The World Cup 2023 developed as an intriguing spectacle that captivated the thoughts of cricket fans around the world and even found a place in Tinseltown's discourse. The 50-over carnival began on a stunning note as the defending champions England got steamrolled by the Tom Latham-led New Zealand side at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on October 5.
The 46-day-long 50-over fest witnessed some jaw-dropping cricketing action that enchanted the fans and it also produced a few rib-tickling happenings that left some rolling on the floor and others bemused. Here are the top 10 moments from the recently concluded World Cup 2023:
King Kohli's crowning moment:
India's batting mainstay Virat Kohli became the first batter to score 50 ODI centuries as he took New Zealand's attack to task and scaled the milestone in front of his childhood hero Sachin Tendulkar and his beloved wife Anushka Sharma at the Wankhede.
Angelo Mathews' luck runs out of TIME:
Former Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews became the first player in international cricket to be adjudged "timed out" after Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan decided to appeal following a delay in the proceedings. Embroiled in an animated exchange with the two on-field umpires and Shakib, Mathews tried to explain that a broken helmet strap led to the delay but it didn't bear fruit for him as the umpires stuck to their ruling.
Revenge is a dish best served TIMELY:
Infuriated with Shakib Al Hasan's decision to appeal for time out, Angelo Mathews managed to end the former's stay in the middle and deny him a match-winning World Cup ton to take his sweet revenge in the second innings of the game at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi.
Mitchell Santner's Leap of Faith:
Blackcaps' star allrounder Mitchell Santner pulled off a spectacular grab in the 18th match of the tournament to end Hashmatullah Shahidi's struggling run in the middle and left the crowd at the MA Chidambaram Stadium spellbound.
Virat Kohli's unfeigned gesture:
Virat Kohli asked the crowd at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi to not boo and jeer Naveen-ul-Haq in the ninth match of the event.
Virat and Naveen bury the hatchet:
Both Virat and Naveen decided to end their long-standing fracas and reconciled in the middle of Arun Jaitley amid a rousing reception from the crowd.
Kuldeep Yadav's ball of the tournament leaves Jos Buttler dazed:
India's spin wizard Kuldeep produced the wizardry of the highest order to bamboozle the England captain Buttler in the 29th match of the tournament at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow.
Mohammad Rizwan's rib-tickling admission turns heads:
Pakistan's wicketkeeper Rizwan made a candid admission after his match-winning ton against Sri Lanka at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Hyderabad which left everyone in splits. Rizwan was seen struggling with cramps towards the later stages of his unbeaten 131-run knock but saw his team through to the biggest run chase in ODI World Cup history. While speaking to the broadcasters after the game, Rizwan said, "Sometimes its cramps, sometimes its acting."
KL Rahul's epic reaction after match-winning six:
KL Rahul was left with mixed emotions after he took India over the line in their World Cup opener against Australia in Chennai. Rahul was batting on 91 and India needed five to win off 54 balls. He wanted to chip Pat Cummins over cover for a boundary to present himself with an opportunity to reach the three-figure mark but ended up timing the ball much better as it sailed for a six and he was left stranded on 97*.
Travis Head's head-turner in the summit clash:
Travis Head pulled off a stupendous take to help Australia see the back of India captain Rohit Sharma in the summit clash and put brakes on India's soaring net run rate. Head sprinted back without losing sight of the ball and dived at the last moment to complete the breathtaking catch.
