The World Cup 2023 will be held in India, which will be a massive event. The tournament will take place in October and November, where ten teams will compete for the coveted trophy. All cricket enthusiasts eagerly await this tournament, just like bettors are waiting for online cricket betting.

Teams Qualified for World Cup 2023

The ODI World Cup is the biggest event in white-ball cricket. The tournament began in 1975, and the upcoming edition is the 13th. Australia won the most titles with five, while West Indies and India won twice. Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and England are the other World Cup winners.

The 2023 World Cup will begin in October. We look at eight teams who have already sealed their place in the 50-over event.

India - The Hosts

India hosts the World Cup 2023, so the 'Men in Blue' directly qualified for the World Cup. The team won its last World Cup in 2011, played in the Indian subcontinent. It might be the final ODI World Cup for Indian batting stalwarts like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, and the duo would be keen to end a 10-year ICC trophy drought.

England - The Defending Champions

England is the defending champion, thanks to a thrilling World Cup victory at home in 2019. The team is playing a fearless brand of cricket, and it is expected to continue in the 2023 World Cup. Jos Buttler's men will aim to become the third team after West Indies and Australia to win back-to-back ODI World Cup titles.

Australia - Five-time Winners

Australia is the team that has won the cricket World Cup the most number of times. The Kangaroos have won the trophy in 1987, 1999, 2003, 2007, and 2015 editions. It was England who knocked Australia out in the semi-final last edition. Australia will look to lift the trophy for the sixth time with players like David Warner, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, and Adam Zampa in their ranks.

New Zealand - Consistent Performers

New Zealand reached the finals of the last two editions of the World Cup. Unfortunately, the team finished runner-up on both occasions. In 2019, New Zealand lost the final in the Super Over, and that too on a boundary count rule that no longer exists. The Kiwis will be relying on the likes of Kane Williamson, Tom Latham, Tim Southee, Trent Boult, etc.

Pakistan - The Unpredictable Team

The most unpredictable team in the cricket circuit is the Pakistan team. The 'Men in Green' can beat any strong team on a given day. Also, the Babar Azam-led side could crumble against underdogs. Pakistan last won a cricket World Cup in 1992. It has world-class players like Babar Azam, Mohamad Rizwan, and Shaheen Shah Afridi, who could help the Asian nation end a 31-year-old wait.

South Africa - The Proteas

South Africa is still waiting to get their hands on the World Cup trophy. The team has choked under pressure, mainly during the knockout stages of tournaments. They will rely heavily on players like Aiden Markram, David Miller, and Kagiso Rabada to get hold of the World Cup trophy for the first time.
South Africa has been a team that has always been unlucky with the Duckworth-Lewis Method. Let's look at Duckworth Lewis in IPL and its impact on the game.

Bangladesh - The Tigers

Bangladesh is making rapid progress, especially in white-ball cricket. The team needs to take their game a notch higher to make it into the knockout stages of important tournaments like the World Cup. Bangladesh made it to the quarter-finals of the 2015 world cup in Australia, where the Tigers lost to India. Tamim Iqbal, Shakib Al Hasan, Mustafizur Rahman, Mushfiqur Rahim, etc., are players to watch out for in the Bangladesh lineup in the 2023 World Cup.

Afghanistan - Up for the Fight

Afghanistan has been a usual presence in the World Cup since its debut in 2015. The team, which came agonizingly close to beating India and Pakistan in the 2019 World Cup, has a pool of talented players like Rashid Khan, Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Mujeeb Rahman, Noor Ahmad, etc. One of the fastest-improving cricket nations, Afghanistan can spring a few surprises in India.

Apart from these eight teams, two more will join from the World Cup Qualifiers to be held in Zimbabwe from June 18. Sri Lanka, West Indies, Ireland, Zimbabwe, Scotland, Netherlands, UAE, Nepal, Oman, and USA are the ten teams that will vie for the remaining two spots.

A major cricket tournament is just around the corner, and cricket teams and their fans are buzzing with excitement. While England, India, Australia, New Zealand, and Pakistan are among the strong contenders to win the tournament, teams like Bangladesh and Afghanistan can surprise the biggies and play spoilsport.

Indian men's cricket team finally won their first 50-over ICC title in 12 years as they defeated New Zealand in the Champions Trophy 2025 final by four wickets in Dubai. Here are the past winners of the last 10 ICC tournaments.

