The recent retirement of England&#8217;s star all-rounder Ben Stokes has made the cricketing fraternity question the viability of ODIs in the grueling international calendar. With the emergence of domestic T20 leagues and the significance of red-ball cricket elevated by the introduction of WTC, the future of ODI cricket is hanging by a thread.

But with an ODI World Cup looming large next year, the format is guaranteed to be prolonged until the ICC event. While the consensus is divided on the value of ODIs, one irrefutable thing is the memorable moments that ODI World Cup has produced through the years. Bearing in mind the event next year in India, here are some of the most iconic moments from the prestigious tournament, imprinted in the memories of every cricket fan.

1. Kapil Dev&#8217;s catch to dismiss Viv Richards in 1983 World Cup final

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-676696" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Kapil-Devs-catch-to-dismiss-Viv-Richards-in-the-1983-WC-final-1.jpg" alt="Kapil Dev's catch to dismiss Viv Richards in the 1983 WC final." width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-676696" class="wp-caption-text">Kapil Dev&#8217;s catch to dismiss Viv Richards in the 1983 WC final. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>

India squared up against a star-studded West Indies side in the final of the 1983 World Cup. India&#8217;s appearance in the final was not only a shock to the cricketing nation but even to some of the players themselves, as they were not expected to make it out of group stages, let alone be in the final.

But as the underdogs did throughout the tournament, they overcame monumental odds again to get over the line in a dramatic finale against the Caribbean side. While India&#8217;s proficient all-rounder Mohinder Amarnath was named the player of the match for his handy contribution with the bat and a decisive bowling performance of 3/12, the match turned with a moment of brilliance from Indian skipper Kapil Dev.

West Indies, the defending champions, were cruising in their chase of 183 and the Indians were under the pump as the mercurial Viv Richards was in a menacing mood before <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/averages-50-at-almost-140-usman-khawaja-takes-a-jibe-at-kapil-devs-comment-on-virat-kohli/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Kapil Dev</strong></a> plucked a sensational catch running from midwicket towards the ropes. The Indian skipper&#8217;s catch is one of the most iconic moments in the history of the sport and changed the complexion of cricket in India as they bundled out the two-time champions for 140 to lift a historic maiden title, inspiring generations of cricketers to follow.

2. Allan Donald&#8217;s run-out in 1999 World Cup semi-final against Australia

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-676038" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Alan-Donalds-run-out-in-the-1999-WC-semi-final-against-Australia.jpg" alt="Alan Donald's run-out in the 1999 WC semi-final against Australia" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-676038" class="wp-caption-text">Allan Donald&#8217;s run-out in the 1999 WC semi-final against Australia. (Photo Source: Twitter/CA)</figcaption>

South Africa have produced some outrageously talented cricketers through the years and have been one of the powerhouses in ODI cricket. But the Proteas have been blighted by misfortune in ICC events, whether it is the agonising 1992 World Cup semi-final loss to England on grounds of baffling rules for bad weather, or the 2003 WC clash against Sri Lanka that saw them bow out of the tournament via Duckworth-Lewis method.

In the above-mentioned incidents, the rules worked against the Proteas, but in the 1999 WC semi-final clash against <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-teams/australia/?page=1"><strong>Australia</strong></a>, they had no one else to blame. Chasing Australia&#8217;s 213, The Proteas were pushed on the backfoot after the magical Shane Warne dismissed four of their top five batters. But Lance Klusener was striking the ball as a man possessed, and with nine runs needed off the final over with nine wickets down, Klusener hit Damien Fleming for consecutive boundaries on the first two deliveries.

The match was seemingly over with the scores lever and South Africa needing just one run to make it to their first final in WC history, but that&#8217;s when chaos ensued as an inexplicable decision from Alan Donald, the non-striker, in an attempt to complete a non-existent single, saw both the batters stranded at one end and Donald was run out to the jubilation of the Aussies who snatched victory from the jaws of defeat. Australia made it to the finals as they had defeated their opponents earlier in the tournament in the group stages, a match they would have lost had South Africa&#8217;s Herschelle Gibbs held onto the infamous dropped catch of Steve Waugh.

