10 things that have changed since the last Cricket World Cup

The 2015 World Cup is almost upon us. Since the previous World Cup in 2011, several events have happened that have had a big impact on the game.Here’s a look at 10 such events that had a dramatic impact on the fans and the game in genaral:

#1 India losing their No.1 ranking

England thrashed India to become the No.1 ranked team in the world

India became the top-ranked side in Test cricket for the first time in 2009 after winning a series versus Sri Lanka at home. However, they did face stiff competition soon after when South Africa threatened to take the title away within a couple of months time. However, some spirited performances from the team meant that India managed to hold on to their ranking until the 2011 World Cup.

After the historic triumph, India headed to England for a four-Test series. It was touted as the battle for No.1 between the two teams. However, a spate of injuries and a top-class England bowling attack meant that India were on the backfoot from day one and they eventually lost the series and the number 1 ranking to the hosts. Since then, despite winning at home, India's overseas performances have been woeful and hence they haven't been able to reclaim the top spot.

#2 Retirements of several greats

Sachin Tendulkar bid an emotional faewell to the game last year

One of the most fascinating aspects of the 2011 World Cup in general was the presence of many stalwarts in the tournament. India had Sachin Tendulkar, Australia had Ricky Ponting and South Africa had Jacques Kallis. However, in three years time all these great players and many others have retired from the game. Ponting was the first to leave in 2012. Tendulkar bid an emotional farewell last November while Kallis bid adieu in 2014.

#3 Yuvraj\'s fight with cancer

Yuvraj Singh made a comeback after a brave fight against cancer

Yuvraj Singh scored 362 runs and picked up 15 wickets and was rightly adjudged the player of the tournament in the 2011 World Cup. That performance also earned him a Test recall for the tour to England. But that's where his performances started to go down.

Yuvraj was first ruled out of the England tour due to a finger injury and then months later, he was diagnosed with cancer and had to undergo chemotherapy in Boston. He did return to the Indian team in late 2012, but it was clearly evident that he was no longer the same player as before and thereby, failed to keep a permanent spot in the team.

#4 The Kevin Pietersen saga

Kevin Pietersen’s career came to a dramatic end

One of the most devastating and impactful players in the game, Kevin Pietersen's cricketing career has taken a serious dent since the mega event. However, trouble for the South African-born batsman began in 2012 when he was alleged to have sent defamatory text messages to South African cricketers about Andrew Strauss and Andy Flower. That led to Pietersen getting dropped from the side.

He made a comeback to the team during England's successful tour to India, where he scored a breath-taking 186 on a rank turner at Mumbai. But Pietersen and trouble were never far away as he was not selected for England's tour to the West Indies, following a 5-0 hammering at the hands of Australia in 2013. The decision to not select him was described as "unanimous" by the England selectors and the 34-year-old released statement saying that his time as an England cricketer was over.

England as a team had a terrific run after the World Cup, becoming the number one ranked side in the World in Test cricket. They held on to that position for a while before losing it to South Africa in 2012. After the retirement of some key players, they are now trying to regain lost ground.

#5 Saeed Ajmal and the chucking spree

Saeed Ajmal

Described by some as "the magician", Saeed Ajmal mesmerised teams all over the world with his bowling. However, the 36-year-old was banned from bowling earlier this year after the ICC found all his deliveries to be exceeding the 15-degree limit. Subsequently, several other bowlers like Sachitra Senanayake, Kane Williamson etc. were also found to be bowling with illegal actions and they too were barred from bowling in matches.

#6 The resurgence of Mitchell Johnson

Mitchell Johnson wreaked havoc in Australia last year

Mitchell Johnson was considered to be an enigma up until the 2011 World Cup. He had had an up-and-down career till then. However, his resurgence as a Test cricketer began after the Ashes in England in mid-2013. The left-armer had a stint with legendary pacer Dennis Lillee that did him a world of good as he ripped through the England batting line-up in the return Ashes late last year. He picked up 37 wickets in that series and was awarded the ICC Cricketer of the Year for 2014.

#7 The rise of Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli has been a run-machine for India since the 2011 World Cup

Virat Kohli scored his first World Cup century in his very first game in the tournament against Bangladesh. However, as was his general tendency then, he could never contribute consistently to India's cause after one good innings. But following the World Cup, the Delhi batsman completely turned into India's run-machine and piled on the runs game-after-game-after-game.

He scored a sensational 133 off 86 balls against Sri Lanka and followed it up with an 183 versus Pakistan in the Asia Cup in 2012. He also became fastest to 6000 runs in ODI cricket earlier this month and has become a key cog in India's batting line-up in both Tests and ODIs.

#8 Sri Lanka break the \'final\' jinx

Sri Lanka won thier first title in 18 years earlier this year

There are no prizes for guessing who India beat in the 2011 World Cup final to become champions after 28 years. Sri Lanka were defeated in front of a packed Wankhede which stretched their final jinx further. They had lost to Pakistan in the 2009 World T20 final and before that to Australia in the 2007 50-over World Cup final.

They ruined a golden chance of breaking that jinx in 2012 in front of home fans when they lost to the West Indies in the final of the World T20. Earlier this year, they reached the final of the World T20 in Bangladesh once again and this time thanks to an excellent team effort, they defeated India in the final to win their first major trophy since the 1996 World Cup.

#9 West Indies win their first title in 8 years

West Indies with the World T20 title

The West Indies hadn't won a major global event since the 2004 Champions Trophy. They had failed to perform in their home World Cup in 2007 and were knocked out in the quarter-finals of the 2011 World Cup.

However, a determined West Indies outfit arrived in Sri Lanka in 2012. Many had labelled them as the dark-horses before the event began and as the tournament progressed, they became most pundit's favourites to lift the cup. That prediction came true when they beat Sri Lanka in the final at the Premadasa Stadium to win their first title in 8 years.

#10 A flurry of world records broken

Corey Anderson broke the record for the fastest ODI hundred earlier this year

Before the 2011 World Cup began, Sachin Tendulkar was the only man in the game to score a double hundred in ODI cricket, Shahid Afridi still held the record for the fastest ODI hundred, An individual score of 150 in T20 cricket still seemed hard to get and Viv Richards still held the record for the fastest Test hundred. However, in the past three years, all these records have been broken. Here's a list of the incredible records that have been seen in the last 3 years:

Virender Sehwag's 219 vs the West Indies at Indore

Rohit Sharma's 264 vs Sri Lanka at Kolkata

Chris Gayle's 175 off 66 balls vs the Pune Warriors in 2013 IPL

Corey Anderson's hundred off 36 balls vs the West Indies

Misbah Ul-Haq's Test hundred vs Australia off 56 balls