Read also: Every inaugural ICC tournament winners

1. T20 World Cup- West Indies (2016)

Eden Gardens, Kolkata hosted the 2016 T20 World Cup on 3rd April between England and West Indies. West Indies defeated their opponent by 4 wickets and won the final with 2 balls remaining. Carols Braithwaite with four sixes in four balls to Ben Stokes became an overnight hero for the West Indies team. Marlon Samuels scored 85* off 66 balls and became the Man of the Match.

Read also: Virat Kohli records as captain in white ball Cricket

2. Champions Trophy- Pakistan (2017)

The Oval, London hosted one of the biggest cricket rivalries on 18 June 2017. The match was the 2017 Champions Trophy final between India and Pakistan. Pakistan sent the Indian squad back to the pavilion in less than 31 overs and won the final by 180 runs. Fakhar Zaman won the man of the match award.

Read also: 5 Youngest Captains to lift the ICC Cricket World Cup

3. ICC World Cup- England (2019)

The night of 14th July 2019 has to be one of the most interesting and different in cricket history. Both England and New Zealand scored the same during their innings and also in the super-over. The result of the match was decided in an interesting method; the team with the superior number of boundaries was the winner. Hence, England won the tournament.

Read also: WTC Final: ICC Event winners since 2000

4. World Test Championship- New Zealand (2021)

Winning the World Test Championship has to be New Zealand's biggest victory in cricket history. Southampton hosted the final from 18 June to 23rd June 2021. Kane Williamson led the team to victory and the final test match by 8 wickets. With bowling figures of 5/31, 21 & 2/30, Kyle Jamieson was the Man of the match in the final.

Read also: T20 World Cup 2021: Man of the Series, highest wicket-taker, and highest run-getter

5. T20 World Cup- Australia (2021)

Australia once again proved its dominance and worth on the night of the 2021 T20 World Cup final. The entire Australian team contributed their best and clinched the trophy last night to beat New Zealand by 8 wickets. David Warner chose the best platform to prove himself after a humiliating IPL season. Mitchell Marsh scored an unbelievable knock of 77* in 50 balls and won the Man of the Match award.

6. T20 World Cup - England (2022)

England won their third ICC trophy as they clinched the T20 World Cup 2022 title after beating Pakistan in the final by five wickets. Sam Curran was adjudged the player of the tournament for his 13 wickets in the tournament. Curran was also the player of the final as his 3/22 helped England restrict Pakistan to 137 in the first inning. This was England's second T20 World Cup title.

7. World Test Championship - Australia (2023)

India again failed to win any ICC trophy since 2013 as Pat Cummins-led Australia defeated India by 209 runs. Australia scored a massive 469 in the first inning as Steve Smith and Travis Head scored tons for the Aussies. The first-inning score proved to be too much for India as they scored only 296 in the reply and Australia put more pressure with 270 in the second inning.

Despite starts for Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane, India failed to get close to the score and eventually suffered the defeat. 

With this win, Josh Hazlewood, David Warner, Pat Cummins, Steve Smith and Mitchell Starc became the only players to win all ICC Trophies. 

8. ICC World Cup - Australia (2023)

Pat Cummins and Australia's dream run continued as they won the ICC Men's World Cup for a record sixth time in 2023 defeating India, again. In one of the most visited and watched World Cup finals in Ahmedabad, Australia defeated India by six wickets.

Despite a great start with the bat, India lost captain Rohit Sharma and post that kept on losing wickets. They could only score 240 in the first inning and though Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami tried their level best, Travis Head's excellent ton (137) took Australia over the line. Head was player of the match in back-to-back ICC Finals. 

Read Also: India's Finals at ICC Men's Tournaments Since 2013 

9. T20 World Cup - India (2024)

India finally broke their jinx of ICC finals after beating South Africa in the T20 World Cup 2024 final in Barbados. They clinched their second T20 World Cup title as Rohit Sharma's men defeated the Proteas team by seven runs in the final.

Read Also: Every Player of the Tournament winners in T20 World Cup History

Virat Kohli (76) and Axar Patel (47) played some solid knocks to take India to the highest total (176) in a T20 World Cup final. Though South Africa were cruising for an easy win, Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya and Arhsdeep Singh managed to pull things back for India with the ball. Virat Kohli was adjudged the player of the final and Jasprit Bumrah was named the Player of the tournament for his 15 wickets in the tournament. 

