The ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, held every four years since 1975, is the pinnacle of One Day International cricket — and its winners list is a staple topic in Sports GK sections of every major competitive exam.
This page covers every edition of the ODI World Cup, T20 World Cup, and ICC Champions Trophy — with winner, runner-up, host nation, final venue, and Player of the Tournament. MCQs, flashcards, and memory tips are included for quick revision before UPSC Prelims, SSC CGL, Railways, Banking, and State PSC exams.
⚡ Quick Facts
- Australia — most successful team in ODI World Cup history with 6 wins (1987, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2015, 2023).
- West Indies won the first two editions (1975 and 1979) — the only team to win back-to-back ODI World Cups.
- India has won the ODI World Cup twice — 1983 (Kapil Dev) and 2011 (MS Dhoni).
- 2019 World Cup final — England vs New Zealand tied in regulation AND in Super Over; England won on boundary count — the only WC final decided this way.
- India won ICC T20 World Cup 2024, defeating South Africa in Barbados; Jasprit Bumrah was Player of the Tournament.
Australia won 6 ODI World Cups — NOT 5, NOT 7. Count them: 1987, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2015, 2023. Also: the 1987 World Cup was the first held OUTSIDE England (co-hosted by India and Pakistan). And in 2011, Yuvraj Singh was Player of the Tournament — not MS Dhoni (who hit the winning six) and not Sachin Tendulkar. Most-Tested Confusion
✅ My Progress Tracker
🏆 ICC Men’s ODI Cricket World Cup — All Winners
| # ↕ | Format | Year ↕ | Host Nation(s) | Winner ↕ | Runner-Up | Final Venue | Player of Tournament |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ODI 1 | ODI WC | 1975 | England | West Indies | Australia | Lord’s, London | Clive Lloyd (WI) |
| ODI 2 | ODI WC | 1979 | England | West Indies | England | Lord’s, London | Viv Richards (WI) Hot |
| ODI 3 | ODI WC | 1983 | England | India 🇮🇳 | West Indies | Lord’s, London | Mohinder Amarnath (IND) Hot |
| ODI 4 | ODI WC | 1987 | India & Pakistan | Australia 🇦🇺 | England | Eden Gardens, Kolkata | David Boon (AUS) Hot |
| ODI 5 | ODI WC | 1992 | Australia & New Zealand | Pakistan | England | MCG, Melbourne | Imran Khan (PAK) |
| ODI 6 | ODI WC | 1996 | India, Pakistan & Sri Lanka | Sri Lanka | Australia | Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore | Sanath Jayasuriya (SL) |
| ODI 7 | ODI WC | 1999 | England (various) | Australia 🇦🇺 | Pakistan | Lord’s, London | Lance Klusener (SA) |
| ODI 8 | ODI WC | 2003 | South Africa, Zimbabwe & Kenya | Australia 🇦🇺 | India | Wanderers, Johannesburg | Sachin Tendulkar (IND) |
| ODI 9 | ODI WC | 2007 | West Indies | Australia 🇦🇺 | Sri Lanka | Kensington Oval, Barbados | Glenn McGrath (AUS) |
| ODI 10 | ODI WC | 2011 | India, Sri Lanka & Bangladesh | India 🇮🇳 | Sri Lanka | Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai | Yuvraj Singh (IND) Hot |
| ODI 11 | ODI WC | 2015 | Australia & New Zealand | Australia 🇦🇺 | New Zealand | MCG, Melbourne | Mitchell Starc (AUS) |
| ODI 12 | ODI WC | 2019 | England & Wales | England | New Zealand | Lord’s, London | Kane Williamson (NZ) Hot |
| ODI 13 | ODI WC | 2023 | India | Australia 🇦🇺 | India | Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad | Travis Head (AUS) Hot |
| T20 1 | T20 WC | 2007 | South Africa | India 🇮🇳 | Pakistan | Wanderers, Johannesburg | Shahid Afridi (PAK) Hot |
| T20 2 | T20 WC | 2009 | England | Pakistan | Sri Lanka | Lord’s, London | Tillakaratne Dilshan (SL) |
| T20 3 | T20 WC | 2010 | West Indies | England | Australia | Kensington Oval, Barbados | Kevin Pietersen (ENG) |
| T20 4 | T20 WC | 2012 | Sri Lanka | West Indies | Sri Lanka | R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo | Shane Watson (AUS) |
| T20 5 | T20 WC | 2014 | Bangladesh | Sri Lanka | India | Sher-e-Bangla, Dhaka | Kumar Sangakkara (SL) |
| T20 6 | T20 WC | 2016 | India | West Indies | England | Eden Gardens, Kolkata | Virat Kohli (IND) |
| T20 7 | T20 WC | 2021 | UAE & Oman | Australia 🇦🇺 | New Zealand | Dubai International Stadium | David Warner (AUS) |
| T20 8 | T20 WC | 2022 | Australia | England | Pakistan | MCG, Melbourne | Sam Curran (ENG) |
