ODI World Cup Winning Captains | The Complete List

Lifting the ODI World Cup trophy is the pinnacle moment in a player’s career. Though T20 cricket is the most popular white-ball format, ODI cricket still has charm. Players, fans, and online cricket betting enthusiasts eagerly await the 2023 ODI World Cup. Before the tournament, we look at the ODI World Cup-winning captains list.

Record-holders: Clive Llyod and Ricky Ponting

West Indies won the first two editions of the World Cup – 1975 and 1979 – under the captaincy of Clive Llyod. Both title triumphs came in England. Llyod and Ricky Ponting are the only captains to lift the trophy twice. Ponting led Australia to success in the 2003 and 2007 editions.

1975 World Cup Final – West Indies defeated Australia by 17 runs
1979 World Cup Final – West Indies defeated England by 92 runs
2003 World Cup Final – Australia defeated by 125 runs
2007 World Cup Final – Australia defeated Sri Lanka by 54 runs (D/L method)

MS Dhoni came close to winning a second consecutive title as India reached the semi-finals in the 2015 World Cup in Australia.

ODI World Cup Winning Captains: Kapil Dev, Imran Khan, Arjuna Ranatunga, and MS Dhoni

Four Asians have lifted the coveted prize in white-ball cricket. Kapil Dev became the first Asian to do so. The all-rounder helped India beat West Indies in the 1983 World Cup final. On the other hand, Imran Khan’s Pakistan won the title in 1992. The ‘Men in Green’ beat England by 22 runs in the final at Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Arjuna Ranatunga brought home Sri Lanka’s maiden World Cup title in 1996, courtesy of a clinical performance over Australia in the final. In 2011, MS Dhoni’s men helped India end a 28-year wait for another ODI title. He is also the last Asian captain to lift the 50-over trophy.

Unlucky Sri Lankan Duo

Legendary Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara came close to joining the World Cup-winning captains list. Jayawardene captained the 2007 World Cup Lankan side, which lost to Australia in the final. Four years later, Sangakkara captained the squad in the World Cup in India. The Island nation lost to India in the final at Wankhede.

ODI World Cup Winning Captains – 1987, 1999, 2015

Apart from Ponting, three other Aussie captains have won it. Legendary Allan Border was the first Australian captain to win the trophy in the 1987 World Cup. In an exciting final, Australia overcame arch-rivals England by seven runs. It was also the first World Cup held outside England, as India and Pakistan jointly hosted it.

Steve Waugh-led Australia won the tournament in 1999. The Kangaroos thrashed Pakistan by eight wickets in the final at Lord’s. A thumping win over New Zealand saw Michael Clarke steer Australia to a record fifth title in 2015. It was also Australia’s fourth title in five editions.

Allan Border – 1987 World Cup
Steve Waugh – 1999 World Cup
Ricky Ponting – 2003 & 2007 World Cups
Michael Clarke – 2015 World Cup

The Aussie fans will be hoping that Pat Cummins could join the likes of Border, Waugh, Ponting, and Clarke.

England & Eoin Morgan

After finishing runner-up thrice, England finally ended the wait for an ODI World Cup title after beating New Zealand in a thrilling final at Lord’s. Dublin-born Eoin Morgan steered England to its maiden World Cup title. Winning the title at home made their maiden triumph even sweeter for Morgan’s men.

ODI World Cup Winning Captains List

Year	Captain	Team
1975	Clive Llyod	West Indies
1979	Clive Llyod	West Indies
1983	Kapil Dev	India
1987	Allan Border	Australia
1992	Imran Khan	Pakistan
1996	Arjuna Ranatunga	Sri Lanka
1999	Steve Waugh	Australia
2003	Ricky Ponting	Australia
2007	Ricky Ponting	Australia
2011	MS Dhoni	India
2015	Michael Clarke	Australia
2019	Eoin Morgan	England

Concluding Thoughts

The 2023 World Cup will see a new captain joining an elite list of players. The likes of Rohit Sharma, Pat Cummins, Jos Buttler, etc., are among the favourites to lift the trophy for their respective countries. Cricket fans will have a cracking time during the 2023 ODI World Cup.