
4s/6s: 8/2
Match Situation:
One of the best ODI chases by the greatest finisher in cricket’s history. Dhoni had played his part as a captain, caught behind Sangakkara for 48, and inflicted a run-out of Kulasekara at the end. However, it was Jayawardene’s blistering show of 103*(88) that took the match firmly into Sri Lanka’s favor.
At 31/2, with both Sehwag-Sachin in the hut and a review lost due to Malinga, there seemed to be no hope. The pressure of a home final. Then, began the recovery via Virat Kohli & Gautam Gambhir. This gave India some belief. When Kohli departed, another 161 runs were needed.
Then, came in MS Dhoni. Dhoni was struggling for form in the World Cup and Yuvraj Singh was player of the tournament contender. It turned out Dhoni came to tackle the Muralitharan factor and the decision paid dividends. The Gambhir-Dhoni duo stitched a 109 run-partnership and Dhoni-Yuvi finished it in style.
The final six is going to go down as one of the most iconic shots in Indian cricket history.
11. James Faulkner (Australia), 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup Final
Performance: 3/36
Result: Australia defeat New Zealand by 7 Wickets
Wickets: 9-1-36-3
Economy: 4.00
Match Situation:
After Starc had jolted the Kiwis with McCullum-size wicket, New Zealand had managed to somewhat recover. From 3/39 in 12.2, Ross Taylor & Grant Elliot had taken NZ to 150 in 35 overs. In that World Cup, with the powerplay rules, teams were comfortable doubling their scores after their 35th over. 300 was still possible.
In comes James Faulkner and bowls a really wide one to Taylor. Taylor, looking for the aggressive option, edges to Brad Haddin. Next Two balls later, Corey Anderson bowled for duck.
150-3. 150-4. 151-0-5. 151-6. 167-7. 183-10. Despite Aaron Finch’s duck, Australia chased it easily. Match over in a space of three deliveries.
12. Ben Stokes (England), 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup Final
Performance: 84*(98), 0/20
Result: Match Tied, England won in Super Over
Runs: 84*(98)
Strike Rate: 85.71
4s/6s: 5/2
Wickets: 3-0-20-0
Economy: 6.66
Match Situation:
This one is the freshest in all of our memories. One of the greatest ODI matches of all-time, and the best ending without a doubt.
New Zealand had runs on the board with 241, but England were still favorites to sweep them aside. But Matt Henry & de Grandhomme had other plans, combining with figures of 20-4-65-2. Joe Root had an off day at 7(30), and when captain Morgan was dismissed, England’s score stood at 86/4 in 23.1 overs. The Kiwis back in it.
Then came the recovery, led by Jos Buttler’s brisk 59 (60) with Stokes playing the supporting role. Lockie Ferguson brought his A game and would dismiss Buttler & Woakes in two balls.
At the end of the 47th over, Ben Stokes was 57*(87) and 33-runs were still needed. Then, the giant woke up. A couple of sixes, intense running, run-outs, Boult falling over the boundary, the dive that was deflected to the boundary. We all remember it like yesterday.
Stokes scored another 8*(3) in the Super Over and held his nerve.
A few moments later, Martin Guptill run out. By the barest of margins.
One of the all-time clutch performances of all-time.
Winning the man of the match in the Cricket World Cup Final is a prestigious achievement. Only have twelve have achieved it so far, and we remember all of their contributions fondly.
I hope we get to witness another memorable final and new heroes emerge. Who will it be this time?
Today we discuss the batters with the most runs in a single World Cup. Can anyone break Sachin Tendulkar’s record?
Let’s get straight into it.
Key Takeaways
Sachin Tendulkar scored the most runs in a single World Cup – 673 runs in the 2003 CWC. He is followed closely by Matthew Hayden (659 in 2007), Rohit Sharma (648 in 2019), and David Warner (647 in 2019).
Among batters with 450+ runs in a single tournament, Martin Crowe (114.00 average) in 1992 and Kumar Sangakkara (108.20) in 2015 had the highest average.