3. Herschelle Gibbs&#8217; six sixes in 2007 World Cup

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-676040" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Herschelle-Gibbs-six-sixes-in-the-2007-World-Cup.jpg" alt="Herschelle Gibbs' six sixes in the 2007 World Cup" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-676040" class="wp-caption-text">Herschelle Gibbs&#8217; six sixes in the 2007 World Cup. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>

South Africa locked horns with minnows Netherlands in a group stage match at Warner Park in Basseterre. The rain curtailed game, which was reduced to 40 overs per side, saw the Proteas bat first. <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-teams/south-africa/"><strong>South Africa</strong></a> were in a commanding position with 178/2 in 29 overs and were looking for a strong finish, but an unforeseen event followed next.

Dutch leg spinner Daan van Bunge came onto bowl in the 30th over against Herschelle Gibbs and the Proteas batter launched the leggie out of the park on the first delivery and the second and the third and just kept mauling the leather ball. He smacked a historic six sixes in that over to become the first man ever to do so in international cricket.

Only three cricketers have managed the feat in international cricket since Gibbs&#8217; belligerence, but he is the only batter to do so in an ODI World Cup. The right-hand batter finished 72 off 40 as South Africa trounced the Dutch by 221 runs after registering 353/4 in their 40 overs.

4. Sachin Tendulkar carried around on the shoulders of Indian players in 2011

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-676052" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Indian-players-carrying-Sachin-Tendulkar-on-their-shoulders-in-Mumbai.jpg" alt="Indian players carrying Sachin Tendulkar on their shoulders in Mumbai" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-676052" class="wp-caption-text">Indian players carrying Sachin Tendulkar on their shoulders in Mumbai. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>

The Indian team led by &#8216;Captain Cool&#8217; <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/sl-vs-pak-niroshan-dickwella-executes-ms-dhoni-like-stumping-to-dismiss-imam-ul-haq/"><strong>MS Dhoni</strong></a> ended the nation&#8217;s 28-year-long wait for a World Cup title by lifting the 2011 WC Trophy against Sri Lanka in front of a jam-packed Wankhede stadium in Mumbai. The home team defeated their neighbours by six wickets to clinch their second title in front of their home crowd.

Indian skipper, who was the protagonist for the Men in Blues in the chase, finished the match with an iconic six, which has been replayed umpteen times by the Indian fans. But it was a fairytale finish for the legendary Sachin Tendulkar, who was appearing in his sixth and last World Cup, as he finally got his hand on the elusive trophy.

The Indian players carried the batting maestro on their shoulders in front of his home crowd of Mumbai with the Indian flag held in the hands of India&#8217;s favourite son, a picture that is arguably the most endearing piece of memory for every Indian. Sachin bowed out of the tournament with 45 appearances (the second most) and 2,278 runs (the most by an individual batter in World Cup history).

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-345203" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Ben-Stokes.jpg" alt="Ben Stokes" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-345203" class="wp-caption-text">Ben Stokes. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)</figcaption>

The 2019 World Cup final will go down in history as the most dramatic cricketing match in history. The Home of Cricket witnessed two great cricketing nations in New Zealand and England separated by boundary counts in the finale.

England won the final to lift their maiden World Cup trophy by the closest margin imaginable as they beat the Kiwis on boundary count after the match was tied and was followed by an astonishingly tied Super Over, but all that only for England emerge victorious by the virtue of hitting 26 boundaries to New Zealand&#8217;s 17 in the match.

The match itself had grueling drama, with the most prominent one being the ball trickling to the boundary after being deflected off <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/always-looked-up-to-him-sam-curran-wants-to-emulate-ben-stokes-for-england-in-odis/"><strong>Ben Stokes</strong></a>&#8216; bat off a throw from the Kiwi fielder during a crucial juncture of England&#8217;s chase. The decision to award that boundary and then to later decide the winner of the tournament based on boundaries did not please the New Zealand fans one bit, but all that was soaked up by a smiling Kane Williamson, who remained graceful even in the most heartbreaking of defeats in cricket.

