One surprising star from each 2023 World Cup team so far ft. Rachin Ravindra

The top-quality cricket at the ongoing ICC Men's ODI World Cup 2023 is enrapturing fans around the world. It seems like only yesterday that England and New Zealand clashed in the tournament opener in Ahmedabad on October 5.

However, with more than two-thirds of the league stage already wrapped up, all 10 teams have played six matches each. The hierarchy in the tournament is slowly shaping up, and every game from here on will be key to deciding the fate of each team.

So far in this high-pressure tournament, fans have seen several dominating performances from some already renowned superstars. Virat Kohli, David Warner, Quinton de Kock, Jasprit Bumrah are among such names.

Having said that, just like every time, the ongoing 13th edition has also witnessed some unheralded names take the limelight and put up exceptional displays.

In this article, we'll take a look at one surprising star from each 2023 World Cup team so far.

Note: All the stats used in this listicle are till Match 30 (AFG vs SL match)

#10 England - Harry Brook

Harry Brook during England v Bangladesh - ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 [Getty Images]

It has been an awful ODI World Cup campaign for England, to say the least. The reigning champions are currently at the bottom of the pile, with a single victory against Bangladesh to show from their six fixtures thus far.

Their players have massively underperformed, but there is a glimmer of hope for the future in the form of Harry Brook. After facing turmoil in his selection for the World Cup, Brook was slated into the first XI in the opening game against New Zealand, against whom he looked good for his 16-ball 25.

After another 20 against Bangladesh, Brook played one of the finest innings by an Englishman in the tournament when he dished out 66 runs against a fiery Afghan spin attack in Delhi. The innings proved that the talented right-hander can tackle spin far better than what some critics perceive.

It is unfortunate that, due to that combination of the team, Brook has been forced to sit out in the previous two games.

#9 Bangladesh - Mahmudullah

Mahmudullah after his ton vs South Africa [Getty Images]

It came as a huge surprise after Bangladesh brought back Mahmudullah for their ODI series against New Zealand just prior to the World Cup. After all, the middle-order batter didn't play a single ODI in the previous six months.

However, Mahmudullah has delivered thus far and has been his side's highest run-getter after six matches. He started his campaign with an unbeaten 41 against New Zealand in Chennai before another fine 36-ball 46 against India.

In the next game against South Africa, Mahmudullah proved to be the only shining light, as he struck a wonderful century while the tail wagged in his support. Though the game ended in lop-sided fashion, his knock showcased that the 37-year-old still has some gas left in the tank.

So far, Mahmudullah has scored 218 runs at an average of 72.66 across four innings.

#8 Netherlands - Aryan Dutt

Aryan Dutt bowling vs Australia [Getty Images]

The Netherlands' upsurge in the tournament has been heartening to witness. Who would've thought that it would still be mathematically possible for the Dutch side to enter the top four even this deep in the tournament?

However, that's been the case with the high-spirited unit, who have beaten the likes of South Africa and Bangladesh. While their pace bowlers in Paul Van Meekeren, Bas de Leede, and Logan van Beek have picked up 30 wickets among them, another bowler has been crucial for the Dutch.

Aryan Dutt, who has opened the bowling in every game thus far, has quitely went about his job. With his clever off-spin bowling, Dutt has been fabulous in delivering strikes early on.

Despite not being a huge turner of the ball, the 20-year-old youngster has been quite effective with his line and length. He has even troubled batters with variations in speed and angles.

So far, Dutt has picked up eight wickets at a great economy rate of 4.96 across six innings.

#7 Pakistan - Abdullah Shafique

Abdullah Shafique plays a shot vs Australia [Getty Images]

Starting his career as a Test specialist, Abdullah Shafique has well and truly arrived in the white-ball circuit for Pakistan. A string of poor scores by Fakhar Zaman led to Shafique's inclusion in the Pakistan team at the ongoing tournament.

The right-handed opener has grabbed his opportunities with both hands, having made 264 runs at an average of 52.80 and at a strike rate of 94.29 across five innings so far.

He smashed a heroic hundred on his World Cup debut, scoring a match-winning 113 in a historic run-chase against Sri Lanka. He then made fifties against Australia and Afghanistan as well.

Where the other top-order batters haven't made enough impact, Shafique has been a mainstay in the Pakistan unit.

#6 Sri Lanka - Dilshan Madhushanka

Dilshan Madhushanka appealing during the South Africa v Sri Lanka - ICC World Cup 2023 [Getty]

Sri Lanka certainly had one of the weakest bowling lineups going into the tournament. Due to a number of injuries, they didn't even have the rub of the green with them.

However, one player who has stood out from the rest is Dilshan Madhushanka. The left-arm pacer didn't have enough game time leading into the campaign, as he played his last ODI before the World Cup against the Netherlands at the ICC World Cup Qualifiers in July.

