Cricket World Cup 2023 outright odds: India start favourites to lift title

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Hosts India will kick start the 2023 Cricket World Cup as bookmakers’ favourites with defending champions England not too far behind them. Get a lowdown of how the latest Cricket World Cup 2023 outright odds to win the title are looking in the passage below.

Cricket World Cup 2023 winner odds

• India: 9/4 (3.25)
• England: 10/3 (4.33)
• Australia: 9/2 (5.5)
• Pakistan: 7/1 (8.0)
• South Africa: 10/1 (11.0)
• New Zealand: 10/1 (11.0)
• Sri Lanka: 45/1 (46.0)
• Bangladesh: 100/1 (101.0)
• Afghanistan: 125/1 (126.0)
• Netherlands: 1000/1 (1001.0)

Defending champions England have all bases covered

Defending champion England’s white ball cricket fortunes have turned around drastically since their shock early exit at the 2015 World Cup. With the brand of cricket they played prior to that tournament being often dubbed as outdated, they shook things up under Eoin Morgan and around four years later, they lifted their first ever title at a fifty-overs World Cup.

Now four years further on, Morgan has retired but they have a new captain-coach combination which can fill up the stadiums with their exciting brand of cricket across all the formats of the game.

Jos Buttler has taken over the ODI reins and joining him as coach is former Kiwi captain Brendon McCullum, a pair known for their explosive mindset.

And that’s translated in the kind of team they have picked in white ball cricket as Harry Brook, joins hands with Jonny Bairstow and Liam Livingstone as few of the hardest hitters of the cricket ball. Not to mention captain Buttler himself can turn matches around with the bat.

Ben Stokes is back too, reversing his decision to retire from ODI cricket and he will be joined by Joe Root, Moeen Ali and the skipper Buttler as some of the experienced heads in the team.

Add a bowling attack that consists of one of the paciest bowlers in the world in the form of Mark Wood, wrist-spinner Adil Rashid and a plethora of left-arm seamers to choose from, and we have an England team that could well defend the title.

That they start off at 10/3 odds to win this one, just behind India is probably to do with where the tournament is hosted.

Not long remaining! Only four days to go for #CWC23 😍

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— ICC (@ICC) October 1, 2023

Hosts India difficult to beat in home conditions

Hosts India is one of the top teams in the world across the formats but even more so at home. And both these aspects can be seen from the fact that only recently, India became only the second team in the world to attain the number one ranking across the three formats of the game at the same – Tests, ODIs and T20Is – and will enter this World Cup as the top-ranked side according to the ICC ODI Rankings.

And then you have their statistics.

Over the last four years, India have been besieged with injuries and form issues, and with so much cricket being played, they have often had to rest some of their top players too. And yet, the team enters this year’s World Cup with a win-loss record of 40-22 since the 2019 edition.

That’s a win-loss ratio of 1.82, which is head and shoulders above their overall record of 1.24 over the period in which ODI cricket has been played – despite all the aforementioned issues.

Which brings us to the fact that it’s that much more difficult to usurp India in their own backyard. In the aforementioned period, their ODI record at home is a whopping 20-7, giving them a win-loss ratio of 2.86. India are 9/4 to win the title.

Balanced Australia relying on history

Winner of the cricket World Cup on five previous occasions, Australia can never be discounted with the kind of team they bring to this year’s tournament. They have been slightly late to the party when it comes to playing an attacking brand of cricket right from the start but a few changes have been made in that regard.

The elevation of Travis Head and Mitchell Marsh to partner David Warner at the top along with the presence of the experienced Steven Smith in the middle-order solidifies their batting a great deal.

With Pat Cummins leading the bowling attack, he has the likes of Mitchell Starc, the 2015 World Cup man-of-the-tournament, and Josh Hazlewood for company and a good attacking-defensive spin bowling combination of Adam Zampa and Glenn Maxwell.

A few months ago, Australia had become the only team in recent history to have beaten India in India in an ODI series too, making them one of the favourites if they can get their act together with the ball. Bookmakers are offering 9/2 for a sixth title for Australia this year.

Unpredictable Pakistan have predictable batting this time

Pakistan have often been known for their bowling prowess but rarely have walked into a world cricketing event with a plethora of batting stars at their disposal too. That makes them a very balanced side on paper and despite the loss of Naseem Shah to injury at the recently-concluded Asia Cup, they cannot be ignored.

Playing in India will come with its own pressure for Pakistan as will the possibility of in-fighting and media trials but they cannot be discounted here. Interestingly they start fourth favourite behind India, England and Australia with bookmakers offering 7/1 for their win.

New Zealand surprise underdogs, South Africa dark horses

What’s surprising to note is that the 2019 edition runner-up New Zealand who have always punched above their weight in World Cup cricket are pegged at 10/1 which is at par with South Africa who start the tournament also at 10/1.

One would have thought New Zealand have done enough to prove they are one of the top four ODI sides in the world and with even captain Kane Williamson healing from his ACL injury in double-quick time makes them a side to watch.

South Africa have never done justice to their ODI talent when it comes to World Cup cricket but the big advantage they have here is they come into the tournament without the pressure of expectations. They have a solid batting side and can turn things on their heads with the bowling too.

The absence of pace bowling star Anrich Nortje will be a blow but they can be expected to take on the role that New Zealand has performed well in World Cup cricket – punching above their weights.

Sri Lanka and the rest looking for upset wins

Sri Lankan cricket looked to be teetering on the brink of World Cup exclusion but their excellent run in the World Cup Qualifiers earlier this year and the entry into the final of the Asia Cup gives them the confidence to compete at the highest level again.

They will miss the services of their best all-round cricketer in Wanindu Hasarange which pegs them back a little though, and given what happened in the Asia Cup final where they were bowled out for 50 by India, it does seem like their chances of making the semifinal are bleak. They are 33/1 to win the title and 7/2 to make the semifinals here.

None of Bangladesh, Afghanistan or Netherlands – the three remaining teams in the tournament – come into the 2023 World Cup with any sort of form under their belts. They could provide the odd spark here and there, especially the first two teams in that list making things difficult for the opposition on spin-friendly pitches, but expecting them to make it to the semifinals could be too much to expect.

Bangladesh are 12/1, Afghanistan 16/1 and Netherlands 66/1 to make the semifinals and 100/1, 125/1 and 1000/1 respectively to emerge as outright winners.

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