The ODI Cricket World Cup has been played 13 times between 1975 and 2023. Australia leads the honours board with six titles, the West Indies won the first two editions, and Australia are the current champions after beating India in the 2023 final at Ahmedabad. The next edition is scheduled for 4 October to 21 November 2027 in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia.
ODI World Cup Winners List: 1975 to 2023
The table below lists every edition of the men’s ODI Cricket World Cup — the year, host country, winner, runner-up, the margin in the final, and the player of the tournament (an award introduced in 1992).
| Year | Host(s) | Winner | Runner-up | Final Margin | Player of the Tournament |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | England | West Indies | Australia | 17 runs | Not awarded |
| 1979 | England | West Indies | England | 92 runs | Not awarded |
| 1983 | England | India | West Indies | 43 runs | Not awarded |
| 1987 | India, Pakistan | Australia | England | 7 runs | Not awarded |
| 1992 | Australia, New Zealand | Pakistan | England | 22 runs | Martin Crowe (NZ) |
| 1996 | India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka | Sri Lanka | Australia | 7 wickets | Sanath Jayasuriya (SL) |
| 1999 | England | Australia | Pakistan | 8 wickets | Lance Klusener (SA) |
| 2003 | South Africa, Zimbabwe, Kenya | Australia | India | 125 runs | Sachin Tendulkar (IND) |
| 2007 | West Indies | Australia | Sri Lanka | 53 runs (D/L) | Glenn McGrath (AUS) |
| 2011 | India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh | India | Sri Lanka | 6 wickets | Yuvraj Singh (IND) |
| 2015 | Australia, New Zealand | Australia | New Zealand | 7 wickets | Mitchell Starc (AUS) |
| 2019 | England, Wales | England | New Zealand | Won on boundary count (match and Super Over tied) | Kane Williamson (NZ) |
| 2023 | India | Australia | India | 6 wickets | Virat Kohli (IND) |
Titles by team: Australia 6 (1987, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2015, 2023), West Indies 2 (1975, 1979), India 2 (1983, 2011), Pakistan 1 (1992), Sri Lanka 1 (1996), England 1 (2019).
Records and Streaks
- Most titles: Australia, with six. No other team has more than two.
- Three in a row: Australia won three consecutive World Cups — 1999, 2003 and 2007. Their 2003 and 2007 campaigns were both unbeaten, and their unbeaten run in World Cup matches stretched to 34 games before Pakistan ended it in the 2011 group stage.
- First champions: The West Indies won the first two editions (1975, 1979) under Clive Lloyd and were unbeaten in both tournaments.
- Host-nation wins: For 36 years no host won the trophy. Then it happened three times in a row — India in 2011 (the first team to win a World Cup final on home soil), Australia in 2015 and England in 2019. The streak ended in 2023, when host India lost the final.
- The closest finish: The 2019 final is the only one ever decided without a winning margin — England and New Zealand tied the match, tied the Super Over, and England won on boundary count.
- 2023’s near-miss: India won ten matches in a row in 2023 — the most wins by any side in a single edition — but lost the only match that mattered. Virat Kohli’s 765 runs that tournament are the most ever in one World Cup.
- Career records: Sachin Tendulkar holds the record for most World Cup runs (2,278), and Glenn McGrath for most wickets (71).
Edition Highlights
1975–1983: The West Indies era and India’s upset. The first three tournaments were 60-over affairs in England. Clive Lloyd’s West Indies won the first two, but in 1983 Kapil Dev’s unfancied India defended just 183 in the final at Lord’s to beat the two-time champions by 43 runs — a result that transformed cricket in India.
1987–1996: The Cup leaves England. The 1987 edition, hosted by India and Pakistan, was the first outside England and the first played over 50 overs; Australia edged England by 7 runs in Kolkata. Pakistan, nearly eliminated early, won in 1992 under Imran Khan. In 1996, co-host Sri Lanka stunned Australia in Lahore, with Sanath Jayasuriya’s aggressive opening redefining one-day batting.
1999–2007: Australian dominance. Australia won three straight titles under Steve Waugh and then Ricky Ponting. The 2003 final saw Ponting’s unbeaten 140 crush India, and in 2007 Adam Gilchrist’s 149 settled a rain-shortened final against Sri Lanka.
2011–2019: Home glory. MS Dhoni’s six at the Wankhede sealed India’s second title in 2011. Australia beat New Zealand in the 2015 Melbourne final, and 2019 produced the greatest final of all — England crowned champions on boundary count after two ties.
2023: Australia’s sixth. Travis Head’s 137 chased down India’s 240 in front of more than 90,000 spectators in Ahmedabad, denying the hosts who had been unbeaten until the final.
The Next Edition: 2027
The 2027 ODI World Cup will be hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia and is set to run from 4 October to 21 November 2027, according to ESPNcricinfo. The tournament returns to a 14-team format — two groups of seven, with the top three from each group advancing to a Super Six stage. It will be the first men’s World Cup in Africa since 2003.
For the shortest format’s honours list, see the T20 World Cup winners list, and for the continental tournament, the Asia Cup winners list. The women’s game has its own rich history, covered in the women’s cricket world cup winners list.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which country has won the most ODI World Cups?
Australia, with six titles — 1987, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2015 and 2023. The West Indies and India are next with two each.
Who won the most recent ODI World Cup?
Australia won the 2023 edition, beating host India by 6 wickets in the final at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad, on 19 November 2023. Travis Head scored 137 in the chase.
How many times has India won the ODI World Cup?
Twice — in 1983 under Kapil Dev (beating the West Indies at Lord’s) and in 2011 under MS Dhoni (beating Sri Lanka in Mumbai). India were also runners-up in 2003 and 2023.
When and where is the next ODI World Cup?
The 2027 edition is scheduled for 4 October to 21 November 2027, hosted jointly by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia, with 14 teams taking part.
Has a host nation ever won the World Cup?
Yes, three times in succession: India in 2011, Australia in 2015 and England in 2019. Before 2011, no host had ever lifted the trophy.
Who holds the batting and bowling records in World Cup history?
Sachin Tendulkar has the most career runs (2,278), Virat Kohli the most runs in a single edition (765 in 2023), and Glenn McGrath the most wickets (71).
Which was the first ODI World Cup and who won it?
The first World Cup was held in England in 1975. The West Indies beat Australia by 17 runs in the final at Lord’s, with Clive Lloyd scoring a century.
Practice Questions
1. Which country has won the most ODI Cricket World Cup titles?
a) India
b) West Indies
c) Australia
d) England
Answer: c) Australia
2. The 2019 ODI World Cup final between England and New Zealand was decided by which method?
a) Super Over win
b) Boundary count after the match and Super Over were tied
c) Duckworth-Lewis calculation
d) Coin toss
Answer: b) Boundary count after the match and Super Over were tied
3. Who was named Player of the Tournament at the 2023 ODI World Cup?
a) Travis Head
b) Rohit Sharma
c) Mohammed Shami
d) Virat Kohli
Answer: d) Virat Kohli
4. The 2027 ODI World Cup will be jointly hosted by which countries?
a) India and Bangladesh
b) South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia
c) England and Ireland
d) Australia and New Zealand
Answer: b) South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia
5. Which team won the first ODI World Cup in 1975?
a) Australia
b) England
c) West Indies
d) India
Answer: c) West Indies
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