10. Champions Trophy - India (2025)

India made it back-to-back global cricket tournaments with a four-wicket victory over New Zealand in the ICC Champions Trophy final in Dubai.

Chasing 252 against the Blackcaps, India reached home in 49 overs at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. The spinners put up a splendid show, helping India restrict the Blakcaps for 251 for 7 after the side latter team won the toss and opted to bat first. 

Kuldeep Yadav (2 for 40) and Varun Chakravarthy (2 for 45) picked two wickets apiece while Ravindra Jadeja and Mohammed Shami scalped one wicket each. Daryl Mitchell (63) and Michael Bracewell (53) played crucial knocks for the Blackcaps. 

In the chase, India got off to a flying start, thanks to Rohit Sharma's dominating 76. Shreyas Iyer (48) and KL Rahul (34 not out) also played crucial knocks as India edged past New Zealand to win the Champions Trophy for the third time.

This was India’s second consecutive ICC title win - it had won the T20 World Cup crown in June last year. India has now won two ODI World Cups, two T20 World Cups and three Champions Trophy titles.

Note: The article was first written by Shreya Ghosh and then got updated by Koushik Biswas.

The history of the World Cup cannot be complete without mentioning Brazil with 5 trophies to their name the highest of any country they face a tough test when they travel to Chile in what is a must-win match for them. Questions have arisen as to how possible it would be for them to win the match without some key players who have been integral to the team.

Read Also: Venezuela vs Argentina FIFA World Cup qualifiers: Where and how to watch in India? Full Streaming Details

Brazil's Full Injury List

After losing four of their last five World Cup qualifiers, the five-time champions find themselves struggling with a string of poor performances. They currently sit in fifth place with 10 points, just ahead of Venezuela on goal difference. With only the top six teams guaranteed spots in the 2026 World Cup, their qualification is far from secure.

Read Also: India vs Vietnam FIFA Friendly: Here are everything you need to know

Brazil's coach Dorival had to make five changes to his squad for the upcoming match against Chile on Thursday. This was due to injuries suffered by key players: goalkeeper Alisson, defenders Bremer, Éder Militão, Guilherme Arana, and forward Vinicius Jr.

Read Also: Football facts: Brazil fails without Neymar! These stats prove that (sportzpoint.com)

How Well Can Brazil Cope With The Injuries to Key Players

Brazil will need to rely on their squad depth to cope without their injured players. In goal, Ederson from Manchester City will likely step up, bringing vast experience and quality. In defence, Gabriel Magalhães and Marquinhos are capable replacements, offering solidity.  Rodrygo and Raphinha will be key in the absence of Vinicius Jr. Brazil’s squad still boasts enough quality, creativity, and versatility to remain competitive. 

Argentina National Football Team will face the challenge of Venezuela in the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers match on 11th October 2024 at 2:30 AM IST at the Estadio Monumental de Maturín Stadium in Venezuela.

Lionel Messi is back with the Argentina squad after recovering from his ankle injury that he suffered during the 2024 Copa America Final against Colombia. Goalkeeper Emi Martinez will be left out of the squad as he will serve a two-match ban imposed on him by the FIFA disciplinary committee.

Nico Gonzalez, Paulo Dybala, Cristian Romero, and Alejandro Garnacho; all will miss the match against Venezuela on 11th October due to health issues or injury concerns.

Argentina Coach Lionel Scaloni stated in the press conference:

"We must take advantage of the players who are in Argentine football, bringing in out-of-date European footballers today seems impossible to us."

"The team will always come forward. We have a great squad, but we always prefer to have everyone available to choose from based on what we call up. This time we have had a series of problems."

"Venezuela is a very good rival, physically and football-wise. It is a rival to be reckoned with, respected, and we will approach the match as it deserves."

Streaming Details

The Venezuela vs Argentina in the CONMEBOL FIFA World Cup Qualifiers match will not be available for telecast in India.

Football fans can watch the live streaming of the match on the Fancode app and website.

