Five Biggest Upsets In ODI Cricket Since 2000

There is a certain charm in seeing an underdog punch above its weight and scripts an upset at the expense of their much-fancied opposition. ODI cricket has given us so many instances where a less fancied side has pulled off a major coup at the expense of an established side.

Who can forget India beating two-time World Cup champions West Indies in the 1983 final or when Kenya proceeded to beat the Men from the Caribbean in the 1996 World Cup or Zimbabwe and Bangladesh’s epic triumphs over Australia and Pakistan in 1983 and 1999 respectively?

The past 20 years have given us a plethora of such occasions where an underdog has not only punched above their weight but in some cases, has also been the reason for the elimination of the heavyweight sides from a tournament.

Here’s a look at the five of the biggest upsets in ODI cricket since 2000-

Also Read: Five Underdog Teams Who Went On To Win An ICC Event In The 21st Century

Scotland v England, 2018

England were flying high. They had squashed almost everyone that came in their way in fifty-over cricket- both home and away. And, so coming into their one-off One-day International against Scotland, the ‘Three Lions’ were tipped as massive favorites. But the Scotts had different ideas.

Batting first, Scotland racked up a whirlwind 5-371 in 50 over as Calum McLeod [140* off 94 balls], along with Matt Cross [48], Kyle Coetzer [58] and George Munsey [55] smashed the English bowlers to all corners of Edinburgh.

Chasing 372, England desperately needed a whirlwind start from the opening pair of Jason Roy and Johny Bairstow. And, they got exactly that. The duo racked up 129 runs for the first wicket. Johnny Bairstow spearheaded the run-chase with a brilliant 59-ball 105 but post his dismissal, none of the English batsmen could convert their starts into a three-figure score. England were eventually bowled out for 365 as Scotland completed one of the greatest win in their history, sending shockwaves around the future world champions.

Pakistan v Ireland, ICC Cricket World Cup, 2007

Pakistan vs Ireland. The group-stage encounter of the 2007 World Cup. A must-win game for Pakistan, who have lost their opening match to the hosts West Indies. St. Patricks Day. An upset for the ages.

Ireland pulled off a major coup on St. Patrick’s Day 2007 as they sent Inzamam Ul Haq-led Pakistan out of the World Cup in their debut game of the quadrennial event. Batting first, Pakistan never got going in their innings as Boyd Rankin [3-32] and Andre Botha [8-4-5-2] wracked havoc on their top-order.

The Men in Green were eventually bowled out for a mere 132 in 45.4 overs. Mohammad Sami [3-29] and Rao Iftikhar [2-29] did their best to keep Pakistan in the game but the resolve of Nial O’Brien [72 off 107 balls] was just a bit too much for the Asian giants to handle as the Irish went on to win the game by three wickets.

Pakistan’s loss not only resulted in them getting knocked out of the competition but it also proved to be Bob Woolmer’s last game. The former coach was found dead in mysterious circumstances in his bathroom a day after Pakistan’s heartwrenching defeat.

England v Ireland, ICC Cricket World Cup 2011

Another World Cup game, another upset at the hands of Ireland. And, this time, it was their English counterparts who were at the receiving end. And, in outrageous circumstances.

England were flying high after they had reduced Ireland to 5-111 after having posted 8-327 in their innings. But, little did they know that Kevin O’Brien was about to burst their parachute and ensure they fall flat on their face.

In a whirlwind display of power-hitting, Kevin O’Brien smashed England bowlers to all corners of the Chinnaswamy stadium, to become the fastest-ever centurion in World Cup cricket. He finished with a 63-ball 113 and Cusack [47] and Mooney [33*] ensured that his innings wasn’t wasted as Ireland rewrote the history books by chasing down the highest total in World Cup cricket.

India vs Bangladesh, ICC Cricket World Cup 2007

An upset that left an Indian fan scarred forever. An upset that not only sent shockwaves around the 1.2 billion Indians but also set the tone for their humiliating exit from the 2007 World Cup.

Yep, India vs Bangladesh, 2007. The writing was always on the wall after Indian captain, in what can only be construed as a strange decision considering there was overnight rain and the wicket was expected to have some moisture, chose to bat first.

Indian batting never really got going as Mashrafe Mortaza [4-38] and Abdur Razzaq [3-38] wracked havoc on their famed top-order. Sourav Ganguly [66] and Yuvraj Singh [47] resurrected the innings with an 85-run-stand before another collapse saw India lose their last six wickets for a mere 34 runs.

That this was a different Bangladesh was pretty much evident from the very first over of their run-chase when Tamim Iqbal strolled down the track and smoked Zaheer Khan for a monstrous six. Bangladesh never really looked back after that as half-centuries from Tamim [51], Mushfiqur Rahim [56*], and Shakib Al Hasan [53] paved the way for a famous five-wicket-win for the Asian Tigers.

Eight years later, Bangladesh pulled off another major coup when they defeated India in a three-match bilateral series 2-1.

Australia v Bangladesh, Natwest Trophy, 2005

An upset of the 21st century in my opinion, as rookie Bangladesh handed a shock defeat to the then world champions Australia in the summer of 2005.

It was Australia’s opening game of the 2005 Natwest Trophy featuring England and Bangladesh as the other two sides and what happened there, set the tone for an eventual disappointing summer for Ricky Ponting’s men.

Australia was rocked early in their innings when they lost Adam Gilchrist and skipper Ricky Ponting for 0 and 1 respectively. Half-centuries from Damien Martyn [77] and Michael Clarke [54] and handy contributions from Michael Hussey [31*] and Simon Katich [36*] helper the world champions to post a competitive 5-249 in 50 overs.

With Bangladesh reeling at 3-72, Australia would have thought that their worst fears are behind them but little did they knew that a teenage sensation in the form of Mohammad Ashraful was about to do the unthinkable.

Ashraful smashed a brilliant run-a-ball hundred and along with skipper Habibul Bashar [47] ensured that Bangladesh pulled off the greatest moment in their cricketing history by five wickets.

Honorable mentions:

Zimbabwe beat India twice in 2010, Kenya beat Sri Lanka in 2003 World Cup, Bangladesh beat South Africa in 2007 World Cup, Zimbabwe beat Sri Lanka 3-2 in 2017

Also Read: Five Cricket Captains Who Had To Quit Their Role Following Shameful Circumstances