5 cricketers who have better Champions Trophy records than World Cup records
The Champions Trophy, stature-wise, comes second only to the ICC Cricket World Cup amongst multi-nation cricket events. And yet the tournament has not been able to attract eyes as much as one would expect from an event with the top teams.
The short duration and the format of the league give very little room for error and even a solitary defeat can prove to be very costly. It is within this short period that players and teams have to peak and capitalise on the momentum.
Certain players have repeatedly hogged the limelight at the Champions Trophy stage. As the tournament’s eighth edition is underway in England, we take a look at the 5 players who have a better record in Champions Trophy than in the ICC Cricket World Cup.
#5 Virender Sehwag
| BATTING | Innings | Runs | Avg. | S.R. | 50s | 100s | Best |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CT Record | 10 | 389 | 48.62 | 100.77 | 2 | 1 | 126 |
| World Cup Record | 22 | 843 | 38.32 | 106.17 | 3 | 2 | 175 |
Swashbuckling Indian batsman Virender Sehwag made his maiden Champions Trophy appearance in the 2002 edition held in Sri Lanka. Opening the batting with captain Sourav Ganguly, the Nawab of Najafgarh ended the tournament as the highest run-getter, with 271 runs to his name.
Sehwag not just contributed with the bat but also came to his team’s rescue with the ball as he bowled a magical spell of 3-25 in the semi-final against the Proteas, helping India clinch victory from the jaws of defeat. His 126 off 104 balls single-handedly took India over the line in an important match against England.
For a youngster having his first burst at a major international event, Sehwag’s efforts not only helped India winning the edition (joint winners) but also ensured that the country had found an explosive top order batsman who would go on to annihilate bowling attacks for the next decade.
In his three appearances at the ICC World Cup, his best performance came at the 2011 edition held in India wherein the home team went on to win the laurels. Sehwag paired up with the Little Master to provide solid platforms for the strong batting order to capitalise.
His most memorable knock was the one against Bangladesh whom he destroyed with a 175-run knock in the opening match. He was also a part of India’s World Cup campaign of 2007 in the Caribbean where the team faced a first round exit after a shock defeat at the hands of Bangladesh.