1 breakout star from each 2023 World Cup team ft. Rachin Ravindra
The 2023 ODI World Cup has been memorable for several reasons, and while it was Australia who lifted the title in the end, it was an equally monumental triumph for the 50-over format as well.
The stagnation of the format was one of the major talking points heading into the tournament, and while its fate is still left unanswered amid the rising T20 leagues and fixture congestion, it is safe to say that it has done enough to sustain for the time being.
The World Cup proves to be an excellent avenue for youngsters to make a mark or for written-off players to stake their claim again. As it is with tournaments in general, the opportunities were utilized by a legion of players, who made it count and now have a bright future ahead.
On that note, let us take a look at one breakout star from each 2023 World Cup team.
#1 Australia - Marnus Labuschagne
There is no doubt over Marnus Labushcagne's red-ball credentials, but he was never really considered a serious white-ball player. He was not named in the initial squad for the 2023 ODI World Cup and found a place at the last minute following an injury to Ashton Agar.
The middle-order batter made it count in the World Cup, scoring 362 runs in 10 innings at an average of 40.22. His place in the side was questioned even in the knockout stages, with Glenn Maxwell coming back into the side.
However, Labushcagne retained his place over Marcus Stoinis and he repaid the faith with some brilliant fielding and an unbeaten fifty in the final under extreme pressure.
#2 India - Shreyas Iyer
The No. 4 position was a huge headache for India in the buildup to the World Cup, and safe to say, it was the least of their concerns during the campaign. Several doubted Shreyas Iyer's ability to play at the highest level after coming back from an injury.
However, he stepped up with a brilliant individual campaign, scoring 530 runs in 11 innings at a strike rate of 113.24. Shreyas scored successive hundreds as well, including one in the semi-final against New Zealand at the Wankhede Stadium.
The campaign proves that he is the obvious candidate for India at No. 4 moving forward.
#3 South Africa - Gerald Coetzee
The Proteas had a lot of positives to take away from the 2023 ODI World Cup, with one of them being Gerald Coetzee's performances. The speedster had to sit out a few matches for South Africa to accommodate both Lungi Ngidi and Tabraiz Shamsi, but he managed to make his appearances count.
The youngster was at his speedy best and ended with 20 wickets in just eight matches at an economy rate of 6.23. He bowled a scathing spell against Australia in the semi-finals as well, but it ended in vain as yet another one of South Africa's campaigns ended before the final.
#4 New Zealand - Rachin Ravindra
Rachin Ravindra had a landmark tournament with the bat for New Zealand. He batted as an opener as well as in the No. 3 position and oozed runs right from the start of the tournament. The left-handed batter scored a hundred on his World Cup debut against England and proceeded to score two more to mark an eventful campaign.
He ended up as the fourth-highest run scorer in the World Cup with 578 runs in 10 matches at a strike rate of 106.44. His role will be crucial for New Zealand in the coming years as it braces a huge transition period.
#5 Pakistan - Abdullah Shafique
The Men in Green did not have many positives to take away after missing out on the semi-finals for the third straight edition. However, Abdullah Shafique's emergence as a white-ball opening batter has been a reassuring point.
Shafique has cemented himself as the red-ball opener for Pakistan, but his white-ball credentials were unknown. He made it into the playing XI following Fakhar Zaman's poor form and retained his place when Imam-ul-Haq was dropped later on in the league stage.
He scored a memorable ton in Pakistan's record run chase against Sri Lanka, and finished as the team's second-highest run-scorer, only behind Mohammad Rizwan. Shafique scored 336 runs in eight innings at an average of 42.
#6 Afghanistan - Azmatullah Omarzai
Afghanistan enjoyed a memorable 2023 ODI World Cup campaign, finishing in the sixth position and securing qualification for the 2025 Champions Trophy. All-rounder Azmatuallah Omarzai had played 13 ODIs coming into the World Cup, and he leaves the event as one of the biggest breakout stars.
He scored 353 runs in eight innings, which included fifties against India, Sri Lanka, and South Africa. Omarzai was prolific with the ball as well, claiming seven wickets and acting as the second seamer when the team played with four spinners in the playing XI.
#7 England - Gus Atkinson
England hardly have any positives to take home from the 2023 World Cup, and if they can consider one, it would be Gus Atkinson's limited, but impactful displays.
In the long run, with David Willey having retired and Jofra Archer's injury issues, England need a reliable speedster, and they can use Atkinson in the role. The pacer, who only played three ODIs before the tournament, made his World Cup debut against South Africa in the league stage.
He played a couple more matches, including the win over Pakistan, and ended with four wickets in three matches at an economy rate of 6.08.
#8 Bangladesh - Shoriful Islam
Much like England, Bangladesh also had a forgettable World Cup campaign. They barely managed to qualify for the Champions Trophy and their campaign was marred with controversies and incidents.
Shoriful Islam's bowling was a slight positive for the team. The left-arm pacer found movement with the new ball and ended up with 10 wickets, which is the joint-highest for Bangladesh in the tournament alongside Mehidy Hasan.
Given that he is only 22 years old, Shoriful has a long way to go and can potentially even spearhead Bangladesh's bowling attack in the future.
#9 Sri Lanka - Dilshan Madushanka
Sri Lanka had a tough time with injuries, but Dilshan Madushanka's presence in the playing XI ended up as a blessing in disguise. The Lankans witnessed the likes of Matheesha Pathirana and Lahiru Kumara struggle with injuries, and Madushanka was the only consistent bowler in the side.
The left-arm seamer ended up with 21 wickets in nine matches and was prolific with the new ball in particular. The 23-year-old got the new ball to move around and gave Sri Lanka an early breakthrough on most of the occasions.
Madushanka also recorded a memorable five-wicket haul against India at the Wankhede Stadium.
#10 The Netherlands - Aryan Dutt
Right-arm off-spinner Aryan Dutt was the new ball bowler for the Netherlands throughout their World Cup campaign. The 20-year-old took 10 wickets in nine matches at an economy rate of 5.49.
While not the biggest turner of the ball, he had relatively good control over his line and length and kept things tight for the most part.
Dutt also scored a vital cameo in the Netherlands' famous win over South Africa in Dharamshala.