Indian players carrying Sachin Tendulkar on their shoulders in Mumbai

<p>The recent retirement of England’s star all-rounder Ben Stokes has made the cricketing fraternity question the viability of ODIs in the grueling international calendar. With the emergence of domestic T20 leagues and the significance of red-ball cricket elevated by the introduction of WTC, the future of ODI cricket is hanging by a thread.</p>
<p>But with an ODI World Cup looming large next year, the format is guaranteed to be prolonged until the ICC event. While the consensus is divided on the value of ODIs, one irrefutable thing is the memorable moments that ODI World Cup has produced through the years. Bearing in mind the event next year in India, here are some of the most iconic moments from the prestigious tournament, imprinted in the memories of every cricket fan.</p>
<h3>1. Kapil Dev’s catch to dismiss Viv Richards in 1983 World Cup final</h3>
<figure id="attachment_676696" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-676696" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-676696" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Kapil-Devs-catch-to-dismiss-Viv-Richards-in-the-1983-WC-final-1.jpg" alt="Kapil Dev's catch to dismiss Viv Richards in the 1983 WC final." width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-676696" class="wp-caption-text">Kapil Dev’s catch to dismiss Viv Richards in the 1983 WC final. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption></figure>
<p>India squared up against a star-studded West Indies side in the final of the 1983 World Cup. India’s appearance in the final was not only a shock to the cricketing nation but even to some of the players themselves, as they were not expected to make it out of group stages, let alone be in the final.</p>
<p>But as the underdogs did throughout the tournament, they overcame monumental odds again to get over the line in a dramatic finale against the Caribbean side. While India’s proficient all-rounder Mohinder Amarnath was named the player of the match for his handy contribution with the bat and a decisive bowling performance of 3/12, the match turned with a moment of brilliance from Indian skipper Kapil Dev.</p>
<p>West Indies, the defending champions, were cruising in their chase of 183 and the Indians were under the pump as the mercurial Viv Richards was in a menacing mood before <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/averages-50-at-almost-140-usman-khawaja-takes-a-jibe-at-kapil-devs-comment-on-virat-kohli/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Kapil Dev</strong></a> plucked a sensational catch running from midwicket towards the ropes. The Indian skipper’s catch is one of the most iconic moments in the history of the sport and changed the complexion of cricket in India as they bundled out the two-time champions for 140 to lift a historic maiden title, inspiring generations of cricketers to follow.</p>
<h3>2. Allan Donald’s run-out in 1999 World Cup semi-final against Australia</h3>
<figure id="attachment_676038" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-676038" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-676038" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Alan-Donalds-run-out-in-the-1999-WC-semi-final-against-Australia.jpg" alt="Alan Donald's run-out in the 1999 WC semi-final against Australia" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-676038" class="wp-caption-text">Allan Donald’s run-out in the 1999 WC semi-final against Australia. (Photo Source: Twitter/CA)</figcaption></figure>
<p>South Africa have produced some outrageously talented cricketers through the years and have been one of the powerhouses in ODI cricket. But the Proteas have been blighted by misfortune in ICC events, whether it is the agonising 1992 World Cup semi-final loss to England on grounds of baffling rules for bad weather, or the 2003 WC clash against Sri Lanka that saw them bow out of the tournament via Duckworth-Lewis method.</p>
<p>In the above-mentioned incidents, the rules worked against the Proteas, but in the 1999 WC semi-final clash against <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-teams/australia/?page=1"><strong>Australia</strong></a>, they had no one else to blame. Chasing Australia’s 213, The Proteas were pushed on the backfoot after the magical Shane Warne dismissed four of their top five batters. But Lance Klusener was striking the ball as a man possessed, and with nine runs needed off the final over with nine wickets down, Klusener hit Damien Fleming for consecutive boundaries on the first two deliveries.</p>
<p>The match was seemingly over with the scores lever and South Africa needing just one run to make it to their first final in WC history, but that’s when chaos ensued as an inexplicable decision from Alan Donald, the non-striker, in an attempt to complete a non-existent single, saw both the batters stranded at one end and Donald was run out to the jubilation of the Aussies who snatched victory from the jaws of defeat. Australia made it to the finals as they had defeated their opponents earlier in the tournament in the group stages, a match they would have lost had South Africa’s Herschelle Gibbs held onto the infamous dropped catch of Steve Waugh.</p>
