World Cup Winner Captain List

After the Olympics, the most significant sports competition across the globe is the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup. The hype of the tournament is unbelievable. Cricket fans all over the World are crazy over this tournament. Everyone waits for this tournament for four long years. In these four years, everyone calculates their favorite team’s performance for the upcoming World Cup. 

It is also a stage where everyone wants to set an example whether as a team or as an individual or as a captain. Winning a trophy as a captain is the biggest achievement in a player’s career. This achievement puts another feather on any captain’s crown. With this prestigious title, a captain becomes forever memorable. 

In this article, we explore the list of World Cup-winning captains over the years who set a prestigious example in world cricket.

World Cup Winner Captain List:

Clive Llyod:

Clive Lloyd led the West Indies for two consecutive World Cups and gave them victory in those two editions. He was known for his fabulous leadership, building team unity, and aggressive batting style. His batting style was the key strength of the team. Under his captaincy, West Indies discovered a new side in pace bowling. He spread his aggressive nature among the team and that team dominated the opponent over the years.

Decision-making was one of his best abilities. He used to be calm in the time of decision-making. This quality has always had a good impact on the team. In his captaincy period, he made West Indies the most test-playing nation in the history of cricket.

He was the first captain to lift the World Cup. In 1975, under Lloyd’s captaincy West Indies defeated Australia in the final and named the maiden World Cup trophy. Lloyd was the Man of the Match.

Exactly four years later, he recreated the history. West Indies named the trophy for the second time under his captaincy. In 1979, the West Indies defeated England by 92 runs and became the World Champion again.  

Kapil Dev:

Kapil Dev is the first-ever World Cup-winning captain of India. In 1983, under Kapil Dev’s captaincy, India won their maiden World Cup Trophy.  He has played 24 World Cup Innings. His highest score in the World Cup is 175*. His batting average is 37.17. He took 28 wickets and had a four-wicket haul. His best bowling figure is 5/43. As a captain, he has won 11 matches and lost 4 matches.      

Before that win, West Indies was dominating world cricket. India won the trophy by defeating West Indies. Kapil Dev had a great contribution in winning the World Cup. In the final Kapil Dev took 1 wicket in 21 runs. Madan Lal took 3 wickets in 31 runs. Mohinder Amarnath took 3 wickets in 12 runs. India won the trophy by 43 runs. 

Allan Border:

 Allan Border was the first World Cup-winning captain of Australia. In the year 1987, under Border’s captaincy, Australia won their maiden World Cup trophy. They faced England in the finals. 

Australia won the toss and decided to bat first. Aussie opener David Boon scored 75 by 125 balls. Other teammates supported Boon to score the runs on the final stage. Australia put a target of 253/5.

England didn’t start well. Their opener got out on golden duck. Graham Gooch scored 35 and Bill Athey 58. Mike Gatting scored 41 and Allan Lamb scored 45. Border brings Australia into the game by dismissing them. In the end, they won the World Cup.

Imran Khan:

Imran Khan is the first and only World Cup-winning captain of Pakistan. He represented Pakistan from 1971 to 1992. He took part in five world cups. Under his captaincy, in 1987, he led Pakistan to the semifinals and they were knocked out of that tournament.

In 1992, Pakistan won the toss and decided to bat first. Their openers didn’t score well. Captain Imran Khan scored 72 in 110 balls. It contained 5 boundaries and 1 over boundaries. Miandad gave him valuable support. He scored 58 out of 98 balls. He smashed 4 boundaries in that match. Pakistan put 249/6 on the board.

In the second innings, opener Graham Gooch scored 29 out of 66 balls. Neil Fairbrother scored 62 out of 70 balls. Any other English batters didn’t stand tall in front of the Pakistani bowling lineup. They got all out on 227. Pakistan won the match by 22 runs. With that win, they named the title.

Arjuna Ranatunga:

The talented left-handed batter of Sri Lanka, Arjuna Ranatunga led the country in the 1996 World Cup and ended up as the winner. He was a dominating figure of Sri Lanka in World Cricket. He has a great contribution to Sri Lankan cricket history.

In the final match, Sri Lanka won the toss and decided to bowl first. They faced Australia in the final. In the first innings, Australia gave a smooth start. Mark Taylor scored 74 out of 83. He smashed 8 boundaries and one over boundaries. Ricky Ponting scored 45 out of 73 balls. They scored 241/7 at the end.

