ICC World Cup: 3 occasions when the Man of the Series wasn't from the Champion Nation

Every sport has a pinnacle and cricket is no different! One of the most cherished sports all around the globe, cricket is worshipped by millions and when it comes to the top prize in cricket then the World Cup takes the cake.

The Cricket World Cup is a glorious event which is celebrated by the ardent cricket followers as they get to witness all the playing nations collide in a battle for supremacy. It is rightly said that what happens at a world cup gets engraved in the history books. The magnitude of this spectacle is beyond measure and it rightly is termed as a festival by the cricket enthusiasts.

Winning a cricket World Cup is an illustrious feat and every four years, ICC presents all the playing nations an opportunity to be reckoned as the global champions by carrying out the colossal cricketing fest i.e World Cup.

While winning a world cup is a great achievement, being awarded the Man of The Tournament trophy has its own sense of greatness. It is quite astonishing to be named as the best player of a tournament where all the top cricketing nations participate.

The world has always been blessed with world-class players, thus winning a Man of the Tournament award is something which will be considered extraordinary in every age. When we say the best player of the tournament then the obvious prediction comes out in the favour of the champion nation i.e. the winner being part of the team that won the cup.

Here is where the beauty of cricket lies as the fans are treated with surprises at each corner. In the history of the Cricket World Cup, there have been 3 instances when the Man of the Tournament didn't belong to the champion nation.

This just states that these players must have been utterly stunning as they managed to oust the rest to win the award, despite not being part of the World Champion squad.

Here we list down 3 men who have been named as the best player of a world cup, despite not winning that edition.

#3 Martin Crowe- 1992

Martin Crowe

Martin Crowe was the first-ever recipient of the Man of the Tournament award as he displayed some sensational batting skills at the 1992 Cricket World Cup. The Kiwi batsman had a spectacular tournament in his home nation as he managed to outscore every other player by scoring a total of 456 runs throughout the tournament.

With Martin at the helm and New Zealand's promising squad, they were tipped as the heavy favourites for the cup. The Kiwis reached the semifinals, where they were beaten by the eventual champions- Pakistan. Regardless of New Zealand's failure, Martin Crowe was still awarded the trophy for his masterclass with the bat.

Martin Crowe proved to be an exceptional leader as he captained his side to the semifinals.The New Zealand skipper was lauded by many as his deeds with the bat proved to be influential in New Zealand's commendable campaign. With the likes of Javed Miandad and Wasim Akram being in contention, Martin's achievement becomes extra special.

#2 Lance Klusener- 1999

Lance Klusener

Lance Klusener, the man who surprised the world by his outstanding impact at the 1999 Cricket World Cup. The tournament took place in England and was the 7th edition of the quadrennial tournament.

Lance's heroics were key to South Africa's success as they managed to reach the semifinals. Prior to the tournament, Lance Klusener wasn't a household name but upon the conclusion of the World Cup, he surely became one.

His ability to hit the ball out of the park was appreciated by the cricket enthusiasts as they were mesmerized by Lance Klusener's brilliance. His hard-hitting style impressed many which is why he was named as the player of the tournament.

While Lance Klusener's batting was remarkable, it was his bowling that helped the Proteas reach the last 4. In a team where Shaun Pollock and Alan Donald existed, Lance Klusener managed to end the tournament as the leading wicket-taker for South Africa. Things like this don't happen often which is why he was awarded with the prestigious award.

Lance Klusener scored 241 runs and took 17 wickets and was named as the best player of the tournament.

#1 Sachin Tendulkar- 2003

Sachin Tendulkar (left) of India is given a pat on the back by his captain

Sachin Tendulkar, the master blaster who has scored heaps of runs throughout his career was at his phenomenal best at the 2003 Cricket World Cup. India had a stellar campaign at the 2003 World Cup as they managed to reach the final where they were beaten by Australia.

Sachin Tendulkar was on a record-breaking spree of his own as he recorded the most prolific world cup for a player by scoring 673 runs in the tournament. Sachin's consistency was something that garnered praises from around the globe as the little master was in sensational form throughout the championship.

Sachin Tendulkar is a bonafide legend who is arguably the greatest batsman of all time and it was his consistency at the highest level that made millions idolize him. At a time when Australia was running on all cylinders with a squad blessed with truly world-class players, Sachin Tendulkar managed to win the player of the tournament ahead of everyone.