ODI World Cup: Top 3 bowling figures by Indian players

India is considered one of the best cricket teams ever. The Men in Blue have a rich history of cricket right from the 1930s. India started as one of the earliest teams to play ODIs. Despite the passionate cricketers, the team could not achieve anything significant till 1983. In the big World Cup year in 1983, India stunned the cricket world by winning the all-important ODI World Cup by beating the tournament favorites West Indies in the final.

The Kapil Dev-led team changed cricket in Indian cricket forever. The liberalization in India further helped cricket to grow as a revenue-generating sport in the country. India later won the World Cup in 2011, making them one of the few teams to win multiple World Cup tournaments. Bowlers have played a crucial role in making India the successful team it is today. Here are the top bowling spells by the Indian bowlers in the format.

3.  Ashish Nehra’s 6/23 against England

Batting first on a good wicket in Durban, India posted 250 runs on the board. Defending the total, Ashish Nehra bowled a magnificent spell. The left-arm pacer claimed 6 wickets in his 10 overs, bowled two maiden overs, and conceded only 23 runs. India restricted England to 168 runs and won the match by a margin of 82 runs.

2. Venkatesh Prasad’s 5/27 against Pakistan

It was the big game between India and Pakistan in the 1999 World Cup. Manchester rolled out a wicket which was not easy to bat on. India won the toss and elected to bat first. The men in blue managed to score only 227 runs in their 50 overs. Defending the total, Pakistan had a horrible collapse. Venkatesh Prasad claimed 5 wickets in 9.3 overs, including 2 maidens, and conceded only 27 runs. India won the game by 47 runs.

1. Robin Singh’s 5/31 against Sri Lanka

India faced Sri Lanka in the 1999 World Cup in Taunton. On a good batting surface, India scored a mammoth total of 373 runs. Sri Lanka was never in the game chasing the total. Robin Singh claimed 5 wickets in his spell of 9.3 overs and conceded only 31 runs, as India won the match by 157 runs.