2023 is the year that the ODI World Cup returns. Despite all the razzmatazz of the T20 World Cup, and all the talks of reviving Test cricket through the World Test Championship, it is the World Cup that still remains the pinnacle of the game, taking place every four years, and testing the stamina and depth of a team.
India will be hosting the World Cup 2023 in October-November. The World Cup returns to India after a dozen years, with the last one ending India’s 28-year wait and fulfilling Sachin Tendulkar’s dreams to lift the coveted, prestigious trophy.
Legends are made in ODI World Cups with spectacular individual performances, more so if it helps their teams cross the finish line and win the title.
Every player dreams of playing at least one World Cup in his career. Some are fortunate and have worked hard on consistency, to play multiple events. But there have been only 2 cricketers in the history of the game who have featured in World Cups!
Which player has played most ODI World Cups?
Only two cricketers – Sachin Tendulkar and Javed Miandad – have played in 6 World Cups, the most in cricket history.
Tendulkar played in 1992, 1996, 1999, 2003, 2007, and 2011 World Cups, while Javed featured in the 1975, 1979, 1983, 1987, 1992, and 1996 editions of the World Cup.
Playing in six World Cups is a rare feat that these two cricketers have achieved. This shows that Tendulkar and Miandad remained incredibly consistent and fit throughout their careers to not miss a single ODI WC. They were determined to put in the hard yards, which allowed them to play across different decades and changing generations to keep themselves useful for the team’s cause for over two decades.
Sachin Tendulkar has played the second most number of matches in World Cup history – 45, just one fewer than Ricky Ponting – and scored the most number of runs – 2278 runs – at an average of 56 with 6 centuries and 15 fifties.
Miandad played in 30 innings in the World Cup, scoring 1083 runs at an average of 43 with 1 century and 8 fifties to his name.
