The 2023 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup has already served up plenty of records after two rounds of group games.
As we prepare for the third round of fixtures to begin, here is a look at some of the standout statistics so far.
Batting records
It’s certainly been a World Cup for the batters so far.
After 10 matches, there have been 12 centuries scored. The most at the same stage of any previous tournament was five, which has happened on five occasions.
It is also means there have already been more centuries hit than there were in the entire 1975, 1979, 1983, 1987, 1992 and 1999 editions of the Men’s World Cup.
The most tons in a single World Cup is 38 in 2015. If this year’s rate of 1.2 centuries per match continues, with 48 games in total, this World Cup is on course to feature 58 centuries.
South Africa’s Aiden Makram scored the fastest century in World Cup history when he reached three figures off just 49 balls against Sri Lanka, beating the previous mark by Ireland’s Kevin O’Brien against England in 2011 by one delivery.
He’s not the only Proteas batter to star so far – Quinton de Kock has hit tons against both Sri Lanka and Australia, becoming only the second player to score centuries in their first two matches of a World Cup, after fellow South African AB de Villiers in 2011.
India captain Rohit Sharma made a duck against Australia but responded with a brilliant 131 off 84 balls against Afghanistan, which included a number of records.
He became the first player to score seven World Cup centuries, overtaking the legendary Sachin Tendulkar.
In reaching his century off just 63 balls, Rohit made India’s fastest ton at a World Cup, 18 deliveries quicker than the previous mark of Virender Sehwag against Bermuda in 2007.
And he hit nine sixes in the innings, taking him past Chris Gayle (553) to the top of the list for most sixes in international cricket across all formats – Rohit has 556 and counting.
Bowling records
With batting reigning supreme, there has not been much of note from the bowlers so far.
However, Mitchell Santner did become the first spinner from New Zealand to record a five-wicket haul in a Men’s World Cup match during their nine-wicket victory over England.
Australia fast bowler Mitchell Starc has also became just the fifth player in World Cup history to take 50 career wickets. He now has 52 and is behind only Glenn McGrath (71), Muttiah Muralitharan (68), Lasith Malinga (56) and Wasim Akram (55).
With Australia still having at least seven matches left in this World Cup thanks to the single-group opening stage, Starc has plenty of time to take 20 more wickets to surpass McGrath.
Team records
Unsurprisingly, most of the notable team records so far relate to batting.
South Africa’s monster total of 428-5 against Sri Lanka set the record for the highest team score in the World Cup.
De Kock, Markam and Rassie van der Dussen all hit centuries, making it only the fourth time in ODIs that a team has had three centurions in the same game, three of which have been by South Africa.
South Africa and Sri Lanka hit a combined 754 runs, the highest aggregate score in a World Cup match, while they together struck 109 boundaries, again the most in a single World Cup game.
In perhaps the game of the tournament so far, Pakistan chased down 345 to beat Sri Lanka, the highest successful chase in World Cups.
The match was also the first time in World Cup history – and just the third occasion in ODIs – that four players have scored centuries.
There was an unwanted record for Australia in their 134-run trouncing by South Africa, which is now their heaviest defeat by runs in World Cups, overtaking their 118-run loss against India in 1983.
On a quirkier note, England’s nine-wicket defeat by New Zealand did see them become the only side in ODI history to have all 11 batters score 10 or more runs in an innings.
