5 players who have won and lost a men's ODI World Cup final ft. Virat Kohli & Ricky Ponting

Team India's hopes of winning a third ODI World Cup title were shattered by Australia at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday, November 19. The hosts went down by six wickets as Australia cruised to their target of 241 to clinch a sixth men's ODI World Cup title.

Virat Kohli walked away with the Player of the Tournament honors on the back of a stellar campaign that saw him amass 765 runs at an average of 95.62. In doing so, he broke Sachin Tendulkar's record for the most runs scored in a single edition of the men's ODI World Cup, with Tendulkar scoring 673 runs in 2003.

Kohli was part of India's triumphant campaign at the 2011 World Cup and would have been the first Indian to have featured in two successful ODI World Cup finals had the team crossed the final hurdle on Sunday.

While Kohli has now been on both sides of the result in a final, he's not the first men's cricketer to have experienced the same.

Here's a look at five other prominent names who have won and lost a men's ODI World Cup final, with some of them coming out on the winning side on multiple instances.

---

#1 Sir Vivian Richards (West Indies)

The swashbuckling Sir Vivian Richards was easily the most feared batter of his era in the 1970s and 80s. Having played the final of the inaugural men's ODI World Cup in 1975, he was the hero of the final in 1979 as his unbeaten 138 paved the way for the West Indies to defend their crown.

Sir Richards was also on the receiving end of a loss in a World Cup final, though. West Indies were touted as the favorites to make it three out of three at Lord's in 1983, with the man himself leading the charge with the bat.

The moment Kapil Dev pulled off an incredible running catch to bring Richards' innings to a halt on 33, things flipped as India orchestrated a remarkable collapse to win by 43 runs after the Windies were bowled out for 140.

This was the last time Richards - and incidentally, the West Indies till date - played a men's ODI World Cup final.

---

#2 Joel Garner (West Indies)

Joel Garner's metronomic bowling reflects in his ODI economy rate of 3.09, which remains the best till date for a minimum criteria of 1000 deliveries.

The 'Big Bird' dismantled England's batting lineup in the final of the 1975 World Cup with returns of 5/38 and was a part of the victorious West Indian team. Much like Richards, however, he was part of the playing XI that played the final against India in 1983 but ended in defeat.

Garner was at his miserly best as he finished with 1/24 off his 12 overs. He was the last man standing with the bat and had to witness Mohinder Amarnath famously trapping Michael Holding in front from the non-striker's end.

---

#3 Shane Warne (Australia)

The late Shane Warne wrote himself into ODI World Cup folklore on the back of his exploits in the semifinals of both the 1996 and 1999 editions, thanks to his game-changing spells against West Indies and South Africa respectively.

Things didn't go Australia's way in the final of the first of those tournaments, however, as Sri Lanka trumped them in Lahore en route to their first and only ODI World Cup title.

However, Warne and Australia went one step better in 1999 as they routed Pakistan in the final at Lord's. The leg-spinner was the chief architect of the team's success as his 4/33 saw Pakistan fold for 132, before he walked away with the Player of the Match honors.

---

#4 Ricky Ponting (Australia)

Ricky Ponting has been a World Cup winner on multiple instances (Picture Credits: Getty).

If you're surprised seeing this name, it's true - Ricky Ponting has been a part of an ODI World Cup final that didn't go his way. He played the final of the 1996 World Cup and scored a defiant 73-ball 45 batting at No. 3.

While Australia lost the summit clash that time around, they would go on to win the three subsequent tournaments that followed, with Ponting captaining two of those in 2003 and 2007. His unbeaten 140 in the 2003 final against remains the stuff of cricketing folklore as the Aussies established themselves as the most supreme force in the sport.

---

#5 Sanath Jayasuriya (Sri Lanka)

The 'Matara Mauler' Sanath Jayasuriya - a box-office cricketer (File image; Getty).

The Player of the Tournament of the 1996 ODI World Cup, Sanath Jayasuriya couldn't leave a mark with the bat in the final as he scored just nine runs even as he picked up a wicket prior to that.

While Sri Lanka tasted glory, Jayasuriya featured in the final of the 2007 edition in the Caribbean. An assortment of stars in the Sri Lankan setup were overpowered by Australia in a rain-affected contest in Bridgetown, Barbados, as Adam Gilchrist's 149 blew them away to smithereens.

Jayasuriya gave his team hope with a 67-ball 63 and shared a brisk 116-run second-wicket partnership with Kumar Sangakkara. Once they departed, though, the cookie crumbled as Sri Lanka came crashing down.

---

What was your biggest takeaway from the ODI World Cup 2023? Have your say in the comments section below!

---