5 legends who never won the World Cup

There are cricketers who leave a mark on the sport when they play the game and even after they retire from the game. Such is their contribution to the sport, that cricket viewers across the globe will be ever grateful to these players for enriching their lives.

A lot of cricketers have become legends due to their sheer talent and skill. Also, it goes without saying that they have been successful for a long period of time and hence the elevated status they receive is truly what they deserve.

For some legends, true success has come in the way they have led their side with integrity and honor - and not just by getting their hands on any silverware.

On a day of mourning for cricket fans across the globe, as AB De Villiers, or ‘Mr 360’ as he’s fondly called, announced his retirement from all forms of cricket, here’s looking at 5 cricket legends who never won a World Cup:

---

AB de Villiers

There is nothing the 34-year-old ABD can’t do on the cricket field. He can defy the laws of gravity while fielding, he can bat left- and right-handed with aplomb, and can make batting look incredibly easy on the eye. And not to forget he has been one of the finest wicket-keepers South Africa have produced.

But if there is one thing ABD and South Africa haven’t been able to do, it is getting their hands on silverware of any sort. De Villiers, who has amassed 9558 runs in 228 ODI games at an average of 53.5 with 50 half centuries and 24 centuries to his name, hasn’t been able to win the World Cup.

The closest South Africa came to winning the World Cup was in 2015. They were brilliant right from the start of the campaign, and every cricket fan - no matter which team they were supporting - wanted South Africa to shine and get rid of the ‘chokers’ tag,

Alas, that was not to be. In an emotional roller coaster in the semi-finals against New Zealand, South Africa lost by a close margin. The tears in ABD’s eyes after the defeat symbolized what every South African fan would have felt at that time.

With ABD retiring from all forms of the game, the legend will not participate in the 2019 World Cup and thus will not get a chance to finish his career with that coveted trophy.

Brian Lara

Brian Charles Lara was undoubtedly amongst the best batsman in the 1990’s era. A lot of people and experts felt he was on par or even better than Sachin Tendulkar - sSuch was his charisma, style and grace at the crease.

Lara made batting look so stylish. His stance and his sheer dominance - especially square through the off and on side - remain unmatched. The great batsman that he was, he shouldered the complete burden of carrying West Indies' hopes on his shoulders.

299 ODIs, 10,405 runs at an average of 40.48 with 19 centuries and 63 half-centuries to his name - Brian Lara is indeed a legend in the ODI format of the game.

But since West Indies have been on the downward spiral since the start of the 90s, Lara could never win a World Cup. It takes a team and not individual brilliance to win a trophy as big as the Cricket World Cup.

West Indies have been struggling to put up a strong side for a while now, and it was indeed sad to see Lara bowing out from the group stages of the ICC Cricket World Cup in 2007 in his own country.

Lara was a remarkable cricketer, a legend who deserved to get his hands on the World Cup, but that was not to be.

Jacques Kallis

Jacques Kallis will go down in history as one of the finest ever all-rounders to have graced the game. He is among the very few players to have taken more than 250 wickets and scored 10,000 or more runs in both ODIs and Tests.

He left the game only after creating a virtually unparalleled benchmark for all-rounders across teams. Everyone wants to have someone who can bat like Jacques Kallis, bowl like him and contribute on the field too.

There will always be only one Jacques Kallis. He was one of a kind, truly irreplaceable.

He was equally strong against the fast bowlers and spinners. He had the most unassuming approach to batting, which became his biggest hallmark. He would bury oppositions with stoic defense at times, and attacking strokeplay at others.

Like many South African players over the past few decades though, he is yet another player to fall in the ‘chokers’ category in ICC tournaments. The closest this legend got to winning a World Cup was in 1999 where South Africa lost to Australia in the semi-finals, a game which would go down in the history of ODI cricket as being one of the best games ever.

But cricket and fans of the game were truly privileged to have witnessed a legend at the peak of his abilities. He is still gracing the sport now through his role as a coach, and is aiding in the growth of the next generation of superstars.

Sourav Ganguly

Ganguly, fondly called ‘Dada’, was also known as the god of the off-side. No one could beat him when it came to scoring boundaries at will on the off-side. His opening partnership with Sachin Tendulkar is still considered among the best in ODI history.

No one is born a legend; he becomes one over the course of time through sheer dedication and hard work. Someone who epitomizes that would be Sourav Ganguly - a truly inspirational cricketer and captain, he left his stamp on the game.

But what truly made a fabulous, match-winning batsman a legend was the impact he had as a captain for India. Having taken over the reins post the match-fixing scandal in 2000 when the Indian cricket team was in tatters, he transformed the nation.

He was given a young, inexperienced side and he nurtured them. Some of the players who would go on to win the World Cup in 2011 for India like Yuvraj Singh, Zaheer Khan, Harbhajan Singh and Virender Sehwag were people who flourished under ‘Dada’s’ captaincy.

In the ICC World Cup in 2003, the confidence and self-belief he brought to the side were very evident. They fell short through the extraordinary performance of the mighty Australians in the final of what was a truly memorable campaign.

A cricketer who has added so much value to Indian cricket could not win the World Cup. In the year 2007, India bowed out in the group stage, ensuring that one of the finest batsmen and leaders in the ODI game never landed the coveted trophy.

Rahul Dravid

Generally considered a Test match player because of his solid technique, Rahul Dravid carved his own niche in the ODI format. Coming in usually after the attacking opening partnership of Sachin-Sourav, Rahul Dravid showed us how to pace and build an ODI innings.

He certainly believed in the art of building a solid foundation and that became his trademark. He possessed a wide range of shots, like the cover drive, pull and cut shot. On a given day, Dravid could single-handedly win games with his bat in both ODIs and Tests.

Humble despite his achievements, and always willing to help youngsters grow and develop, Dravid's status as a legend has only solidified with his stint as the coach of the successful Indian U19 team.

He became India’s captain after a turbulent phase which saw a breakdown in the relationship between the coach and captain, Greg Chappell and Sourav Ganguly respectively. Dravid, being the thorough gentleman that he was, managed to handle the responsibility well.

But playing in his fourth World Cup in the year 2007, as the captain of the Indian team, he was at the receiving end of some really harsh criticism as the team crashed out in the league stage of the tournament. It is one blemish on his career and quality as a cricketer which would sadly never go away.

A cricketer with over 10,000 runs in 314 ODIs failed to win a World Cup. In the year 2011 India finally won the trophy, making Sachin Tendulkar the only Indian player from his generation to do so.