Head-to-head stats for Argentina vs Venezuela

Matches Played: 14

Argentina won: 10

Venezuela won: 2

Draw: 2

Match Details 

Match: Argentina vs Venezuela

Date:  11 October 2024

Time: 2:30 AM IST

Venue: Estadio Monumental de Maturín, Venezuela

No Indian bowler has picked more wickets in ODI World Cups than Mohammed Shami. He was terrific in the 2023 ODI World Cup and so was in 2019. His tally of 55 wickets is the third-highest by an Asian bowler and fifth in history. He is also the only bowler to grab four five-wicket hauls in World Cups. But, he was never the first choice for India. India played 28 matches in the last three World Cups and Shami appeared in just 18 of those games, India winning on 15 occasions.

Read Also: Suryakumar Yadav as captain: Stats and previous records

Mohammed Shami opened up about the 2019 World Cup in Shubhankar Mishra's podcast

in 2023, Shami was benched for the first four group games. In the 2019 World Cup, India were led by Virat Kohli and coached by Ravi Shastri. Shami made his first appearance in the fifth match against Afghanistan and picked up a hat-trick. Then he scalped a fifer against England in his third appearance.

Shami was rested for the final group game against Sri Lanka and the semifinal against New Zealand. Ultimately, India lost the semi-final against the Kiwis.

A well-known Journalist and YouTuber Shubhankar Mishra invited Mohammed Shami on a podcast and spoke about lots of things. Shami stated that he was shocked by the management's decision in 2019. He thought every team requires good performers, but then why was his performance overlooked despite putting on the best?

“In 2019 I did not play the first 4-5 games. In the next game, I took a hat trick, then picked up a five-wicket haul, and then four wickets in the next game. A similar happened in 2023. I did not play in the first few games and then picked a fifer, then four wickets, and then a five-wicket haul again,” he said.

“The one thing I keep wondering is every team needs players who can perform well. I took 13 wickets in three matches. What more do you expect from me? I neither have questions nor do I have answers. I can only prove myself when I get the opportunity. You gave me a chance, and I took 13 wickets in three matches. Then we lost to New Zealand. played four matches overall and picked 14 wickets. In 2023, I picked 24 wickets in seven matches,” he added.

In 2023, Shami was rested for the first few games. He got the opportunity to get a spot in the playing XI after Hardik Pandya was injured and ruled out. Shami proved his worth and why he deserved the opportunity in the first place by scalping 24 wickets in seven matches. It also included two fifers as Shami finished as the leading wicket-taker in the tournament.

The Blue Tigers are all set to face Kuwait in the World Cup Qualifier match on 6th June Thursday at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata. The captain and legend of the Indian Football Team, Sunil Chhetri will feature for the last time in International football as he announced his retirement last month. India are second in the Group A points table with 4 points while Kuwait are at the bottom with 3 points from 4 games. A victory is very crucial for both sides so it is going to be an epic clash at Kolkata.

The Indian fans will hope to see their side win not just for them but for Sunil Chhetri. From possible starting XIs to Fantasy predictions, here is everything you need to know about the India vs Kuwait match in the World Cup Qualifiers.

Read Also: Exclusive Shreya Hooda: Best Goalkeeper in IWL & NFC, National team and the World Cup dream

Match Details

• Match: India vs Kuwait - World Cup Qualifiers

• Date: 6/6/2024

• Time: 7:00 pm

• Venue: Salt Lake Stadium, Kolkata

How to watch the India vs Kuwait World Cup Qualifiers match?

The Live streaming of the match between India and Kuwait will be on Jio Cinema. The IND vs KUW football match will also be telecast live on the Sports 18 1, Sports 18 1 HD, and Sports 18 3 TV channels in India.

India vs Kuwait: Head-to-Head stats

India have a 3-2 advantage in the head-to-head football record against Kuwait in six matches. One has ended in a draw. Kuwait's last victory against India came in 2010.

• Matches Played: 6
• India won: 3
• Kuwait won: 2
• Draw: 1

Team News

Mehtab Singh left the squad for personal reasons but has rejoined them. Kuwait also have a fully fit 26-man squad for their trip to the Salt Lake Stadium.

India:

Sunil Chhetri will feature in his final match in a Blue Tigers shirt against Kuwait. It will be his 151st appearance for India. Chhetri will be determined to go out on a high. Gurpreet Singh Sandhu is set to start in goal for India. Poojary will most likely start at the right as he provides much-needed speed and energy. Poojary’s defensive duties highlight his value as a defensive asset. With Sandesh Jhingan out of the squad, Anwar Ali comes. His distribution and clean tackles will be essential for India.