| T20 9 | T20 WC | 2024 | West Indies & USA | India 🇮🇳 | South Africa | Kensington Oval, Barbados | Jasprit Bumrah (IND) Hot |
| CT 1 | Champ. Trophy | 1998 | Bangladesh | South Africa | West Indies | Dhaka | — |
| CT 2 | Champ. Trophy | 2000 | Kenya | New Zealand | India (shared) | Nairobi | — |
| CT 3 | Champ. Trophy | 2002 | Sri Lanka | India & Sri Lanka (shared) | — | — | — |
| CT 4 | Champ. Trophy | 2004 | England | West Indies | England | Edgbaston, Birmingham | — |
| CT 5 | Champ. Trophy | 2006 | India | Australia | West Indies | Brabourne, Mumbai | — |
| CT 6 | Champ. Trophy | 2009 | South Africa | Australia | New Zealand | Centurion, SA | — |
| CT 7 | Champ. Trophy | 2013 | England & Wales | India 🇮🇳 | England | Edgbaston, Birmingham | Shikhar Dhawan (IND) |
| CT 8 | Champ. Trophy | 2017 | England & Wales | Pakistan | India | The Oval, London | Fakhar Zaman (PAK) Hot |
| CT 9 | Champ. Trophy | 2025 | Pakistan & UAE | India 🇮🇳 | New Zealand | Dubai International Stadium | Rachin Ravindra (NZ) Hot |
| Year | Final Venue | Runner-Up | Player of Tournament | Key Fact |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Eden Gardens, Kolkata | England | David Boon | First WC outside England; Reliance Cup |
| 1999 | Lord’s, London | Pakistan | Lance Klusener (SA) | Australia unbeaten in tournament |
| 2003 | Wanderers, Johannesburg | India | Sachin Tendulkar (IND) | Australia unbeaten; Ponting 140* in final |
| 2007 | Kensington Oval, Barbados | Sri Lanka | Glenn McGrath | Third consecutive title; unbeaten |
| 2015 | MCG, Melbourne | New Zealand | Mitchell Starc | Home soil victory; Starc 22 wickets |
| 2023 | Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad | India | Travis Head | Head 137 in final; 6th title record |
| Tournament | Year | Captain | Final Venue | Runner-Up | Key Fact |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ODI World Cup | 1983 | Kapil Dev | Lord’s, London | West Indies | Defeated 2-time defending champs; POTM: Mohinder Amarnath |
| T20 World Cup | 2007 | MS Dhoni | Wanderers, Johannesburg | Pakistan | First T20 WC ever; last-ball finish |
| ODI World Cup | 2011 | MS Dhoni | Wankhede, Mumbai | Sri Lanka | Dhoni’s winning six; POTM: Yuvraj Singh |
| Champions Trophy | 2013 | MS Dhoni | Edgbaston, Birmingham | England | POTM: Shikhar Dhawan |
| T20 World Cup | 2024 | Rohit Sharma | Kensington Oval, Barbados | South Africa | POTM: Jasprit Bumrah; Rohit’s first ICC title |
| Champions Trophy | 2025 | Rohit Sharma | Dubai | New Zealand | Rohit’s second ICC title; hosted in Pakistan/UAE |
⚖️ Compare Two World Cup Editions
📝 Key Notes & Memory Tips
Australia has won 6 ODI World Cups — 1987, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2015, and 2023 — more than any other team. Key sub-facts: Australia won three in a row (1999, 2003, 2007), remaining unbeaten in all three tournaments. The 2023 title (defeating India in Ahmedabad) was their record-extending 6th. A common exam trap is asking “how many?” — always answer six.
- India defeated the mighty West Indies (two-time defending champions) in the final at Lord’s, London
- Captained by Kapil Dev — India’s most iconic World Cup moment
- Player of the Final (not Tournament): Mohinder Amarnath — this distinction is frequently tested
- West Indies won the first two editions (1975, 1979) — making them the only team ever to win back-to-back ODI World Cups
- The 1987 WC was the first held outside England — co-hosted by India & Pakistan (Reliance Cup)
The 2019 World Cup final between England and New Zealand is uniquely exam-worthy. Both teams scored 241 runs in 50 overs — a tie. The Super Over also ended in a tie (15 runs each). England were declared winners because they had scored more boundaries (26 vs 17) throughout the full match — the only World Cup final decided by boundary count. Player of the Tournament: Kane Williamson (NZ) — despite NZ losing.
- T20 World Cup 2024: India defeated South Africa in the final at Kensington Oval, Barbados. Captain: Rohit Sharma. Player of Tournament: Jasprit Bumrah. Hosted by West Indies & USA (first time USA co-hosted).
- Champions Trophy 2025: India defeated New Zealand in the final at Dubai. Hosted in Pakistan & UAE (India played in UAE). This was Rohit Sharma’s second ICC title as captain.
