World Cup is the pinnacle of every sport, and it is same in cricket. The players who perform well at cricket’s biggest stage become household names. This is because the best players in the world try to give their best for their country in the World Cup.
The motivation to bring the best version of oneself in the World Cup has given us a lot of memorable performances. Some players didn’t have a great ODI career but they had some great World Cup performances. In this article, we will look at some of these players.
5.Mohit Sharma
Mohit Sharma was lucky to even play in the 2015 World Cup. Initially, Ishant Sharma was selected to play in the World Cup, but he got injured. The Haryana pacer was named as the replacement for the Delhi fast bowler. Mohit made the most of this opportunity as he had a fantastic World Cup.
The fast bowler with a lot of variations took 13 wickets in eight matches in the 2015 World Cup. While he had a brilliant World Cup, he failed to continue this form after the tournament. He lost his place in the team after Bangladesh series and he never played for India again.
4. Grant Elliot
Grant Elliot was another cricketer who was not in the scheme of things coming into the World Cup. The selectors told Elliot that he was not in their plans for the World Cup. The Kiwi all-rounder asked his sister to schedule her wedding on the same day as World Cup final but fate had different plans.
In the semifinal, Elliot scored 84 runs and hit the six against Dale Steyn to take his country to the final. He missed his sister’s big day but it was certainly worth it.
3. Andy Bichel
Shane Warne was missing the 2003 World Cup, so the fast bowlers had additional responsibility. Andy Bichel emerged as an unlikely hero for the Aussies as he took 16 wickets in just eight matches. The all-rounder ended the tournament with an outrageous bowling average of 12.31.
He was not only great with the ball but was also very useful with the bat in hand. In the group game against England, he took seven wickets and scored 34 runs to string a partnership with Bevan to take Australia home.
2.Neil Johnson
Neil Johnson played a huge role in the success of Zimbabwe in 1999 World Cup. The all-rounder bagged three man of the match awards as the African country finished fifth. His all-round performances against Kenya and South Africa helped Zimbabwe qualify for the super six stage.
He played an unbeaten knock of 132 against Australia but he could not save his country from defeat. His career seemed to be blossoming but it was cut short by off-field issues like payment disputes.
1. Gary Gilmour
Gary Gilmour played only five ODIs but two of them were semifinal and final of the World Cup. The left-arm pacer had to sit on bench in the group stage but got his chance in the semifinal against England.
He took six wickets giving away just 14 runs to take his country to the grand final. Gilmour took five wickets in final too but he could not stop West Indies from winning the final. He finished the tournament with an unbelievable bowling average of 5.64 before injuries cut short his career.
