ICC World Cup 2023: From
Virat Kohli, Babar Azam,
Shubman Gill, Steve Smith
to Mitchell Starc, Kagiso
Rabada and more, check
out top players to look
out for
Produced by: Prashanti Moktan
Designed by: Manoj Kumar
The ultimate cricket tournament, ICC Men’s World Cup began in India from October 5. With the ten best teams ready to face each other on their way to glory, let’s take a look at some of the best players to watch out for throughout the tournament.
ICC Men’s World Cup 2023
The former Indian captain remains one of the most lethal forces in the game. Virat Kohli has scored two centuries and a half-century in his past five innings. He is also the fourth highest run-scorer in the history of the game with 13,083 runs including 47 centuries and 66 half-centuries.
Virat Kohli: Top Batters at
World Cup 2023
Kane Williamson, the current skipper of New Zealand, has a huge responsibility on his shoulders to lead his team to glory. But his leadership skills have already proven fruitful as they reached the final of the 2019 edition of the tournament. Williamson is returning from an injury, which he sustained while playing for the IPL team Gujarat Titans earlier this year.
Kane Williamson: World Cup 2023 Top Batters
The current no. 1 ICC batsmen is a master of playing under pressure and has the ability to adapt as per the conditions as well. The career stats of Team Pakistan’s captain speaks for itself as he has scored 5,409 runs in 105 innings with the help of 19 centuries and 29 half-centuries.
Babar Azam: Top Batters at World Cup 2023
Joe Root has always been a strong batsmen but his career defining moment came in 2019, when he helped England clinch their first ODI World Cup. Root scored 556 runs in 11 innings of the tournament with an average of 61.78 and strike rate of 89.53. He is also England’s second-highest run scorer in the ODI format.
Joe Root: World Cup 2023
Top Batsmen
Steve Smith ended Australia’s five match losing run in the third ODI against India by scoring his first half-century after returning from a wrist injury. Smith is still in the recovery process but Australia needs him to be in-form after opener Travis Head also got injured.
Steve Smith: Top Batsmen at
World Cup 2023
The emerging star of India and currently the second best ODI batsmen is also one to watch out for. Shubman Gill has scored 1,230 runs in 20 matches this year, including a double century in an ODI match against New Zealand. His opening partnership with skipper Rohit Sharma will be crucial to India’s success in the tournament.
Shubman Gill: World Cup
2023 Top Batters
Kuldeep Yadav has become a prominent part of India’s spinning attack recently. His amazing display in the Asia Cup has already earned him the reputation of a match-winner. Yadav is known for his ability to understand the tricky spin-pitches of India, which will prove to be a crucial skill in the tournament.
Kuldeep Yadav: World Cup
2023 Top Bowlers
Left-arm pacer Mitchell Starc is known for his lethal yorkers, which has stunned the most experienced batters of the sport. He is just one wicket away from creating the record of the fastest bowler to reach the 50-wicket mark in ODI World Cup. His form will be crucial for Australia but will spell trouble for every other side in the tournament. Starc recently took a hat-trick against Netherlands in the warm-up game.
Mitchell Starc: Top Bowlers
at World Cup 2023
The tall left-arm pacer of Pakistan is known for taking crucial wickets with help of his pace and his bouncers as well. Shaheen Afridi returned to the game in April after sustaining an injury in last year’s T20 World Cup. Since his return, he has taken 24 wickets in 12 matches including the four against India in the group stage match of Asia Cup.
Shaheen Afridi: World Cup
2023 Top Bowlers
The South African pacer is one of the fastest bowlers in the game and is also known for his impeccable accuracy. The 28-year-old knows how to adapt to all kinds of conditions which makes a formidable force and a crucial player for South Africa. He took eight wickets in the three match ODI series against Australia recently. While overall he has taken 144 wickets in 90 ODI innings.