Sachin Tendulkar appears in this list thrice (2003, 1996, and 2011) while Kumar Sangakkara features twice (2015 & 2011).
There were many prolific performances in the 2019 CWC, yielding 9 450+ scores. The 2019 CWC was followed by 2007 CWC (7 450+ scores), 2011 & 2015 (3), 1996 & 2003 (2), and 1987, 1992, & 1999 (1).
In this group, AB De Villiers had (by far) the best strike rate – 144.31 (His 162* off 66 balls kind of skews the result). Other batters with 100+ SR are Kumar Sangakkara (105.87), Martin Guptill (104.58), Adam Gilchrist (103.89), Aaron Finch (102.01), and Matthew Hayden (101.07).
*Aravinda de Silva struck at 107.69 for his 448 runs & Jason Roy hit 443 runs at 115.36.
At a Glance: Most Runs in a Single World Cup Tournament: The Top 10
Player
Runs
World Cup
Sachin Tendulkar
673
2003
Matthew Hayden
659
2007
Rohit Sharma
648
2019
David Warner
647
2019
Shakib Al Hasan
606
2019
Kane Williamson
578
2019
Mahela Jayawardene
548
2007
Martin Guptill
547
2015
Kumar Sangakkara
541
2015
Ricky Ponting
539
2007
Evolution of the Most Runs in a Single World Cup (1975-2023)
1975: Glenn Turner (New Zealand) – 333
1979: Gordon Greenidge (West Indies) – 253
1983: David Gower (England) – 384
1987: Graham Gooch (England) – 471
1992: Martin Crowe (New Zealand) – 456
1996: Sachin Tendulkar (India) – 523
1999: Rahul Dravid (India) – 461
2003: Sachin Tendulkar (India) – 673
2007: Matthew Hayden (Australia) – 659
2011: Tillakaratne Dilshan (Sri Lanka) – 500
2015: Martin Guptill (New Zealand) – 547
2019: Rohit Sharma (India) – 648
Top 28 Most Runs in a Single ODI Cricket World Cup
The filter of 450 World Cup runs cut-off yielded 28 instances. Here are all the details.
1. Sachin Tendulkar (India) – 673 Runs, 2003 ODI World Cup
Who has scored the most runs in a single ODI Cricket World Cup?
Sachin Tendulkar scored the most runs in a single World Cup – 673 runs in the 2003 CWC. He is followed closely by Matthew Hayden (659 in 2007), Rohit Sharma (658 in 2019), and David Warner (647 in 2019).
Who has the highest World Cup average for batters scoring over 450 runs?
Martin Crowe (114.00 average) in 1992 and Kumar Sangakkara (108.20) in 2015 had the best average among this group.
Who has taken the most wickets in a single ODI World Cup?
Let’s get to the facts right away!
Key Takeaways
Mitchell Starc (27) and Glenn McGrath (26) have taken the most wickets in a single ODI Cricket World Cup in 2019 & 2007 respectively.
Among the Top 17 most wicket takers in one CWC (Cricket World Cup), Mitchell Starc had an insane 2015 World Cup – 10.18 average, 17.40 strike rate, and 3.50 economy – the best stats in all departments.
Shahid Afridi in 2011 took 5 wickets twice & 4 wickets twice as well, the most for any bowler. On the flip side, Glenn McGrath took 4-wickets or above zero times in his astonishing run to 26 wickets in 2007.
Australians have featured as the top wicket-taker in an ODI World Cup on six out of the 12 occasions. Glenn McGrath & Mitchell Starc both appear twice.
