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CWC History: India's best players in each edition from 1975-2015

India v Sri Lanka - 2011 ICC World Cup Final
India v Sri Lanka - 2011 ICC World Cup Final

From being the game of the elites introduced by the British colonizers to being the de-facto national game, cricket in India has come a long way. From being nothing more than an associate nation to pulling off the biggest upset in the tournament's history and from a shock group stage exit to eventual champions the next year, Team India's journey at the World cups has also been quite unbelievable.

Though a the end of the day it is a team effort, some spectacularly consistent performers have often led by examples in the team's previous challenges. As the 12th edition of the marquee tournament unfolds in about a month, let us take a trip down the memory lane and have a look at the team's best performers in each of the past eleven editions.


#1 1975 - Syed Abid Ali

Syed Abid Ali was always in the shadows of the Indian spin-quartret.
Syed Abid Ali was always in the shadows of the Indian spin-quartret.

Early followers of the game would remember the maiden edition of the tournament for the dubious innings of Sunil Gavaskar in the opening match, wherein he scored 36 runs off 174 balls when India was chasing 335 against England. Eventually losing the game by 202 runs, India's chances of making into the semifinals were severely hampered by the loss and Gavaskar was lambasted for his slow innings.

Though a weak East Africa team was thrashed in the next match, a loss against New Zealand in the final group game showed them the doors.

Medium pace all-rounder Syed Abid Ali was the team's silent performer, taking two wickets in each of the three games at a meagre economy of 3.2. He also scored a vital 70 in the last game against New Zealand to take the team to a respectable total. His game was more suited for the shorter version of the game but sadly, he faded away into oblivion soon after the tournamnet ended.

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