In the second innings, Sri Lankan openers were not in a very good state. But Aravinda de Silva stole the show. He scored 107 in 124 balls by smashing 13 boundaries. He remained not out till last. Captain Rabatunga scored 47 out of 37 balls. He smashed 4 boundaries and over boundaries. Sri Lanka won the match by 7 wickets and won the maiden trophy.

Steve Waugh:

Australia is undoubtedly the most successful team in the World Cup. They have won five titles in this biggest tournament. Steve Waugh was one of the most successful captains in Aussie cricket history. After 12 years of wait, under his captaincy, Australia won the title in 1999 for the second time. He has established a different kind of self-belief in the team which made them unstoppable.

Australia faced Pakistan in the finals. Pakistan won the toss and decided to bat first. It was not a good day for Pakistan. Opener Saeed Anwar scored 17 out of 15 balls with 3 boundaries. Abdul Razzaq scored 17 out of 51 balls. Izaj Ahmed scored 22 out of 46 balls. They got all out on 132 runs.

It was an easy target for Australia. Adam Gilchrist scored 54 out of 36 runs with 8 boundaries and one over boundary. Ricky Ponting scored 24 out of 27 balls. Mark Waugh remained not out on 37 out of 52 balls and Darren Lehman scored 13 in 9 balls and stayed unbeaten. They won the match by eight wickets and named the trophy for the second time.

Ricky Ponting:

Rickey Ponting was the all-time successful captain for Australia and as well as world cricket. He won two consecutive World Cup titles for Australia. In 2003 and later in 2007 Australia conquered the biggest stage under Ponting’s captaincy. 

In the 2003 World Cup, they defeated India by 125 runs. Captain Ricky Ponting was awarded Man of the Match for scoring a century in the final. In 2007, Australia defeated Sri Lanka by 53 runs. Adam Gilchrist scored a terrific 149 in the finals. They grabbed the trophy opponent. With those wins, Ponting enters the elite club and equals the record with Clive Lloyd.

MS Dhoni:

MS Dhoni is one of the most successful captains of India. He has won several ICC trophies including the World Cup in 2011. India won the trophy right after 1983. Throughout the tournament, India was just unstoppable. Every player was in good rhythm. 

India was hosting the tournament that year. Expectations were high. On that day, Sri Lanka won the toss and decided to bat first. Mahela Jayawardene played an amazing knock of 103 in 88 balls and remained not out. Sri Lanka threw a target of 275 to India.

In the second inning, Sehwag got out on a duck. Tendulkar also got out quickly Gautam Gambhir scored 97 out of 122 balls. In the end, Dhoni hit the winning six and remained not out on 91 runs. India won the match by 6 wickets and named the title for the second time.

Michel Clarke:

2015 was again the best year of Australian cricket. Michel Clarke won the fifth title for Australia as captain. By that win, Australia set a new record of winning the World Cup five times.

In 2015, New Zealand and Australia locked horns in the final match.  In that match, New Zealand won the toss and elected to bat first. But the decision didn’t work for them. They got out quickly. Grant Elliott scored 83 out of 82 balls. That was the highest score of their side. They got all out 183 runs.

In the second innings, David Warner scored 45 out of 46 balls. Captain Clarke scored 74 on 72 balls and got out. Steve Smith was not out by scoring 56 in 71 balls. Australia won the match by 7 wickets and won the trophy for the fifth time.

Eoin Morgan:

2019 was the last World Cup season till now. That was the most exciting one. Eoin Morgan became the first captain from England to win a World Cup title. That trophy was their maiden trophy.

New Zealand and England met for the final clash. NZ won the toss and chose to bat first. Henry Nicholls scored 55 in 77 balls. Captain Kane Williamson scored 30 out of 53 balls. Tom Latham scored 47 out of 56 balls. They challenged the opponent with a target of 242 runs

In the second innings, England didn’t start well. Jason Roy got out for 17 runs in 20 balls. Bairstow scored 36 out of 55 balls. Buttler scored 59 out of 60 balls. Ben Stokes remained not out on 84 in 98 balls. They tied the total at the end.

It had to go for a super over. While batting in the super over, England scored 15 in an over. Gave a target to New Zealand to score 16. But while chasing, they could not finish on the high. England won their maiden title with this nail-biting win.

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