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The ODI World Cup is without a doubt the apex of cricket’s limited-overs format. This four-year event held each four years and filled with fierce rivalry and the height of intelligence, brilliantly captures the incredible journey traveled by the victorious team.
It is a great platform for people who desire to become well-known for their extraordinary talents and public speaking prowess. During such a level, several participants from each of the teams that take part appear every four years. But just a small number of such exceptional groups have often visited this ODI spectacle.
On cricket’s most illustrious stage, these players represent the height of endurance, talent, and unwavering resolve.
Here at OneCricket, we closely examine these players’ remarkable careers and how they have endured over many years to represent their countries in most ODI World Cups.
Sachin Tendulkar ODI World Cup (6 times )
Sachin Tendulkar made his cricket debut in Pakistan in December 1989 at the youthful age of 16 with a baptism of fire. A little more than two years later, this batting prodigy made a World Cup appearance and quickly established himself as the best batsman for India in one-day internationals.
Four years later, the cricketer made a comeback to World Cup mythology, but this time from his own country. The ‘Master Blaster‘ took a position at well-known surfaces and flashed his bat at the bowlers throughout the competition to slam 523 runs.
Tendulkar achieved personal success in 2011—also widely regarded as his final World Cup—by winning the trophy for the first time in his long and famous career
The legendary batsman scored 2,278 runs in 45 games over six different World Cups, which is the highest ever scored in the history of the tournament.
Javed Miandad ODI World Cup(6 times)
Javed Miandad, a legend of Pakistan cricket, was present in England in 1975 when the seeds of the first ODI World Cup were established. He was also present in 1992 when his nation celebrated its greatest cricketing triumph.
With a stellar ODI career, this batting legend is one of the uncommon cricketers to play both of his first and last ODIs in a World Cup event, even though they were played 21 years and six editions apart.
This extremely smart batsman, who is regarded as one of Pakistan’s finest batters of all time, played in six separate World Cups. In 33 games while representing his nation, Miandad amassed over 1,000 runs at an average of over 43 and 104 half-centuries.
Ricky Ponting ODI World Cup (5 times)
Ricky Ponting is one of a rare group of athletes who have represented their nations in five separate World Cups, despite the fact that the Australian coach has played in the most World Cup games overall.
Ponting proved to be a cunning skipper who made his ODI World Cup debut in 1996, won two world championships as captain in 2003 and 2007, his first championship as a player in 1999, and ultimately announced his retirement from ODIs a few months after his team’s quarterfinal defeat in 2011.
He played one more game than Tendulkar while taking part in one less World Cup game than the Indian batting legend due to his and his team’s domination on the biggest platform.
He is only behind Tendulkar in terms of runs. He is second only to his own colleagues Glenn McGrath and Adam Gilchrist in terms of awards, though. But among the exclusive group of iconic World Cup figures, Ponting stands out the most as the captain of two of those championships.