- India’s overall ICC titles: ODI WC (1983, 2011) + T20 WC (2007, 2024) + Champions Trophy (2002 shared, 2013, 2025) = 6 ICC titles
“WW-I-A-P-S-A-A-A-I-A-E-A”
West Indies (1975) | West Indies (1979) | India (1983) | Australia (1987) | Pakistan (1992) | Sri Lanka (1996) | Australia (1999) | Australia (2003) | Australia (2007) | India (2011) | Australia (2015) | England (2019) | Australia (2023)
Simpler trick: Australia won 1987, then EVERY edition from 1999 to 2007 (three consecutive), then again in 2015 and 2023.
“Kapil at Lord’s 1983 — Dhoni’s Six at Wankhede 2011”
1983: Kapil Dev | Lord’s, London | Defeated West Indies (defending champs) | POTM: Mohinder Amarnath
2011: MS Dhoni | Wankhede, Mumbai | Defeated Sri Lanka | POTM: Yuvraj Singh (362 runs + 15 wickets)
🃏 Flashcards
Click a card to flip · Use arrows to navigate
🧩 Practice Quiz
5 questions · Answer all · Check your score
Australia has won the ICC Men’s ODI Cricket World Cup six times — 1987, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2015, and 2023 — more than any other team. West Indies have won 2, India 2, Pakistan 1, Sri Lanka 1, and England 1. Australia’s most remarkable run was three consecutive titles from 1999 to 2007, remaining unbeaten throughout all three tournaments.
Yuvraj Singh was named Player of the Tournament for the 2011 World Cup, having scored 362 runs and taken 15 wickets across the tournament — an extraordinary all-round performance. MS Dhoni hit the iconic winning six in the final but was not named Player of the Tournament. Sachin Tendulkar was Player of the Tournament in 2003 (for Australia’s win). This is a very commonly tested exam trap.
After both the match (241 each) and the Super Over (15 runs each) ended in ties, England were declared winners because they had scored more boundaries (26) throughout the full match compared to New Zealand (17). This was a controversial but lawful ruling under the playing conditions at the time. Player of the Tournament was Kane Williamson (NZ) — despite NZ losing. ICC has since removed the boundary-count tiebreaker rule.
The 1987 World Cup (Reliance Cup) was the first edition held outside England, co-hosted by India and Pakistan. Australia won that edition, defeating England in the final at Eden Gardens, Kolkata. The final venue being in Kolkata (India) rather than Lord’s (England) marked a historic shift in cricket’s global footprint. The first three editions (1975, 1979, 1983) were all held in England.
Jasprit Bumrah was named Player of the Tournament at the ICC T20 World Cup 2024, held in West Indies and USA. India defeated South Africa in the final at Kensington Oval, Barbados. Rohit Sharma captained India. Virat Kohli played a crucial innings in the final (76 runs). Suryakumar Yadav took a famous catch near the boundary in the final over that was critical to India’s victory.
✅ Key Takeaways
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
India has won the ICC Men’s ODI Cricket World Cup twice — in 1983 under Kapil Dev’s captaincy and in 2011 under MS Dhoni. India has also won the ICC T20 World Cup twice (2007 under MS Dhoni and 2024 under Rohit Sharma) and the ICC Champions Trophy three times (2002 shared, 2013, and 2025). India’s total ICC trophies stand at 6 (counting the 2002 shared title). MS Dhoni is India’s most successful ICC captain with three titles (T20 WC 2007, ODI WC 2011, Champions Trophy 2013).
Australia is the most successful team in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup history, having won six ODI World Cup titles (1987, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2015, 2023) — more than any other nation. Australia also won the ICC T20 World Cup in 2021 and the Champions Trophy twice (2006, 2009). Their run of three consecutive ODI World Cups (1999–2007), during which they remained unbeaten across all three tournaments, is considered one of sport’s greatest dynasties. Australia’s 2023 win — defeating host India in Ahmedabad — extended their record to 6 titles.
The ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 was hosted entirely in India — the first time India hosted the tournament as the sole host since 1987. The final was played at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, the world’s largest cricket stadium. Australia defeated India by 6 wickets in the final, with Travis Head named Player of the Tournament after scoring 137 in the final chase. This was Australia’s record 6th ODI World Cup title. India went unbeaten through the tournament until the final.
The ICC Men’s ODI Cricket World Cup is a 50-over format tournament held every four years, first played in 1975 in England. It carries the highest prestige in international cricket. The ICC T20 World Cup is a Twenty20 format tournament (20 overs per side) first played in 2007, now held every two years approximately. The ODI format allows for more strategic depth over 50 overs while T20 is faster and more entertainment-focused. Both are tested extensively in competitive exam Sports GK sections — the ODI World Cup for historical content and the T20 World Cup for recent current affairs.
