Cricket is a team's game, but then very often the entire team revolves around one key player in the squad who carries the weight of expectations and invariably the fortunes of the team.
In a team game, it is the particular individual who on many occasions forms the crux and allows the entire team to rotate around the fulcrum. Thus, it is no surprise that a productive team is one wherein the players share a common goal and believe in the abilities of the marquee player and then try to grow by learning how to adapt to different conditions and dish out performances that help the team in the end.
Over the years there have been players who have been like the talisman for their respective teams and have carried their respective sides all by themselves. They took upon themselves to do it all and have been inspirational in their ways and means. However, in spite of all their bravado, their teams have not been able to cross the final hurdle and has resulted in heartbreaks and unfiltered emotions being bared on the field.
We take a look at 5 such players who have dominated a particular tournament, and have hogged all the limelight, but unfortunately, the campaigns ended with a sudden jitter.
#1 Martin Crowe (1992 World Cup)
Arguably the greatest Kiwi batsman, Martin Crowe was in his elements during the 1992 World Cup. Captain Crowe lead his team into the semi-finals of the World Cup, and was in sublime form with the bat. He averaged 55 in the tournament and like all champions reserved his best for Australia, against whom he scored a regal century in the first match of the tournament.
Crowe scored 456 runs in the tournament which and was the leading batsman by some distance. Even in the semi-finals against Pakistan in Auckland, he top scored with an 83-ball 91 and helped his side get to a formidable score of 262 in 50 overs. He injured his hamstring during this innings and sat out during Pakistan's chase.
Crowe said that he was waiting for the rain to arrive as was predicted by the MET department, and hence was pretty confident of his team's progress into the finals. The rains never arrived and Pakistan got to the target in 49 overs with 4 wickets to spare.
"In other words, the team would win and I would be fit for the final. With what unfolded, I had made a massive mistake in not taking the field despite a hamstring injury, because I was trying to be fit for the final as opposed to getting the team through to the final", Crowe said.
For all the effort, Crowe was adjudged the Player of the Tournament, for the very first time in the history of World Cups.
#2 Lance Klusener (1999 World Cup)
In 1999 in England, when big-hitting and taking the bowlers to the cleaners had not yet become a routine affair, Lance Klusener forced the world to sit up and take notice by his brutal hitting and consistency.
Many still believe that the 1999 World Cup is one of the best tournament because of the fact that the eventual winners were never clear up until the final half the finals.
By 1999, Lance Klusener had slowly established himself as an important cog in the South African wheel and during the tournament it was clear that 'Zulu' was a freak and out an out match-winner in his day. He picked up 17 wickets at an average of 20.58, and scored 281 runs, including two half-centuries, in nine games with an astounding average of 140.50. On several occasions in the tournament he came out with South Africa in a spot of bother and single-handedly bailed them out with his belligerent stroke play.
However, in what will always be remembered as one of most iconic scenes in a World Cup, Klusener stalled, stagnated and froze when it mattered the most, that is in the semi-finals against Australia. He came in with 39 runs needed off 31 balls and then clubbed 31 off 14 balls.
South Africa needed a solitary run off the final four balls and then the brain fade surfaced. He and Allan Donald botched it up as Donald took off for a non-existent single and was found short of his crease. The match was tied, South Africa knocked out as Australia had a superior run rate in the Super Sixes.
However, for his superhuman efforts, Klusener won four Man of the Match awards in the nine games during the tournament and also was the Player of the Tournament.
#3 Sachin Tendulkar (2003 World Cup)
673 runs scored in a tournament, most ever in any World Cup, and yet it was not enough to get India through to the trophy. This fairy tale run also included that innings of 98 against Pakistan in Centurion.
Sachin was a man on a mission throughout the tournament. His consistency was remarkable as he passed 50 in seven of 11 innings. India too exuded confidence throughout the tournament and only lost 2 matches in the entire tournament, incidentally, both came against Australia.
However, it all unravelled in the finals against Australia. The rampaging team were up against a dominating and all-conquering Australia in the finals. Captain Saurav Ganguly won the toss and quite surprisingly elected to bowl first. The Aussie batsmen came out all guns blazing and plundered 359.
The result was a foregone conclusion, and all hopes were pinned on the little master, but Sachin fell for only 4 attempting a pull shot against Glenn McGrath. India fell short by 125 runs in the end. It was a morose end to an inspired campaign.
Sachin Tendulkar was the player of the tournament.
#4 Virat Kohli (2014 World T20)
Virat Kohli might be one of the superstars currently, but his remarkable consistency was on in full aplomb during the 2014 World T20 in Sri Lanka.
Kohli scored 319 in the tournament with scores of 36 not out against Pakistan, 54 against the West Indies, 57 not out against Bangladesh, 23 against Australia and 72 not out against South Africa in the semi-final. In the finals too he scored a 58-ball 77 against Sri Lanka.
India were in dominating position after 16 overs in their innings, but it was all because of some brilliant death-overs bowling by Nuwan Kulasekara and Lasith Malinga, that India could only manage 130 runs in 20 overs.
The target was never going to be enough and Kumar Sangakkara saw Sri Lanka through. A visibly gutted Kohli sunk to his haunches after the match.
If it could offer any solace, the flamboyant batsman was adjudged player of the tournament.
#5 AB de Villiers (2015 World Cup)
Freak, genius, brilliant, many accolades have been accorded to AB de Villiers during his career and in the 2015 World Cup, all these seemed to be true. Leading his side into the tournament, de Villiers took it upon himself to win the trophy for his country.
In the 7 innings he played in the tournament, AB scored 482 runs at a whopping average of 96.40. He even picked up 4 wickets in the tournament.
However, the innings which defined de Villiers was his innings against the West Indies where he smashed the fastest 150 in ODIs. He finished with 162* off 66, and South Africa plundered 261 runs in the last 20 overs.
In the crucial semi-finals against New Zealand, the Proteas skipper scored a 45-ball 65 and helped South Africa get to 281 runs in 43 overs. This was not going to be enough in the end, and Grant Elliot sent New Zealand into a frenzy as he smacked Dale Steyn for a six in the penultimate over of the match.
AB could not hold back his tears as the World Cup dream was brought to a sudden and rather rude halt.
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