Interesting Facts

• West Indies batting great Vivian Richards scored 1013 runs in 23 World Cup innings, at an average of 63.31, with a strike rate of 85. The 138 he scored against England in the 1979 World Cup is considered by Wisden as the best World Cup innings.
• Herschelle Gibbs smeared the Dutch leg-spinner Dan van Bunge for six sixes in an over in the 2007 World Cup to become the first to achieve the feat in an ODI.
• India last defeated Australia in a World Cup match 24 years ago on October 22, 1987. India trumped eventual champions Australia by 56 runs.
• West Indies legend Vivian Richards is the only player who had played both FIFA World Cup and ICC World Cup. Richards represented Antigua in football and West Indies in cricket.
• Indian opener Sunil Gavaskar batted through the full 60 overs in the opening match of 1975 World Cup against England at Lord's to score just 36 runs.
• One of the greatest knocks of World Cup history, Kapil Dev's 175 against Zimbabwe during 1983 World Cup, was neither recorded nor broadcasted because the BBC cameramen were on strike at the time.
• Kepler Wessels played for Australia in the 1983 World Cup before playing for South Africa in the 1992 World Cup.
• India's Madan Lal bowled the first ball of the World Cup history to England's Denis Amiss at Lord's on June 7, 1975.
• Australia is the only team thus far in the history of World Cup to remain undefeated throughout the World Cup (in both 2003 and 2007 World Cups).
• Australian seamer Glenn McGrath (71) is the highest wicket-taker in World Cups so far.
• The 1992 World Cup co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand was the first World Cup where matches were played under lights.
• The 1992 World Cup co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand was the first World Cup in which white cricket balls and coloured team uniforms were introduced.
• Australia is the only country to win three consecutive World Cup titles. Aussies have won the tournament in 1999, 2003 and 2007.
• All players had worn the traditional white uniform and red balls were used during the initial four editions of the cricket World Cup.
• Mohammad Kaif has held most catches in a World Cup match. He took 4 catches against Sri Lanka at Johannesburg on March 10, 2003.
• England have played the World Cup final three times - in 1979, 1987 and 1992 - but have never won it.

• Wasim Akram completed his 500 ODI wickets during the 2003 World Cup.
• Sunil Gavaskar's only ODI century came off 85 balls and it came in the same match in which Chetan Sharma took the World Cup's first hat-trick.
• Chetan Sharma took the World Cup's first hat-trick. He achieved the feat against New Zealand at Nagpur on October 31, 1987.
• Since their 10-run loss to Pakistan on May 23, 1999, Australia have not lost even a single match at the World Cup.
• Making his debut during the 1975 edition, Javed Miandad has played in most World Cups - six.
• Ricky Ponting and Glenn McGrath have played 39 matches each in the World Cup, the most for players.
• In the 2003 World Cup, Pakistan's Shoaib Akhtar, bowled cricket's first recorded 100 mph delivery. At the receiving end was England's Nick Knight.
• Sri Lanka became the first side batting second to win the World Cup when they beat Australia in the 1996 World Cup final.