Cricket is the second most popular sport in the world, after football (soccer). It is particularly popular in England, Australia, India, Pakistan, and the West Indies. The International Cricket Council (ICC) is the governing body of cricket and organizes the major international tournaments, including the Cricket World Cup. The Cricket World Cup is the most prestigious international cricket tournament. It is held every four years and features the top 12 teams in the world. The most recent Cricket World Cup was held in England in 2019 and was won by England. Cricket is a very popular sport and is enjoyed by billions of fans around the world. The game is full of excitement and drama, and it is no surprise that some cricket matches have drawn record-breaking viewership numbers.
Here are some examples of cricket matches that have drawn record-breaking viewership numbers:
1. India vs. Sri Lanka, ICC Cricket World Cup Final, 2011
The 2011 Cricket World Cup Final was a historic match that was watched by an estimated 558 million people worldwide. The match was played between India and Sri Lanka at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, India. India won the match by six wickets to claim their first World Cup title since 1983.The match was a close contest throughout. Sri Lanka batted first and scored 274 runs for 6 wickets in their 50 overs. India's openers, Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir, put on a 91-run partnership for the first wicket. Sehwag was dismissed for 38, but Gambhir continued to bat well and scored 97 runs. India eventually reached the target with 10 balls to spare. The Indian victory was a huge moment for the country. Cricket is the most popular sport in India, and the World Cup is the biggest event in the cricketing calendar. The victory was a source of great national pride, and it was celebrated by millions of people across India.
The 2011 Cricket World Cup Final was a memorable match that will be remembered for years to come. It was a close contest between two evenly matched teams, and it was ultimately won by the team that played the better cricket on the day. The victory was a huge moment for India, and it will be cherished by cricket fans in the country for many years to come.
2. India vs. Pakistan, ICC Cricket World Cup Semi-Final, 2011
The 2011 Cricket World Cup Semi-Final between India and Pakistan was one of the most anticipated matches in the history of the sport. The two teams have a long and intense rivalry, and the match was being played on Indian soil. India won the toss and elected to bat first. They scored 260 runs for the loss of 9 wickets in their 50 overs. Sachin Tendulkar top-scored with 85 runs, while Gautam Gambhir scored 27 runs and Virat Kohli scored 9 runs. Pakistan's reply was never really in the hunt, and they were bowled out for 231 runs in 49.5 overs. Wahab Riaz was the pick of the bowlers for Pakistan, taking 3 wickets for 42 runs. India won the match by 29 runs and qualified for the World Cup Final. They went on to win the tournament, defeating Sri Lanka in the final.The match was watched by an estimated 495 million unique viewers worldwide, making it the second most-watched cricket match in history. The match was also a huge commercial success, generating over $1 billion in revenue. The 2011 Cricket World Cup Semi-Final between India and Pakistan was a historic match that will be remembered for years to come. It was a match that captured the imagination of cricket fans all over the world, and it was a match that will live on in the memories of those who were lucky enough to witness it.
3. India vs. Pakistan, ICC Cricket World Cup Group Stage, 2015
The 2015 Cricket World Cup Group Stage match between India and Pakistan was one of the most anticipated matches of the tournament. The two teams have a long and intense rivalry, and the match was expected to be a close one. India won the toss and elected to bat first. They scored 300 runs for 7 wickets in their 50 overs. Pakistan's reply was never going to be easy, and they were bowled out for 224 runs in 47 overs. India won the match by 76 runs, and it was a comprehensive victory. Virat Kohli was the star of the show for India, scoring 107 runs off 126 balls. He was well supported by Shikhar Dhawan, who scored 73 runs.The match was watched by an estimated 300 million unique viewers worldwide, making it the third most-watched cricket match in history. It was a thrilling contest, and it was a fitting start to the 2015 Cricket World Cup.
4. India vs. Australia, ICC Cricket World Cup Final, 2003
The 2003 Cricket World Cup Final between India and Australia was one of the most anticipated matches in the history of the sport. The two teams had met in the previous World Cup final in 1983 when India had pulled off a stunning upset victory. This time, Australia were the favourites, having won the previous two World Cups.The match was played at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa. Australia won the toss and elected to bat first. They scored 292 runs for the loss of eight wickets. India's reply was never really in contention, and they were bowled out for 234 runs. Australia won the match by 125 runs and was crowned World Champions for the third time.The match was watched by an estimated 250 million people worldwide, making it the fourth most-watched cricket match in history. It was a thrilling contest that went down to the wire, and it will be remembered as one of the greatest World Cup finals of all time.
5. New Zealand vs. England, ICC Cricket World Cup Final, 2019
The victor of the 2019 Cricket World Cup was decided in a One Day International cricket match held at Lord's in London, England, on July 14, 2019. England, the host country, and New Zealand, the tournament's runners-up, competed in it. The Cricket World Cup Final was held at Lord's for the sixth time, the most ever.Here are some additional details about the match:
• The match was played on July 14, 2019.• The match was watched by an estimated 240 million unique viewers worldwide.• The match was the fifth most-watched cricket match in history.• England's victory was their first Cricket World Cup title.It was also the first time a boundary count has been used to decide a One Day International final match, necessitating a Super Over. Some pundits have referred to the match as the best in one-day cricket history, and it has been called one of the most dramatic and memorable in the history of the sport.
