David Warner (Australia): Two games, two seamless centuries and Australia’s most mercurial batter is back in form. When playing at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru against Pakistan, Warner was at his destructive best. His 163 off 124 featured 14 fours and six sixes and was the kind of knock that comes as much from a different mindset as it does from a broad arsenal of shots. Against the Netherlands at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi, another ground this IPL veteran knows well, Warner was more mellow. But he still notched up another 104 runs, striking at almost 112
Quinton de Kock (South Africa): He may have only scored four out of the 399 runs South Africa hammered against England, but come the bowling of Bangladesh at the Wankhede, de Kock was in no mood to relent. After a characteristically measured approach till he reached his third century of the tournament, de Kock teed off in the second half of his innings to finish with his second-highest ODI score of 174, at a strike rate of 124, with 15 fours and seven sixes
Virat Kohli (India): Prior to 2023, Kohli had not quite made an edition of the 50-over World Cup his own. But that seems to be changing this time, with the most prolific chaser in the game pulling off another masterclass by nailing a target of 274 against New Zealand in Dharamshala. Similar to the win against Bangladesh, Kohli played the situation as much as the opponents on Sunday, shifting between calculated risks and smart, high-percentage shots to nullify the Kiwi threat. Another hundred, one that would have brought him level with Sachin Tendulkar for the most ODI tons, would have been well-deserved, but the 95 that Kohli got was worth just as much
Glenn Maxwell (Australia): There is a school of thought that argues how Maxwell’s off-spin may be more crucial for Australia’s chances in India than his erratic batting. Against Pakistan on Friday, neither was particularly effective. But come Delhi on Wednesday, the Big Show was in full swing, breaking Aiden Markram’s record for the fastest 100 in World Cups by hitting three figures in just 40 balls. Facing his first ball in the 40th over, Maxwell basically played a T10 match, scoring almost 80 per cent of his runs in fours and sixes, including some scintillating reverse sweeps
Heinrich Klaasen (South Africa): Living up to his reputation as the most explosive finisher in the format, Klaasen had an outstanding week. In back-to-back games in Mumbai, Klaasen propelled the Proteas to humongous scores. First, against England on Saturday, Klasasen’s 109 off 67 took South Africa to the brink of 400. Then, against Bangladesh three days later, he was even more destructive, hitting no less than eight sixes en route to 90 off 49, as his team posted 382 on the board.
Mahmudullah (Bangladesh): There have only been six centuries by Bangladeshis in men’s 50-over World Cups. Half of them have come from the bat of Mahmudullah, who played a terrific hand in a losing cause against South Africa in Mumbai. Entering the fray at 42 for four, the 37-year-old got off the mark with a stylish drive, setting the tone for the run-a-ball 111 to follow. Were it not for one of his finest career performances, Bangladesh may have lost by an even bigger margin than their eventual defeat by 149 runs
Adam Zampa (Australia): Back-to-back four-wicket halls mean that Zampa has now taken more World Cup wickets on Indian soil than Shane Warne. Defending short boundaries against Pakistan in Bengaluru, Zampa removed the key duo of Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan as part of his four for 53 in 10 overs. Then, with the Dutch on the ropes in Delhi, Zampa polished off the tail in no time, taking just three overs to grab four wickets for only eight runs. In the process, Zampa played his part in the biggest World Cup victory by margin of runs
Gerald Coetzee (South Africa): The wildcard in the South African pack, Coetzee took six wickets this week with consecutive three-fors against England and Bangladesh. At well over six feet, his extra bounce and pace have been hard to handle for batters, especially on the Wankhede pitch that always has something for genuine pacers. Even though Coetzee’s economy rate has not been impressive, he is likely to retain his place in the starting XI thanks to his knack for picking up vital wickets, such as those of Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah against Bangladesh and Harry Brook and Jos Buttler against England
Lahiru Kumara (Sri Lanka): It is not everyday that the same bowler dismisses the three most destructive batters of the opposition. But that is precisely what Kumara achieved against England in Bengaluru on Thursday. Jos Buttler, Liam Livingstone and Ben Stokes all fell to the 26-year-old pacer, who gave away just 35 runs in his seven overs. Kumara’s spell not only broke the back of the English middle order but also gave Kusal Mendis a fresh option to consider during the middle overs, which is mostly where Sri Lanka have been conceding the momentum with the ball
Noor Ahmad (Afghanistan): Before taking to the field against Pakistan in Chennai on Monday, the 18-year-old Noor had only played three ODIs for his country. But inexperience was not going to unnerve this left-arm spinner, who eliminated three of Pakistan’s top four at the cost of just 49 runs in his 10 overs. With Afghanistan proceeding to notch up their first win in a competitive fixture against Pakistan, Noor’s display will seem even brighter in hindsight, not least because it was his brilliance that helped limit Pakistan to 282 on a high-scoring track
Mohammed Shami (India): Filling in for the injured Hardik Pandya, Shami made the most of his opportunity against New Zealand even though his first spell was less than ideal. Returning with an older ball at the death, Shami’s toe crushers castled Mitchell Santner and Matt Henry in successive balls. He was also the one who got the crucial breakthrough to end the partnership between Rachin Ravindra and Daryl Mitchell, closing out the innings with figures of five for 54