Having said that, there has been no sight of rustiness in his bowling and he picked up 13 wickets at an average of 24.46 across six games. He has been the highest wicket-taker for Sri Lanka and the joint-highest overall.

With his left-arm angle and ability to nip the ball back in, Madhushanka has been simply brilliant.

#5 Afghanistan - Azmatullah Omarzai

India v Afghanistan - ICC Men's Cricket World Cup India 2023

Similar to the Netherlands, the rise of the Afghanistan team in the ongoing tournament has been heartening to witness. While it was common knowledge that their spinners would have a huge say, the sheer maturity shown by their batting group has been phenomenal.

The likes of Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmat Shah, and skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi have been clinical. Among the group of batters, there is another name that has popped up and has dished out crucial knocks from time to time.

He is Azmatullah Omarzai. The batting all-rounder was previously used in the lower order, where his abilities were mainly wasted. However, in the ongoing tournament, Omarzai has batted in the middle order and has shown that he has the right temperament to pile up runs against some top-quality opposition.

He played a great innings of 62 against India before getting some starts in the next few games. However, in the last game against Sri Lanka, the 23-year-old came up with his best ODI knock when he scored 73* off 63 in an important run-chase of 242.

In total, Omarzai has made 203 runs at an average of 50.75 and at a strike rate of 97.6 across five innings. Apart from this, he has been a great sixth-bowling option as well and has taken five wickets in the 27 overs he has bowled in the tournament.

#4 Australia - Pat Cummins

Pat Cummins during Australia v New Zealand - ICC World Cup 2023

There were talks that Pat Cummins might not be able to replicate his red-ball form in the ODI format for Australia. He even started poorly, with just one wicket in the first two games. He had a lot of pressure as a captain as well, with Australia losing both of their first two fixtures.

However, the tides have changed for Pat Cummins and his side after the game against Sri Lanka. It was his two wickets that turned the game against the Lankans before Cummins bagged five more in his next three games.

After a couple of forgettable games, the 30-year-old has rightly found his length on Indian pitches. Apart from this, Cummins' freakish 14-ball 37 with the bat against New Zealand proved to be a match-winning cameo at the end.

#3 South Africa - Gerald Coetzee

Gerarld Coetzee during South Africa v Sri Lanka - ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 [Getty Images]

Being one of the highest wicket-takers in the team, which already has the likes of Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi, Tabraiz Shamsi, and Keshav Maharaj, is no mean feat.

However, this only shows how phenomenal Gerald Coetzee has been for South Africa. Playing for the very first time in India, Coetzee has simply been superb. He has been successful in getting wickets at regular junctures.

Being yet to go wicketless in any of his spells, the 23-year-old has picked up 12 wickets at an average of 22.00 and an economy rate of under 7.00. With the kind of tournament he is having, it won't be a surprise if he generates a bidding war among IPL teams in the upcoming auction.

#2 India - Mohammed Shami

Team India have been bossing the tournament and has won all six of their fixtures so far. Apart from a couple of names here and there, all the individuals have performed exceedingly well and are roaring to go deep in the tournament.

There has been only one matter of concern for India, and that has been the injury to Hardik Pandya. The premier all-rounder twisted his ankle in the clash against Bangladesh. However, his injury meant that India included Mohammed Shami as their weapon in the bowling department.

The move has been a blessing in disguise for the side, as Shami has wreaked havoc in the two games he has played thus far. The 33-year-old picked up a five-wicket haul in his first game of the tournament before bamboozling the English batters with an exemplary display of seam bowling.

Shami has garnered nine wickets at an immaculate average of 8.44 and an unbelievable strike rate of 11.33. Had there not been any injury scares in the team, Shami might or might not have featured in the ongoing World Cup.

#1 New Zealand - Rachin Ravindra

Rachin Ravindra - the new hero for New Zealand [Getty Images]

It won't be an overstatement to say that Rachin Ravindra has been the find of the tournament. His restful temperament, elegant strokeplay, and remarkable consistency have been making the rounds among cricket lovers.

The New Zealand batting group had questions to answer after Kane Williamson's untimely injury. However, Ravindra's coming-of-age performances have put all the worries to rest.

The left-hander started his ODI World Cup career with a magnificent 96-ball 123* against England. He followed it up with another fifty against the Netherlands before scoring 75 against India.

However, in a high-scoring thriller against rivals Australia, the youngster came up with a scintillating knock. He smashed the fastest ODI World Cup hundred for New Zealand, scoring 116 in just 89 balls.

Having made 406 runs at a ridiculous average of 81.20, Ravindra has already put his name in the folklore of some incredible young talent to ever grace the quadrennial tournament for the Kiwis. Moreover, the 23-year-old is more than a handy left-arm spinner and has taken three wickets at an economy rate of 6.02.

Given how well he has fared against some of the world's best oppositions, Rachin's career beckons for big things in years to come.