<h3>3. Herschelle Gibbs’ six sixes in 2007 World Cup</h3>
<figure id="attachment_676040" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-676040" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-676040" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Herschelle-Gibbs-six-sixes-in-the-2007-World-Cup.jpg" alt="Herschelle Gibbs' six sixes in the 2007 World Cup" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-676040" class="wp-caption-text">Herschelle Gibbs’ six sixes in the 2007 World Cup. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption></figure>
<p>South Africa locked horns with minnows Netherlands in a group stage match at Warner Park in Basseterre. The rain curtailed game, which was reduced to 40 overs per side, saw the Proteas bat first. <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-teams/south-africa/"><strong>South Africa</strong></a> were in a commanding position with 178/2 in 29 overs and were looking for a strong finish, but an unforeseen event followed next.</p>
<p>Dutch leg spinner Daan van Bunge came onto bowl in the 30th over against Herschelle Gibbs and the Proteas batter launched the leggie out of the park on the first delivery and the second and the third and just kept mauling the leather ball. He smacked a historic six sixes in that over to become the first man ever to do so in international cricket.</p>
<p>Only three cricketers have managed the feat in international cricket since Gibbs’ belligerence, but he is the only batter to do so in an ODI World Cup. The right-hand batter finished 72 off 40 as South Africa trounced the Dutch by 221 runs after registering 353/4 in their 40 overs.</p>
<h3>4. Sachin Tendulkar carried around on the shoulders of Indian players in 2011</h3>
<figure id="attachment_676052" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-676052" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-676052" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Indian-players-carrying-Sachin-Tendulkar-on-their-shoulders-in-Mumbai.jpg" alt="Indian players carrying Sachin Tendulkar on their shoulders in Mumbai" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-676052" class="wp-caption-text">Indian players carrying Sachin Tendulkar on their shoulders in Mumbai. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption></figure>
<p>The Indian team led by ‘Captain Cool’ <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/sl-vs-pak-niroshan-dickwella-executes-ms-dhoni-like-stumping-to-dismiss-imam-ul-haq/"><strong>MS Dhoni</strong></a> ended the nation’s 28-year-long wait for a World Cup title by lifting the 2011 WC Trophy against Sri Lanka in front of a jam-packed Wankhede stadium in Mumbai. The home team defeated their neighbours by six wickets to clinch their second title in front of their home crowd.</p>
<p>Indian skipper, who was the protagonist for the Men in Blues in the chase, finished the match with an iconic six, which has been replayed umpteen times by the Indian fans. But it was a fairytale finish for the legendary Sachin Tendulkar, who was appearing in his sixth and last World Cup, as he finally got his hand on the elusive trophy.</p>
<p>The Indian players carried the batting maestro on their shoulders in front of his home crowd of Mumbai with the Indian flag held in the hands of India’s favourite son, a picture that is arguably the most endearing piece of memory for every Indian. Sachin bowed out of the tournament with 45 appearances (the second most) and 2,278 runs (the most by an individual batter in World Cup history).</p>
<h3>5. The drama of the 2019 World Cup final</h3>
<figure id="attachment_345203" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-345203" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-345203" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Ben-Stokes.jpg" alt="Ben Stokes" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-345203" class="wp-caption-text">Ben Stokes. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
<p>The 2019 World Cup final will go down in history as the most dramatic cricketing match in history. The Home of Cricket witnessed two great cricketing nations in New Zealand and England separated by boundary counts in the finale.</p>
<p>England won the final to lift their maiden World Cup trophy by the closest margin imaginable as they beat the Kiwis on boundary count after the match was tied and was followed by an astonishingly tied Super Over, but all that only for England emerge victorious by the virtue of hitting 26 boundaries to New Zealand’s 17 in the match.</p>
<p>The match itself had grueling drama, with the most prominent one being the ball trickling to the boundary after being deflected off <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/always-looked-up-to-him-sam-curran-wants-to-emulate-ben-stokes-for-england-in-odis/"><strong>Ben Stokes</strong></a>‘ bat off a throw from the Kiwi fielder during a crucial juncture of England’s chase. The decision to award that boundary and then to later decide the winner of the tournament based on boundaries did not please the New Zealand fans one bit, but all that was soaked up by a smiling Kane Williamson, who remained graceful even in the most heartbreaking of defeats in cricket.</p>