Player
Wickets
World Cup
Mitchell Starc
27
2019 CWC
Glenn McGrath
26
2007 CWC
Chaminda Vaas
23
2003 CWC
Muttiah Muralitharan
23
2007 CWC
Shaun Tait
23
2007 CWC
Mitchell Starc
22
2015 CWC
Trent Boult
22
2015 CWC
Brett Lee
22
2003 CWC
Shahid Afridi
21
2011 CWC
Glenn McGrath
21
2003 CWC
Evolution of the Most Wickets in a Single World Cup (1975-2023)
1975: Gary Gilmour (Australia) – 11
1979: Mike Hendrick (England) – 10
1983: Roger Binny (India) – 18
1987: Craig McDermott (Australia) – 18
1992: Wasim Akram (Pakistan) – 18
1996: Anil Kumble (India) – 15
1999: Geoff Allott (New Zealand), Shane Warne (Australia) – 20
2015: Mitchell Starc (Australia), Trent Boult (New Zealand) – 22
2019: Mitchell Starc (Australia) – 27
List of Top 17 Wicket Takers in a Single ODI World Cup
We filtered with a cut-off of 20 wickets in a single world cup. 17 bowlers have taken 20 or more wickets in a cricket world cup. Here is the complete list.
1. Mitchell Starc (Australia) – 27 Wickets, 2019 ODI World Cup
Do you remember the highest individual scores in ODI World Cup? What are some of the best World Cup knocks?
The World Cup is right around the corner, so I thought I would help you refresh some of the golden memories of earlier World Cups.
Let’s dive right in.
Key Takeaways
Martin Guptill (237*), Chris Gayle (214), and Gary Kirsten (188*) hold the record for the higest individual scores in ODI World Cup.
Among the Top 25 highest scores in the World Cup, only Adam Gilchrist’s 149 (Final) Martin Guptill’s 237 (quarter finals), came in knockout rounds. Matthew Hayden’s 158 came in the Super Eight Stage while all others took place during the group stage.
Batters from Australia (5) feature in this list the most followed by India & South Affrica (4), New Zealand & England (3), West Indies (2), and Zimbabwe, Scotland, Pakistan & Sri Lanka (1).
The 2015 ODI World Cup was by far the best for batters – with 7 of the highest all-time scores coming in that World Cup. It is followed by the 2019 CWC (5 scores), 2007 (3), 2011, 2003, 1996 (2), and 1999, 1983, 1987, 1975 with one each.
Once again, the 2015 CWC saw the highest ever score (237*), while the 1992 CWC had the least highest top score (119*).
There have been 22 150+ scores and two double centuries in the ODI Cricket World Cup.
List of Top 10 Highest Scores in Cricket World Cup
The entire list of Top 25 and details are featured below, but here is a snippet of the Top 10 highest scores in the ODI Worl Cup.
Player
Score
Opposition
World Cup
Martin Guptill
237*
West Indies
2015
Chris Gayle
215
Zimbabwe
2015
Gary Kirsten
188*
UAE
1996
Sourav Ganguly
183
Sri Lanka
1999
Sir Vivian Richards
181
Sri Lanka
1987
David Warner
178
Afghanistan
2015
Kapil Dev
175*
Zimbabwe
1983
Virender Sehwag
175
Bangladesh
2011
Craig Wishart
172*
Namibia
2003
Glenn Turner
171*
East Africa
1975
Evolution of the Highest Individual Scores in ODI Cricket World Cup (1975-2019)
1975: Glenn Turner (New Zealand) – 171* vs East Africa
1979: Sir Vivian Richards (West Indies) – 138* vs England
1983: Kapil Dev (India) – 175* vs Zimbabwe
1987: Sir Vivian Richards (West Indies) – 181 vs Sri Lanka
1992: Rameez Raza (Pakistan) – 119* vs New Zealand
1996: Gary Kirsten (South Africa) – 188* vs UAE
1999: Sourav Ganguly (India) – 183 vs Sri Lanka
2003: Craig Wishart (Zimbabwe) – 172* vs Namibia
2007: Imran Nazir (Pakistan) – 160 vs Zimbabwe
2011: Virender Sehwag (India) – 175 vs Bangladesh
2015: Martin Guptill (New Zealand) – 237* vs West Indies
2019: David Warner (Australia) – 166 vs Bangladesh
Top 25 Highest Scores in Cricket World Cup: Best World Cup Innings
1. Martin Guptill (New Zealand) – 237* vs West Indies, 2015
I will never forget Guptill’s 237*. It just seemed too good to be true.
