The X-factor of the legendary Australian side of the 2000s that won three straight World Cups, Adam Gilchrist combined devastating batting with superb wicketkeeping to give the term allrounder a new dimension. He took part in three World Cups and holds the unique record of scoring at least a half-century in three consecutive finals – 1999, 2003, 2007 – all of which Australia won. 

Best performance? A 104-ball 149 against Sri Lanka in the 2007 final.

Amongst the greatest batsmen in history, Sachin Tendulkar raised his game further on the biggest stage as an average of 56.95 across six World Cups from 1992 to 2011 suggests. The 2278 runs he made are far and away the most by an individual, and he was the event’s highest run-getter in 1996 and 2003, with a winner’s medal in 2011 to complete a cherished dream.

Best Performance? 98 off 75 against Pakistan in 2003 in a high-pressure league match.

Sir Vivian Richards has often been called the greatest ODI batsman of all time, and his World Cup record illustrates why. With 1013 runs at 63.31 and a strike-rate of 85.05 in a slow-scoring era, Richards was part of the title-winning teams of 1975 and 1979. He bowed out with a 75-ball 67 in 1987 against Pakistan in his final World Cup appearance.

Best Performance? 138* in the 1979 final to lead the West Indies to its second consecutive title.

Arguably the greatest batsman Pakistan has ever produced, Javed Miandad took part in six consecutive World Cups, starting from the inaugural edition in 1975 till 1996. Across 33 appearances, he amassed 1083 runs at 43.32. Miandad was a key part of Pakistan’s victorious campaign in 1992, where he was the tournament’s second highest run-getter with 437 runs at 62.42.

Best Performance? 103 in the 1987 tournament opener against Sri Lanka - his only World Cup century.

One of the greatest batsmen ever, Brian Lara left an indelible mark in World Cups. He is the third highest run-scorer in the tournament with 1225 runs across 34 matches and five editions from 1992 to 2007. He led West Indies in two editions and was the side’s top scorer in 1992, 1996 and 2003.

Best performance? A 94-ball 111 in the 1996 World Cup quarter final to stop a clinical South Africa in its tracks.

Batsman, medium pacer, captain extraordinaire and master of the mental game – Steve Waugh was an all-rounder in more ways than one. Waugh played four World Cups, winning in 1987 and 1999, the last one as captain.

Best Performance? 120* v South Africa in 1999, Waugh’s highest ODI score and an innings of far-reaching consequence because it meant that thanks to victory in the league match, Australia went through to the final after a tied semifinal against South Africa.

From 28 World Cup games over five editions, Imran Khan averaged 35.05 with the bat and 19.26 with the ball. Doesn’t get better than that, does it? It did, actually, in 1992 when he led a young Pakistani side to World Cup glory. His best days as a player were behind him, but it was Imran the captain that shone through, backing young guns, plotting an unlikely triumph.

Best Performance? 3/36 & 58 v Australia in 1987.

Nicknamed Sultan of Swing, Wasim Akram could make the ball move both ways, in the air and off seam, and is regarded as the finest left-arm paceman the world has seen. He has 55 wickets in 38 World Cup matches, but his sublime spell against England in the 1992 final, where he dismissed Allan Lamb and Chris Lewis off consecutive balls, is considered the turning point in Pakistan’s victory. 

Best performance? 3 for 49 against England in the 1992 final.

The greatest leg-spinner in history, Shane Warne was at his mesmerising best when leading Australia to the 1999 World Cup title, the second and final World Cup he played after 1996. He bamboozled South Africa in the famous tied semi-final, and spun a web around Pakistan in the final. He had 20 wickets in 1999 and 32 overall, averaging 19.50 from 17 games.

Best Performance? 4 for 29 against South Africa and 4 for 33 against Pakistan in 1999.

Mutthiah Muralidharan, the world record holder for most wickets in Tests and ODIs, represented Sri Lanka in five World Cups from 1996 to 2011, and played in three finals – including the triumphant one in 1996. The 68 wickets he has overall are the second highest behind Glenn McGrath’s 71, all achieved at an average of 19.63 and an economy rate under 4.

Best performance? 4 for 31 against New Zealand in the 2007 semi-final.

Allan Donald was one of the prime reasons why South Africa became such a force so soon after its readmission into international cricket. His tragic run-out in the 1999 semi-final against Australia is top of mind, but Donald was supreme with ball in hand. He played four World Cups, returning 38 wickets from 25 games, and was a joy to watch, especially at the start of the opposition innings.

Best Performance? 4 for 17 against England in 1999.