The Australian cricket team have won the ODI World Cup six times — in 1987, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2015 and 2023 — three times as many as any other side. India and the West Indies are next on two titles each, with Pakistan, Sri Lanka and England on one apiece.
Australia are also the reigning champions. They beat hosts India by six wickets in the 2023 final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, and the title stays with them until the 2027 edition in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia.
Organised by the International Cricket Council (ICC), the ODI World Cup is a quadrennial cricket tournament. Officially known as the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, it is one of the world’s most watched sporting events and is described by the game’s governing body as the “flagship event of the international cricket calendar”.
Led by captain Clive Lloyd, the West Indies won the inaugural edition in 1975 after beating Australia by 17 runs in the final at Lord’s. Four years later the same side retained the trophy, seeing off hosts England by 92 runs at the same ground.
In 1983, Kapil Dev’s India stunned the two-time champions West Indies by 43 runs in the final to clinch their maiden ODI World Cup title.
ODI World Cup winners list: 1975 to 2023
|
Year |
Host(s) |
Winners |
Winning captain |
Runners-up |
|
1975 |
England |
West Indies |
Clive Lloyd |
Australia |
|
1979 |
England |
West Indies |
Clive Lloyd |
England |
|
1983 |
England Wales |
India |
Kapil Dev |
West Indies |
|
1987 |
India Pakistan |
Australia |
Allan Border |
England |
|
1992 |
Australia New Zealand |
Pakistan |
Imran Khan |
England |
|
1996 |
Pakistan India Sri Lanka |
Sri Lanka |
Arjuna Ranatunga |
Australia |
|
1999 |
England Wales Scotland Ireland Netherlands |
Australia |
Steve Waugh |
Pakistan |
|
2003 |
South Africa Zimbabwe Kenya |
Australia |
Ricky Ponting |
India |
|
2007 |
West Indies |
Australia |
Ricky Ponting |
Sri Lanka |
|
2011 |
India Sri Lanka Bangladesh |
India |
MS Dhoni |
Sri Lanka |
|
2015 |
Australia New Zealand |
Australia |
Michael Clarke |
New Zealand |
|
2019 |
England Wales |
England |
Eoin Morgan |
New Zealand |
|
2023 |
India |
Australia |
Pat Cummins |
India |
Australia emerged as the dominant force in the tournament from 1987 onwards.
The Aussies pipped England by seven runs at Eden Gardens in the 1987 final to bag their first ODI World Cup.
In the fifth edition, Pakistan lifted their maiden title under Imran Khan, overcoming England by 22 runs in the 1992 final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
In 1996, another Asian side took the trophy. Led by their talismanic captain Arjuna Ranatunga, Sri Lanka beat Australia by seven wickets in Lahore to claim their only ODI World Cup title so far.
From 1999 to 2007, Australia became the only team to win three consecutive ODI World Cups. They won their second title under Steve Waugh in 1999, then the Ricky Ponting-led side clinched the next two editions in 2003 and 2007. The West Indies’ back-to-back wins in 1975 and 1979 remain the only other successive titles in the tournament’s history.
In 2011, India won the ODI World Cup after 28 years. Led by MS Dhoni, they beat Sri Lanka by six wickets in the final at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. India’s full World Cup record now runs across the men’s and women’s tournaments.
Co-hosts Australia went on to bag their fifth ODI World Cup title after defeating New Zealand by seven wickets in the 2015 final at the MCG.
Four years later, England and New Zealand played out the most extraordinary final the tournament has produced. The match and the Super Over that followed were both tied, and the Eoin Morgan-led England were awarded their first ODI World Cup on boundary count.
In 2023, Australia clinched their sixth ODI World Cup after beating hosts India by six wickets in the final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. India were bowled out for 240 and Travis Head’s 137 from 120 balls took Australia home with 42 balls to spare, in front of a crowd of 92,453. India had won all ten of their matches before the final. Here is how each of Australia’s six titles was won.
Most successful teams in ODI World Cup: By each country
| Team | Titles | Winning Years |
| Australia | 6 | 1987, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2015, 2023 |
| India | 2 | 1983, 2011 |
| West Indies | 2 | 1975, 1979 |
| Pakistan | 1 | 1992 |
| Sri Lanka | 1 | 1996 |
| England | 1 | 2019 |
ODI World Cup finals reached: winners and runners-up
Thirteen editions have been played and Australia have appeared in eight of the 13 finals, more than any other team. New Zealand are the only side to have reached a final without winning one.
| Team | Finals | Won | Lost |
| Australia | 8 | 6 | 2 |
| England | 4 | 1 | 3 |
| India | 4 | 2 | 2 |
| West Indies | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| Sri Lanka | 3 | 1 | 2 |
| New Zealand | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Pakistan | 2 | 1 | 1 |
ODI World Cup 2027: the next edition
The 14th ODI World Cup runs from 4 October to 21 November 2027, jointly hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia. It is the first men’s Cricket World Cup staged in Africa since 2003, when South Africa, Zimbabwe and Kenya shared the hosting.
The ICC has confirmed 12 host cities — eight in South Africa (Johannesburg, Tshwane, Cape Town, Durban, Gqeberha, Bloemfontein, Paarl and KuGompo City), three in Zimbabwe (Harare, Bulawayo and Victoria Falls) and one in Namibia (Windhoek).
The field grows back to 14 teams after the 10-team editions of 2019 and 2023, across 57 matches and a three-stage format. The three lowest-seeded sides play a round-robin Super Series for one place in the main draw; 12 teams are then split into two groups of six, with the top three from each group plus the best fourth-placed side going through to a seven-team Super 7 round; the top four from there reach the semi-finals.
Full Member hosts South Africa and Zimbabwe qualified automatically. The top eight sides in the ICC men’s ODI rankings on the cut-off date join them, and the last four places are decided at the World Cup Qualifier in February and March 2027. Namibia are an Associate member, so their co-hosting does not guarantee them a place — they have to come through the qualifying pathway like everyone else.
Australia will arrive as defending champions, chasing a seventh title.
Which team has won the most ODI World Cups?
Australia, with six titles — 1987, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2015 and 2023.
Who won the last ODI World Cup?
Australia, who beat India by six wickets in the 2023 final in Ahmedabad.
Which teams have won the ODI World Cup?
Six: Australia (6), India (2), West Indies (2), Pakistan (1), Sri Lanka (1) and England (1). For the men’s and women’s champions side by side, see our full Cricket World Cup winners list.
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Photo credit: Alamy