Rising to the challenge! 🔥🇮🇳#ThankYouSC11 #FIFAWorldCup 🏆 #BlueTigers 🐯 #IndianFootball ⚽️ pic.twitter.com/DDbbPSROXu

— Indian Football Team (@IndianFootball) June 4, 2024

Jay Gupta had a very good season for the Gaurs. He is very good defensively but gives equal effort in attack. Subhasish Bose will have a huge responsibility on his shoulders in the absence of Jhingan. He is an experienced defender and can lead the backline. Alongside Anirudh Thapa, Jeakson Singh is expected to take back his place in the midfield. The box-to-box midfielder, Anirudh Thapa will have to drop a good performance against Kuwait.

Defending the 🔵 crest with every stride! 🇮🇳#ThankYouSC11 #FIFAWorldCup 🏆 #BlueTigers 🐯 #IndianFootball ⚽️ pic.twitter.com/pa2RDoaE2G

— Indian Football Team (@IndianFootball) June 5, 2024

Brandon Fernandes was sensational for the Gaurs in the ISL 2023-24 season. He continued to work his magic with FC Goa and scored some stunners. His passing and long-range shots can cause problems for Kuwait on Thursday. Lallianzuala Chhangte is an important player for Igor and he also had a superb ISL season. East Bengal winger Naorem Mahesh will be also there with Chhangte to help the skipper in the front.

Brandon Fernandes keen to showcase his experience in the crucial tie against Kuwait #ThankYouSC11 #FIFAWorldCup 🏆 #BlueTigers 🐯 #IndianFootball ⚽

— Indian Football Team (@IndianFootball) June 4, 2024

"I'm trying hard not to think about the game emotionally. It's not about me. I would love to win 1-0, I don't care who scores. The last 15 days have been good. I think we're on the same page regarding fitness and that's a good headache for the coach to have," said Chhetri in the pre-match press conference.

Igor Stimac is under immense pressure to deliver India’s first win in 2024. The Blue Tigers had a poor AFC Asian Cup campaign and they also failed to defeat Afghanistan in their last two qualifiers games. The Blue Tigers can’t afford to lose any more if they want to get past the second round of qualifying and keep their 2026 World Cup dreams alive. A win can bring confidence back into the squad and help them gain some much-needed momentum. Another draw or loss will mount more pressure on Stimac’s job.

"We had three tight, tough games against Kuwait. Either team could've won them. I would say our best game was away in Kuwait in these qualifiers because that was perfect defensive shape, not allowing them to get near our box and create clear chances. That's what we need to repeat tomorrow, with our discipline, focus, tight marking, reaching the opposition goal, and scoring the goal because that's what we need."

"The boys have worked tremendously hard on details and everything that is needed for this game. We're going to be ready for each scenario that awaits us," Igor Stimac said in the pre-match press conference.

Read Also: India gets two spots in AFC Champions League 2 2024/25

Kuwait:

The Kuwait team got less time to prepare for the match which is a disadvantage for their side when they take on the Indian team. But Kuwait’s coach was quite confident about his players. 

"We played three games against India last year. They were all very balanced and the teams were at a similar level. But all those matches are history. Football is always an ongoing process, and we are proud and confident of ourselves. We are more prepared now to face India and expect ourselves to be better than before and win the game," said Rui Bento in the pre-match press conference.

"Kuwait in the past has been into the final stage of the World Cup. It was a good achievement for football in Asia. But you know, football is always a challenging sport and the amount of competition that has risen in the last few years is also commendable," Bento added.

Possible Starting Lineups:

India:

Gurpreet Singh Sandhu (GK); Nikhil Poojary, Subhasish Bose, Anwar Ali, Jay Gupta; Jeakson Singh, Anirudh Thapa; Naorem Mahesh Singh, Brandon Fernandes, Lallianzuala Chhangte; Sunil Chhetri

Kuwait:

Sulaiman Abdulghafour (GK); Rashed Al-Dosary, Khalid El Ebrahim, Hassan Al-Enezi, Salman Bormeya; Eid Al-Rasheedi; Hamad Al-Harbi, Faisal Zayed, Azbi Shehab, Mohammad Daham; Yousef Nasser

India vs Kuwait: Fantasy XI Prediction