<p>The recent retirement of England&#8217;s star all-rounder Ben Stokes has made the cricketing fraternity question the viability of ODIs in the grueling international calendar. With the emergence of domestic T20 leagues and the significance of red-ball cricket elevated by the introduction of WTC, the future of ODI cricket is hanging by a thread.</p>
<p>But with an ODI World Cup looming large next year, the format is guaranteed to be prolonged until the ICC event. While the consensus is divided on the value of ODIs, one irrefutable thing is the memorable moments that ODI World Cup has produced through the years. Bearing in mind the event next year in India, here are some of the most iconic moments from the prestigious tournament, imprinted in the memories of every cricket fan.</p>
<h3>1. Kapil Dev&#8217;s catch to dismiss Viv Richards in 1983 World Cup final</h3>
<figure id="attachment_676696" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-676696" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-676696" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Kapil-Devs-catch-to-dismiss-Viv-Richards-in-the-1983-WC-final-1.jpg" alt="Kapil Dev's catch to dismiss Viv Richards in the 1983 WC final." width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-676696" class="wp-caption-text">Kapil Dev&#8217;s catch to dismiss Viv Richards in the 1983 WC final. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption></figure>
<p>India squared up against a star-studded West Indies side in the final of the 1983 World Cup. India&#8217;s appearance in the final was not only a shock to the cricketing nation but even to some of the players themselves, as they were not expected to make it out of group stages, let alone be in the final.</p>
<p>But as the underdogs did throughout the tournament, they overcame monumental odds again to get over the line in a dramatic finale against the Caribbean side. While India&#8217;s proficient all-rounder Mohinder Amarnath was named the player of the match for his handy contribution with the bat and a decisive bowling performance of 3/12, the match turned with a moment of brilliance from Indian skipper Kapil Dev.</p>
<p>West Indies, the defending champions, were cruising in their chase of 183 and the Indians were under the pump as the mercurial Viv Richards was in a menacing mood before <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/averages-50-at-almost-140-usman-khawaja-takes-a-jibe-at-kapil-devs-comment-on-virat-kohli/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Kapil Dev</strong></a> plucked a sensational catch running from midwicket towards the ropes. The Indian skipper&#8217;s catch is one of the most iconic moments in the history of the sport and changed the complexion of cricket in India as they bundled out the two-time champions for 140 to lift a historic maiden title, inspiring generations of cricketers to follow.</p>
<h3>2. Allan Donald&#8217;s run-out in 1999 World Cup semi-final against Australia</h3>
<figure id="attachment_676038" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-676038" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-676038" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Alan-Donalds-run-out-in-the-1999-WC-semi-final-against-Australia.jpg" alt="Alan Donald's run-out in the 1999 WC semi-final against Australia" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-676038" class="wp-caption-text">Allan Donald&#8217;s run-out in the 1999 WC semi-final against Australia. (Photo Source: Twitter/CA)</figcaption></figure>
<p>South Africa have produced some outrageously talented cricketers through the years and have been one of the powerhouses in ODI cricket. But the Proteas have been blighted by misfortune in ICC events, whether it is the agonising 1992 World Cup semi-final loss to England on grounds of baffling rules for bad weather, or the 2003 WC clash against Sri Lanka that saw them bow out of the tournament via Duckworth-Lewis method.</p>
<p>In the above-mentioned incidents, the rules worked against the Proteas, but in the 1999 WC semi-final clash against <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-teams/australia/?page=1"><strong>Australia</strong></a>, they had no one else to blame. Chasing Australia&#8217;s 213, The Proteas were pushed on the backfoot after the magical Shane Warne dismissed four of their top five batters. But Lance Klusener was striking the ball as a man possessed, and with nine runs needed off the final over with nine wickets down, Klusener hit Damien Fleming for consecutive boundaries on the first two deliveries.</p>
<p>The match was seemingly over with the scores lever and South Africa needing just one run to make it to their first final in WC history, but that&#8217;s when chaos ensued as an inexplicable decision from Alan Donald, the non-striker, in an attempt to complete a non-existent single, saw both the batters stranded at one end and Donald was run out to the jubilation of the Aussies who snatched victory from the jaws of defeat. Australia made it to the finals as they had defeated their opponents earlier in the tournament in the group stages, a match they would have lost had South Africa&#8217;s Herschelle Gibbs held onto the infamous dropped catch of Steve Waugh.</p>
<h3>3. Herschelle Gibbs&#8217; six sixes in 2007 World Cup</h3>
