ICC ODI World Cup Winners List (From 1975 To 2025)

Since its inception in 1975, the Cricket World Cup has given fans many unforgettable moments in the history of the game. Over the years, various countries and players have shown extraordinary skill and made a name for themselves worldwide by winning the trophy. This detailed list of ODI World Cup winners highlights each edition of the tournament and provides information about the champions, host nations and some important moments.

The ODI Cricket World Cup is one of the most exciting events in international cricket. Organised by the International Cricket Council (ICC), it is held every four years in the One-Day International (ODI) format. The matches are full of excitement, and the excitement among cricket fans remains high as teams from different countries compete to become the world champions. The first men’s Cricket World Cup was held in England in 1975. Since then, it has become a major festival of cricket, celebrated worldwide. Each new World Cup brings memorable matches, great performances by famous players and dramatic victories that are etched in cricket history forever.

History Of ODI World Cup

The first international cricket match was played between Canada and the United States on 24 and 25 September 1844. The first officially recognised Test match was played between Australia and England in 1877. Since then, the two teams have played several matches regularly, which later became known as the ‘Ashes’ series. In 1889, South Africa was granted Test status. Teams from different countries began touring each other’s countries, which helped the development of international cricket. Cricket was also included in the 1900 Paris Olympic Games, where Great Britain won the gold medal by defeating France. This was the only appearance of cricket at the Summer Olympics.

The first international tournament involving more than two teams was held in 1912. It was called the Triangular Tournament and was played in England between the only Test-playing nations at the time, England, Australia and South Africa. The tournament was a failure due to heavy rain, wet pitches and low turnout. Many felt that too much cricket was being played. After this failure, Test cricket continued mainly as a bilateral series. No other multi-team Test tournament was held until the Asian Test Championship in 1999. Over time, many more countries joined Test cricket. The West Indies achieved Test status in 1928, New Zealand in 1930, India in 1932 and Pakistan in 1952. Despite the increase in the number of teams, international cricket was mainly played as bilateral Test series of three to five days.

In the early 1960s, English county teams began playing a shorter version of cricket that finished in a single day. In 1962, a four-team knockout tournament called the Midlands Knock-out Cup was started. This was followed by the Gillette Cup in 1963. One-day cricket became very popular in England. The National Sunday League was also started in 1969. The first One Day International match was played in Melbourne in 1971, when a Test match between England and Australia was abandoned due to rain. The match was played with forty overs per innings and eight balls per over. Australia won the match by five wickets. The success of the one day match encouraged the ICC to consider starting a Cricket World Cup.

World Cup(1975-1983)

The first Cricket World Cup was held in 1975 and was hosted by England. At the time, England was the only country with the facilities to host such a large tournament. The first three World Cups were held in England and were called the Prudential Cup after the sponsor, Prudential PLC. Each team was allotted 60 overs per match, and games were played during the day. Players wore white uniforms and used a red cricket ball.

A total of eight teams participated in the first World Cup. These teams included Australia, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan and the West Indies, Sri Lanka and the United East Africa team. South Africa could not participate because they were banned from international cricket due to apartheid. The West Indies won the tournament by defeating Australia by 17 runs in the final at Lord’s. In this final, West Indies batsman Roy Fredericks became the first player to be dismissed hit-wicket in a One Day International match.

In the 1979 World Cup, the ICC Trophy was introduced to help Test-playing nations qualify for the main tournament. Sri Lanka and Canada secured their place through this tournament. The West Indies won the World Cup again, defeating England by 92 runs in the final. After the tournament, the International Cricket Council decided that the World Cup would be held every four years.

The 1983 World Cup was also hosted by England for the third consecutive time. By then, Sri Lanka had become a Test-playing nation, and Zimbabwe had qualified for the ICC Trophy. A new rule called the fielding circle was introduced, which was 30 yards from the wicket. At least four fielders were required to be inside this circle. The teams played each other twice before the knockout stage began. IND vs WI World Cup Final 1983, India won the World Cup by defeating West Indies by 43 runs in the final.