India National Cricket Team

Cricket is something of a religion in India, and the Indian national cricket team is therefore one of the best-supported sports teams in the world. The team also has significant financial backing, and is the highest paid national sports team in the world.

Despite having a large playing pool and enjoying tremendous public support, the Indian team are generally regarded as under-performers when it comes to the Cricket World Cup, having last won the tournament in 1983.

Captain: M.S. Dhoni
Coach: Gary Kirsten
Best Cricket World Cup Performance: winners (1983)

Click red odds to strike a bet
World Cup - World Cup Winner -
India	10/3	10/3	10/3	10/3	3	7/2	10/3	10/3	10/3	3
England	5	5	5	11/2	5	5	5	5	5	9/2
Australia	9/2	9/2	11/2	5	11/2	9/2	9/2	11/2	5	11/2
South Africa	11/2	11/2	5	5	11/2	11/2	11/2	5	11/2	5
Sri Lanka	5	5	9/2	9/2	9/2	5	5	9/2	5	5
Pakistan	15/2	9	15/2	11	8	8	9	8	9	9
New Zealand	12	18	20	17	16	14	18	18	14	14
West Indies	17	16	16	19	20	16	16	22	16	20
Bangladesh	33	40	33	43	40	50	40	40	50	50
Zimbabwe	175	150	250	259	200	150	150	150	200	300
Ireland	499	500	500	379	500	500	500	500	500	750
Kenya	999	-	-	639	1000	-	-	1000	1000	750
Canada	-	-	-	639	1000	-	-	2000	1000	1000
Netherlands	999	-	-	639	1000	-	-	2000	1000	1000

2011 Cricket World Cup

India - Cricket World Cup India endured a disappointing World Cup in 2007, by exiting the tournament in the 1st round. This situation is unlikely to be repeated in 2011 as the Indian team plays in front of home crowds and under favourable conditions. The emergence of a strong Indian pace attack in recent years should give India a more rounded squad, and balance their imposing batting line-up with bowlers capable of bowling out the best teams in the world.

Cricket World Cup History

India has enjoyed mixed success at the Cricket World Cup. The Indian team failed to make an impression in either of the first two Cricket World Cup tournaments, however, in 1983 the Indians pulled off what is widely regarded as the biggest upset in the history of the tournament by reaching the final, and then defeating one of the most powerful West Indian sides in history.

In 1987 the Indian national cricket team again showed excellent form by reaching the semifinals of the Cricket World Cup before losing to England. The 1990s proved to be less successful for the Indian team, as they failed to make the knockout rounds twice.

Their best Cricket World Cup appearance in this decade was at the 1996 Cricket World Cup where they reached the semifinals, and then subsequently lost to Sri Lanka in an infamous match at Eden Gardens, that was ended when the crowd rioted as India faced imminent defeat.

In the first Cricket World Cup of the new millenium, the Indian team produced their best world cup performance in two decades, as they swept aside all opposition on the way to the final of the 2003 tournament. After easily defeating Kenya in the semifinals, India came up against a rampant Australian team in the final at the Wanderers in South Africa, and lost the match by 125 runs.

The next Cricket World Cup in the Caribbean proved to be as disastrous for India as it was for their neighbours Pakistan, whom they joined on an early flight home after failing to progress beyond the 1st round of the tournament.