<figure id="attachment_676040" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-676040" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-676040" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Herschelle-Gibbs-six-sixes-in-the-2007-World-Cup.jpg" alt="Herschelle Gibbs' six sixes in the 2007 World Cup" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-676040" class="wp-caption-text">Herschelle Gibbs&#8217; six sixes in the 2007 World Cup. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption></figure>
<p>South Africa locked horns with minnows Netherlands in a group stage match at Warner Park in Basseterre. The rain curtailed game, which was reduced to 40 overs per side, saw the Proteas bat first. <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-teams/south-africa/"><strong>South Africa</strong></a> were in a commanding position with 178/2 in 29 overs and were looking for a strong finish, but an unforeseen event followed next.</p>
<p>Dutch leg spinner Daan van Bunge came onto bowl in the 30th over against Herschelle Gibbs and the Proteas batter launched the leggie out of the park on the first delivery and the second and the third and just kept mauling the leather ball. He smacked a historic six sixes in that over to become the first man ever to do so in international cricket.</p>
<p>Only three cricketers have managed the feat in international cricket since Gibbs&#8217; belligerence, but he is the only batter to do so in an ODI World Cup. The right-hand batter finished 72 off 40 as South Africa trounced the Dutch by 221 runs after registering 353/4 in their 40 overs.</p>
<h3>4. Sachin Tendulkar carried around on the shoulders of Indian players in 2011</h3>
<figure id="attachment_676052" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-676052" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-676052" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Indian-players-carrying-Sachin-Tendulkar-on-their-shoulders-in-Mumbai.jpg" alt="Indian players carrying Sachin Tendulkar on their shoulders in Mumbai" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-676052" class="wp-caption-text">Indian players carrying Sachin Tendulkar on their shoulders in Mumbai. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption></figure>
<p>The Indian team led by &#8216;Captain Cool&#8217; <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/sl-vs-pak-niroshan-dickwella-executes-ms-dhoni-like-stumping-to-dismiss-imam-ul-haq/"><strong>MS Dhoni</strong></a> ended the nation&#8217;s 28-year-long wait for a World Cup title by lifting the 2011 WC Trophy against Sri Lanka in front of a jam-packed Wankhede stadium in Mumbai. The home team defeated their neighbours by six wickets to clinch their second title in front of their home crowd.</p>
<p>Indian skipper, who was the protagonist for the Men in Blues in the chase, finished the match with an iconic six, which has been replayed umpteen times by the Indian fans. But it was a fairytale finish for the legendary Sachin Tendulkar, who was appearing in his sixth and last World Cup, as he finally got his hand on the elusive trophy.</p>
<p>The Indian players carried the batting maestro on their shoulders in front of his home crowd of Mumbai with the Indian flag held in the hands of India&#8217;s favourite son, a picture that is arguably the most endearing piece of memory for every Indian. Sachin bowed out of the tournament with 45 appearances (the second most) and 2,278 runs (the most by an individual batter in World Cup history).</p>
<h3>5. The drama of the 2019 World Cup final</h3>
<figure id="attachment_345203" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-345203" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-345203" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Ben-Stokes.jpg" alt="Ben Stokes" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-345203" class="wp-caption-text">Ben Stokes. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
<p>The 2019 World Cup final will go down in history as the most dramatic cricketing match in history. The Home of Cricket witnessed two great cricketing nations in New Zealand and England separated by boundary counts in the finale.</p>
<p>England won the final to lift their maiden World Cup trophy by the closest margin imaginable as they beat the Kiwis on boundary count after the match was tied and was followed by an astonishingly tied Super Over, but all that only for England emerge victorious by the virtue of hitting 26 boundaries to New Zealand&#8217;s 17 in the match.</p>
<p>The match itself had grueling drama, with the most prominent one being the ball trickling to the boundary after being deflected off <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/always-looked-up-to-him-sam-curran-wants-to-emulate-ben-stokes-for-england-in-odis/"><strong>Ben Stokes</strong></a>&#8216; bat off a throw from the Kiwi fielder during a crucial juncture of England&#8217;s chase. The decision to award that boundary and then to later decide the winner of the tournament based on boundaries did not please the New Zealand fans one bit, but all that was soaked up by a smiling Kane Williamson, who remained graceful even in the most heartbreaking of defeats in cricket.</p>

The ODI World Cup is still the most prestigious tournament in cricket, being the oldest tournament in cricket history.

Top 5 moments in ODI World Cup history

Bearing in mind the event next year in India, we remember some of the most iconic moments from the prestigious tournament, the ODI World Cup