Data: Multiple Batting & Bowling Records Broken in the 2023 Cricket World Cup - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
November 24, 2023
The 2023 Cricket World Cup witnessed multiple previous records both batting & bowling beaten and new records getting created. From the greatest margin in terms of runs to most centuries to sixes, multiple new records were created. Here is a review.
The recently concluded 13 edition of Men’s One Day International (ODI) 2023 Cricket World Cup (2023 CWC) in which Australia emerged as the 6 time champion has witnessed multiple existing CWC records being broken and new records getting created. Factly has earlier published a story on how the previous 12 CWCs data showed the increasing trend of higher margins of victories and higher scoring rates.
In this story, we look at previous CWC records being equalled, broken, and new records created in the 2023 CWC.
Methodology
The data has been sourced from Dataful, which has compiled the dataset on all the matches played in CWCs with the scores, wickets, teams, winners, and other aspects. This data is used for the purpose of analysis of this story.
India stands 2nd in most consecutive wins in CWC history
In the 2003 and 2007 CWCs held in South Africa and West Indies, respectively, the Australian team, the Champion of both these World Cups, held the peculiar record of going unbeaten in all the 11 matches played by them in each of the World Cups. Besides Australia, no other team in the entire history of previous CWCs has ever held this record or has come close to this record. Only India stood as the next team with the most consecutive number of wins across CWCs with 8 consecutive wins in the 2003 (the 8 edition) CWC. In the 2023 CWC, India broke its own 2003 CWC record with 10 consecutive wins before the finals.
Batting Records
Factly’s analysis in the earlier story showed the phenomenon of higher run-scoring trends in the 2023 CWC and that many previous records would be broken. In line with the prediction, the 2023 CWC has witnessed several batting records being broken and created.
Most Number of Runs in a Single World Cup including Highest Average per Match
In all the 48 matches played, a record total of 24,697 runs were scored with 13,895 runs scored by the teams batting first and 10,742 Runs scored by the teams batting second. This is the highest both in terms of total number of runs scored by first and second batting teams, jointly and independently. The previous best was in the 2015 CWC where a total of 23,531 were scored with teams batting first and second scoring 13,063 and 10,468 runs, respectively. Interestingly, the 2011 CWC which was held in India, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh has only witnessed a total of 21,933 runs scored with teams batting first and second scoring 11,977 and 9,356 runs, respectively.
This World Cup also happens to be the highest in terms of the average number of runs scored per match across different World Cups. The previous best was in the 2015 and 2019 CWCs which have witnessed an average of 480 and 466 runs per match, respectively. This average number of runs scored per match during 2023 CWC is 513 runs. Therefore, even in terms of the average number of runs scored per match, this CWC stands top.
Most 380-plus scores registered
The phenomenon of higher scoring  (over 300 runs) in the 50-over ODI world cups had begun in the 1987 CWC (4 edition) where West Indies had scored a mammoth total of 360 runs when Vivian Richards had scored famous 181 runs from 125 balls. This was the first time in the 50-over ODI CWC history where over 6 runs per over and over 300 runs were scored. Apart from this, the 1975 and 1983 CWCs had also witnessed scores of over 300 runs, but they were in the 60-over format and the run rate among all the matches which witnessed over 300 runs was below 6 runs per over.
The trend of higher scoring of over 300 runs increased from one World Cup to another from 1987 CWC. The recent 2015 and 2019 CWCs stand first and second in terms of the number of times over 300 runs were scored by a team with 28 and 27 times, respectively. The 2023 CWC stands next to these with over 300 runs being scored 23 times.
However, the peculiar record that the 2023 CWC holds is that it has witnessed 380+ scores on 9 occasions. This was not seen in any other previous CWCs held so far. Even the 2015 and 2019 CWCs have only witnessed scores of over 380 runs on 4 and 3 occasions respectively. The 2015 CWC and the present 2023 CWC hold the joint record of over 400 runs scored on 3 occasions.
India’s semi-finals score highest in the history of Knockouts in CWCs
In the previous 12 CWCs, there were only 3 occasions when scores of over 300 were registered in the knockout games viz: Quarterfinals, Semi-Finals, and Finals. Two of these were by Australia against India, during the Finals and Semi-finals of the 2003 and 2015 CWCs, respectively. The other was by India against Bangladesh during the 2015 CWC Quarter-Final. The highest total among these 3 matches was 359 runs scored by Australia against India in the 2003 CWC Final.
This record is now broken in the 2023 CWC when India scored 397 runs in the semi-final against New Zealand. Thus, the scores of over 300 in the knockout games of CWC are by India and Australia alone with two times each.
Highest Run Rate in CWC History
Our analysis in the previous story revealed the rising trend of overall run rates in the recent CWCs. The 2023 CWC saw a further increase in overall run rate across all teams, either batting first or second, at 5.43 runs per over. This is the highest of all the CWCs held so far, breaking the previous best of 5.3 runs per over in the 2019 CWC. The overall run rates of teams batting first and second during the 2023 CWC stood at 5.78 and 5.08 runs per over, respectively. While the overall run rate of teams batting first in the 2023 CWC stands as the highest, beating the previous joint best of 2019 and 2015 CWCs at 5.4 runs per over, the overall run rate of teams batting second is the second highest falling slightly short of 2019 CWC when it was 5.14 runs per over.
