Cricket allows small fish to dream big. The World Cup of no other major sport has seen underdogs becoming champions as frequently. India did it in 1983, before Australia (1987), Pakistan (1992) and Sri Lanka (1996) followed.
Non-Test-playing nations have had their moments as well, adding heart-warming drama to the tournament. Here's a look at some of the upsets at the mega event:
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In a match that took three days to finish, Sri Lanka became the first non-Test-playing nation to beat a Test-playing one. The win helped the islanders gain Test status.
Sri Lanka 238 for five in 60 overs (Sunil Wettimuny 67, Roy Dias 50, Duleep Mendis 64, Mohinder Amarnath three for 40) bt India 191 in 54.1 overs (Anshuman Gaekwad 33, Dilip Vengsarkar 36, Tony Opatha three for 31, Somachandra de Silva three for 29).
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1983: Zimbabwe stuns Australia, Nottingham
Before he became a successful coach, Duncan Fletcher was the skipper of Zimbabwe. He led from the front to hand Australia an astonishing 13-run defeat.
Zimbabwe 239 for six in 60 overs (Duncan Fletcher 69, Iain Butchart 34 n.o.) bt Australia 226 for seven in 60 overs (Graeme Wood 31, Kepler Wessels 76, Rodney Marsh 50 n.o., Duncan Fletcher four for 42).
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1992: Zimbabwe humbles England, Albury
Chicken farmer Eddo Brandes bowled Zimbabwe to a memorable victory against an England team on fire. This turned out to be the African nation's final ODI before gaining Test status,
Zimbabwe 134 in 46.1 overs (Ian Botham three for 23, Richard Illingworth three for 33) bt England 125 in 49.1 overs (Eddo Brandes four for 21).
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1996: Kenya hammers West Indies, Pune
“I don’t have words,” said Richie Richardson after his team’s 73-run loss in a low-scoring match. No one could have been more eloquent about Kenya’s incredible win than the West Indian captain.
Kenya 166 in 49.3 overs (Courtney Walsh three for 46, Roger Harper three for 15) bt West Indies 93 in 35.2 overs (Rajab Ali three for 17, Maurice Odumbe three for 15).
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1999: Bangladesh beats Pakistan, Northampton
The 62-run win over an in-form Pakistan in an inconsequential league match opened the doors, rather prematurely, for Bangladesh's Test status. Match-fixing charges, which emerged later, further embarrassed Pakistan.
Bangladesh 223 for nine in 50 overs (Shahriar Hossain 39, Akram Khan 42, Saqlain Mushtaq five for 35) bt Pakistan 161 in 44.3 overs (Khaled Mahmud three for 31).
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2003: Kenya defeats Sri Lanka by 53 runs, Nairobi
Seven years after shocking West Indies, Kenya humbled another former World champion, Sri Lanka. The victory tasted sweeter, because it came at home..
Kenya 210 for nine in 50 overs (Kennedy Otieno 60, Chaminda Vaas three for 41, Muttiah Muralitharan four for 28) bt Sri Lanka 157 in 45 overs (Aravinda de Silva 41, Collins Obuya five for 24).
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2003: Canada shocks Bangladesh, Durban
Medium-pacer Austin Codrington took five wickets to star in Canada’s brightest hour in cricket.
Canada 180 in 49.1 overs (Ian Billcliff 42) bt Bangladesh 120 in 28 overs (Austin Codrington five for 27).
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2007: Ireland upstages Pakistan, Kingston
England’s current World Cup captain Eoin Morgan made just two, but his then team Ireland stunned Pakistan. Niall O’Brien, who came in at the fall of Morgan, made more than half the Ireland total.
Pakistan 132 in 45.4 overs (Boyd Rankin three for 32) lost to Ireland 133 for seven in 41.4 overs (Niall O’Brien 72, Mohammad Sami three for 29).
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2011: Ireland outshines England, Bangalore.
Ireland’s brave hearts did even better, four years later. The three-wicket win against their neighbour and sporting rival is arguably the most sensational by World Cup minnows, as they chased down England’s imposing total of 327. The fastest-ever World Cup hundred by Kevin O'Brien (off just 50 balls) powered the highest successful chase at the World Cup.
England 327 for eight in 50 overs (Andrew Strauss 34, Kevin Pietersen 59, Jonathan Trott 92, Ian Bell 81, John Mooney four for 63) lost to Ireland 329 for seven in 49.1 overs (Paul Stirling 32, Ed Joyce 32, Kevin O’Brien 113, Alex Cusack 47, John Mooney 33 n.o.).