5 cricketers who have won the World Cup without playing a single match

#3 Brad Haddin (2007 World Cup)

Brad Haddin played an important role in Australia's run to the 2011 World Cup final

Another cricketer that was part of the 2007 World Cup-winning Aussie squad but did not make a single appearance in the tournament is wicket-keeper Brad Haddin. Up against the great Adam Gilchrist for the gloves in the Australian team, Haddin was starting with a handicap.

The stumper watched on as his teammates ensured that the Australians went home happy from the Caribbean Islands.

Haddin was the first choice keeper in the next two editions of the World Cup, even finishing the 2011 World Cup as Australia’s top run-getter with 332 runs.

The true reward for his patience would however come in 2015. That year, the Australian team would win the World Cup for the fifth time in history, and for the first time ever on home turf.

Incidentally, the final against New Zealand that the Aussies won by 7 wickets would be the last ODI that Brad Haddin would ever play.

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#2 Marvan Atapattu (1996 World Cup)

Marvan Atapattu in action for Sri Lanka

A veteran of 268 ODI matches, Marvan Atapattu was still very young in his ODI career when Sri Lanka co-hosted the 1996 Cricket World Cup, alongside India and Pakistan. The former Sri Lankan captain had only played 7 matches at the time the tournament came around.

The team management decided to not risk the inexperienced youngster in the pressure environment of the World Cup. While the decision would bear fruit, Atapattu missed out on his chance to play in the famous Sri Lankan World Cup win of 1996.

The future captain of the Lankan Lions would go on to play in the 1999 and 2003 editions of the tournament but the team would never scale the heights of 1996 again.

Atapattu would retire ahead of the 2007 World Cup after falling out with the selectors.

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#1 Sunil Valson (1983 World Cup)

Sunil Valson was part of India's 1983 squad

Left-arm pacer Sunil Valson was only 24 years old when he was called up to the Indian World Cup squad in 1983. Although he didn’t play a single game in the tournament, the Indian team, who came to be known as ‘Kapil’s Devils’, would create history by beating the mighty West Indies in the finals at Lord’s.

Although that tournament will fondly be remembered by Indian fans across the world, Sunil Valson would become a forgotten part of the squad over the years. Valson is unique on this list since he is the only player to have won the World Cup without playing a single international match.

The Indian cricket team would have to wait another 28 years before they won the World Cup again when the MS Dhoni-led team of 2011 lifted the trophy at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.