The unique thing with run rates is that in only the 1979 CWC, the overall run rate of teams batting second was more than that of the teams batting first. In all the remaining CWCs, the overall run rate of teams batting first was more than that of the teams batting second.
New Zealand stands on top in Batting Run Rates
Out of the 10 teams that have played in the 2023 CWC, only 3 teams have scored at an average of 6 runs per over viz; New Zealand, India, and Australia, whose overall run rates stood at 6.4, 6.37 and 6.02 runs per over, respectively. Thus, New Zealand stands top in overall run rates in this CWC. In addition, all these 3 teams have also broken their previous best run rates across CWCs.
Finally, a Double Century in the Second Innings
The history of ODI cricket has not witnessed a double century being scored in the second innings of a match, let alone in a CWC. However, the present CWC has witnessed the first-ever such feat during the 39 match between Australia and Afghanistan. In this match, the Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell played a historic innings and scored 201 runs of 128 balls and took his team from almost a losing position to victory.
2023 sees the Most Number of Sixes, Runs, and Centuries in a Single CWC
Apart from the above, the 2023 CWC has also witnessed several other batting records. Firstly, it has witnessed highest highest-ever CWC total of 428 runs scored by South Africa against Sri Lanka, breaking the previous best of 417 runs by Australia against Afghanistan in the 2015 CWC.
It has also witnessed the most number of runs scored by a single player in the single CWC. The previous best of 673 runs scored in the 2003 CWC by Sachin Tendulkar was overtaken by Virat Kohli with 765 runs in the 2023 CWC
Along with this, India’s Captain Rohit Sharma has also broken the record of hitting the greatest number of Sixes in a single World Cup. He hit 31 Sixes, breaking the previous best of 26 Sixes by West Indian Chris Gayle during the 2015 CWC. In addition, Rohit Sharma has also broken the record of leading six-hitter with 54 sixes across world cups, overtaking the previous record of 49 sixes held by Chris Gayle.
Further, this CWC has also witnessed the highest number of centuries scored in the single CWC. The previous best of 38 hundreds scored in the 2015 CWC is broken in the 2023 CWC with 40 hundreds.
Bowling Records
Data shows that the 2023 CWC witnessed certain peculiar records such as most number of 380+ scores, the highest overall total runs, and also the highest overall total in the knockout matches of CWC history, higher run rates, most runs by a single player, etc.
Apart from these several batting records, the 2023 CWC has also witnessed a few bowling records being broken.
Most Number of Wickets in a Single Knockout Match
The 2023 CWC has also seen a historic record of the most number of wickets in a single knockout match in a CWC. In the first ever 1975 CWC 1st semi-final, the Australian left-arm pacer Gary Gilmour took 6 wickets for 14 runs. This record was not broken until the 1 Semi-final match between India and New Zealand in the 2023 CWC. In this match, India’s Mohammad Shami created history by taking 7 wickets for 54 runs and thus breaking the 48-year CWC record held so far.
He also ended up as the highest wicket-taker in this CWC with 24 wickets. In the history of CWCs, Mohammad Shami stands 3rd among bowlers with the most wickets in a single World Cup. Australia’s pacers Mitchell Starc and Glenn McGrath stand 1 and 2 with 27 and 26 wickets, respectively.
Incidentally, this CWC had witnessed another Australian, Adam Zampa, becoming the leading wicket-taker among spin bowlers with the highest wickets in the CWC history. He took 23 wickets in the 2023 CWC, which also happens to be the 2 most number of wickets in this CWC.
First ever over 300 runs victory
The analysis of the previous story showed that the highest margin of runs in defeating the opposition was held by Australia in the 2015 CWC, where it defeated Afghanistan by 275 runs. This record was broken by Australia itself in the 2023 CWC when they defeated the Netherlands by 309 runs. Standing next to this is India’s victory against Sri Lanka by a margin of 302 runs. Thus, the 2023 CWC has witnessed a victory margin of over 300 runs for the first time not once but twice.
Lower Scores and Most Wins by over 100 runs margin
Factly’s analysis in the previous story has also shown that the 2015 CWC had 13 victories by over 100 runs. In the 2023 CWC, this record has been equalled with 13 wins by over 100 runs.
Along with it, in the 2023 CWC, scores of below 200 were registered 19 times, the 4 most across all the CWCs. The highest among the CWCs is the 2011 CWC held in India, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka when this happened 25 times. The 2007 and 2003 CWCs stand next to this with scores of below 200 being scored 24 and 23 times, respectively.
The 2023 data shows that apart from batting records, the 13 CWC has also witnessed several bowling records being broken and newly created. Thus, the 13th CWC ended up being a mix of both a batsmen’s as well as a bowlers’ tournament.
Featured Image Source: ICC