In its 48-year history, the ICC ODI World Cup has produced a number of iconic cricketers who have repeatedly changed the game with their incredible performances. Every country’s greatest ambition is to win the World Cup, but in order to accomplish this greatest honor in cricket, a team needs a few players with steely nerves who can turn the tide of play in even the most dire circumstances.
Several players have excelled during the competition to help their team come closer to the coveted prize in the last 12 ODI World Cup editions. A unique “Player of the Tournament” award was instituted in 1992 to recognize their extraordinary accomplishments.
Martin Crowe, the renowned captain of New Zealand, won the inaugural Player of the Tournament title in the history of the World Cup after scoring 456 runs in nine innings. In the 1996 edition, Sanath Jayasuriya won the prize after amassing 221 runs and claiming seven wickets during the competition.
In the 1999 season, Lance Klusener won the esteemed honor after amassing 281 runs and claiming 17 wickets. The trophy was given to the legendary Sachin Tendulkar in 2003, the year his team lost the World Cup final to Australia in a devastating fashion. With a record 673 runs, Tendulkar emerged as the tournament’s best run scorer.
After taking a tournament record of 26 wickets and winning Player of the Tournament in the 2007 World Cup, Glenn McGrath celebrated the end of his international career in style. Yuvraj Singh earned the coveted trophy in the 2011 edition after turning up one of the best all-around performances in the tournament’s history with 362 runs and 15 wickets.
In 2015, Mitchell Starc earned the prized award after taking 22 wickets to lead Australia to their sixth title victory. In 2019, Kane Williamson received the award for his outstanding captaincy and 578 runs scored.
Check out the complete list of Player of the Tournament winners in ODI World Cup history here:
| World Cup Edition | Player Of The Tournament Winner |
| 1992 | Martin Crowe (456 runs, 9 innings) |
| 1996 | Sanath Jayasuriya (221 runs, 7 wickets) |
| 1999 | Lance Klusener (281 runs, 17 wickets) |
| 2003 | Sachin Tendulkar (673 runs, 11 innings) |
| 2007 | Glenn McGrath (26 wickets, 11 matches) |
| 2011 | Yuvraj Singh (362 runs, 15 wickets, 9 matches) |
| 2015 | Mitchell Starc (22 wickets, 8 matches) |
| 2019 | Kane Williamson (578 runs, 11 matches) |
| 2023 | TBA |
India