6. India vs. New Zealand, ICC Cricket World Cup Semi-Final, 2019
The first semi-final between New Zealand and India took place at Manchester's Old Trafford. After scoring just one run in the fourth over while batting first, New Zealand lost opener Martin Guptill. After that, though, the Indians struggled to get wickets as Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor shared partnerships of 68 and 65, respectively, with Henry Nicholls and the bat. Before being out for the third time in the 36th over, Williamson amassed 67 runs. Taylor reached the same total when play was suspended in the 47th over due to rain, with New Zealand at 211/5 after the wickets of Neesham and De Grandhomme. The match was placed into its reserve day since no more play could be done that day.
The Kiwis finished their 50 overs with a total of 239/8 thanks to Taylor's additional seven runs to top-score. With the top three batters going for only one run apiece, India fell to 5/3 in the fourth over of the chase, and after ten overs, they were 24/4. Following a modest 47-run fifth-wicket stand between Rishabh Pant and Hardik Pandya, MS Dhoni partnered Ravindra Jadeja for a century-run partnership for the seventh wicket, leaving India requiring 37 runs from the last three overs. This ended up being MS Dhoni's last match for India; in August 2020, he announced his retirement from all forms of cricket. After Dhoni was out (run out), New Zealand advanced to their second consecutive World Cup final thanks to a late-order collapse that saw them grab the final four wickets for only 13 runs.
7. India vs. Sri Lanka, ICC Cricket World Cup Final, 2011
Ten years in total, the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup was held in three countries—India, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh for the first time. India emerged victorious, defeating Sri Lanka by six wickets in the Mumbai Wankhede Stadium final to become the first nation to win the Cricket World Cup on home soil. Yuvraj Singh of India was named man of the tournament. Three notable firsts for the tournament included the appearance of two Asian teams in the final, a first since the 1996 World Cup, and the absence of Australia in the championship match.
8.England vs. Indian, ICC Champions Trophy Final, 2013
England and India squared off in the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy final on June 23, 2013, at Birmingham's Edgbaston Cricket Ground. The seventh ICC Champions Trophy was this one. India prevailed 5 runs to 1 in the match. On June 19, 2013, at The Oval in London, England defeated South Africa in the first semi-final to go to the final. India advanced to the championship match after overcoming Sri Lanka in the second semi-final on June 20, 2013, at Cardiff's SWALEC Stadium. Rain caused the match to be postponed for over six hours. It began at 16:20 local time and was shortened to 20 overs each innings. Thus, this match was played under the same regulations as a Twenty20 match.
The match was a huge success, and it is clear that cricket is still a very popular sport in the world. The high viewership numbers for the match show that there is a huge appetite for cricket, and it is likely that the sport will continue to grow in popularity in the years to come.
9. Sri Lanka vs. Australia, ICC Cricket World Cup Final, 2007
The teams had previously faced off in the 1996 World Cup Final, which Sri Lanka won, making this the first World Cup final to be a rematch. Except for that defeat, Australia has triumphed in every World Cup encounter against Sri Lanka. After winning the toss, Ricky Ponting decided to bat. Rain, however, caused the game to be shortened to 38 overs per side and delayed the start of play. With the best score in a World Cup final, 149, Adam Gilchrist contributed to Australia's commanding total of 281. The target was amended to 269 when more rain forced Sri Lanka's innings to be reduced to just 36 overs. Due to poor light, the umpires halted play at the end of the 33rd over, with Sri Lanka still trailing the modified Duckworth-Lewis target by 37 runs. Using the Duckworth-Lewis system, Australia won by 53 runs after Sri Lanka scored nine runs in the final three overs, which were played in nearly total darkness. Later, the umpires expressed regret for their mistake and said that Australia should have won by 37 runs at that point in the contest.Australia created a record of 29 World Cup games without a loss when they emerged victorious from the competition. Glenn McGrath, an Australian bowler, won Player of the Series.
10. India vs. Pakistan, ICC World T20 Final, 2007
The 2007 ICC World T20 Final between India and Pakistan was a historic match. It was the first time that the two teams had met in a T20 World Cup final, and it was also the first time that a T20 World Cup final had been played in England. The match was watched by an estimated 190 million unique viewers worldwide, making it the tenth most-watched cricket match in history. India won the match by 5 runs, and it was a victory that was celebrated by millions of fans across the world. The match was a thrilling contest, and it was a fitting end to a successful tournament.The 2007 ICC World T20 Final between India and Pakistan was a landmark event in the history of cricket. It was a match that will be remembered for years to come.These are just a few of the most-watched cricket matches in history. Cricket is a global sport with a passionate fan base, and these matches are always eagerly anticipated by fans around the world.
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