Can anyone in the 2023 World Cup beat this record? Let us know below!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Who have scored the highest individual scores in the ODI Cricket World Cup?
Martin Guptill (237*), Chris Gayle (215), and Gary Kirsten (188*) are the Top 3 for the highest individual scores in the ODI Cricket World since 1975.
Which Cricket World Cup had the individual highest scores?
The 2015 ODI Cricket World Cup featured 7 of the Top 25 all-time highest individual scores in the ODI World Cup. This included Martin Guptill (237), Chris Gayle (215), David Warner (178), AB De Villiers (162*), Tillakaratne Dilshan (161*), Hashim Amla (159), and Kyle Coetzer (156).
Who has scored the most centuries ODI Cricket World Cup?
Here is a quick answer: Rohit Sharma & Sachin Tendulkar have scored the joint highest number of hundreds in ODI Cricket World Cups at 6 centuries each.
Rohit Sharma has a chance to go ahead of the pack by scoring more hundreds in the upcoming 2023 ODI Cricket World Cup.
Key Takeaways
10 cricketers have scored 4 or more centuries in the ODI Cricket World Cup. Rohit Sharma & Sachin Tendulkar lead the pack with 6 each, with Kumar Sangakkara, Ricky Ponting, and David Warner close behind with 5 each.
Sri Lanka, India, and Australia have 3 representatives each from this list while South Africa has only one in AB de Villiers
Rohit Sharma and David Warner are the only current players in the list. Joe Root is currently sitting at 3 World Cup tons.
We all know the record of Brian Lara 400, but just like Neil Armstrong and the moon landing, who is second?
Everything you need to know about the Test triple centurions and the highest scores in Test cricket.
Key Takeaways
There have been 31 Test triple centuries (including one quadruple century, Brian Lara 400).
Brian Lara 400*, Matthew Hayden 380, Brian Lara 375, Mahela Jayawardene 374, and Sir Garfield Sobers 365 are the Top 5 Test individual scores in Test cricket.
Don Bradman, Brian Lara, Virender Sehwag, and Chris Gayle each have two Test triple centuries, the most in Test cricket. Don Bradman (299*) and Virender Sehwag (294) came close to three triple centuries.
Hanif Mohammad (970 minutes) played the longest innings, while Sanath Jayasuriya (799 minutes) and Len Hutton (797 minutes) are the other longest Test triple centurions.
The breakdown of triple centuries in Test cricket as follows: Australia (8), West Indies (6), England (5), Pakistan (4), India & Sri Lanka (3), and South Africa & New Zealand (1).
List of Test Cricket Triple Centuries: Top 31 Highest Individual Scores in Test Cricket
1. Brian Lara (West Indies): 400* vs England, 2004
Honorable Mentions: Sir Donald Bradman (299*), Martin Crowe (299), Sir Alastair Cook (294), Virender Sehwag (293), Sir Vivian Richards (291), Ramnaresh Sarwan (291), Ross Taylor (290)
Final Thoughts
These are some of the finest innings in Test cricket.
From Brian Lara’s 400 & Garfield Sobers’ 365 to Hanif Mohammad’s 337 & Brendon McCullum’s 302, each triple century holds legendary folklore.
Who will be next?
Oh and by the way, Buzz Aldrin was the second person to walk on the moon in that Apollo 11 mission.
Frequently Asked Questions – Highest Scores in Test Cricket
How many triple centuries have been scored in Test cricket?
There have been 31 triple centuries in Test cricket.
Who has the most Triple centuries in Test cricket?
Sir Donald Bradman, Brian Lara, Virender Sehwag, & Chris Gayle each have two Test triple centuries in Test cricket.
Who played the longest Test innings?
Hanif Mohammad (970 minutes) played the longest Test cricket. Sanath Jayasuriya & Len Hutton are the other triple centurions who spent more than 13+ hours in an innings.