ODI World Cup 2023: Top 5 heartbreaking pictures in tournament that made us cry

The ODI World Cup 2023 saw some of the most heartbreaking moments in the tournament. It was one of the tournaments where the fans were involved so much in cricket and let out their emotions to take over. From the losses in big matches to some of the most controversial moments in the tournament, there were many instances where the fans could not control their emotions. The tournament witnessed moments where the fans had to suffer heartbreak. 

Right from the first match of their campaign, India was termed as the favourites to win the tournament. The way India played in the tournament proved why they were deemed one of the favourites. After their loss in the final, it was evident why the fans were hurt so much. Likewise, there were so many moments where the fans became emotional. Even the players became emotional after the loss of their teams in some of the matches, particularly in the Knockout stage.  

Here are five such moments where the fans could not control their emotions and cried. 

5. Mujeeb Zadran hugging a crying kid after the big win against England

Mujeeb Zadran played a key role in the win of Afghanistan against England at Arun Jaitley stadium in Delhi in the group stage of the tournament. Afghanistan created history as they beat England in an ODI World Cup game for the first time. The win brought smiles back in the people of Afghanistan, who went through a lot of struggles in the recent past.

Afghanistan, as a nation, was just recovering from the horrifying earthquakes they had to deal with. In the tournament, the Asian side gave their best performance in a big tournament ever. Afghanistan beat England, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and the Netherlands for the first time in their World Cup history. For the first time in their history, Afghanistan won 4 matches in a single edition of the World Cup.

The first win of Afghanistan in the tournament came against England. Afghanistan beat England by 69 runs and claimed a memorable win. After the win against the 2019 World Cup champions, there were emotions all around. One of the kids was crying out of emotion. Mujeeb Zadran hugged the kid and consoled him to dedicate the win to the fans of Afghanistan. It was a heartbreaking image.

4. Angelo Mathews' sad reaction after being given timed out against Bangladesh

Angelo Mathews scripted an unwanted history in the ODI World Cup 2023. The Sri Lankan cricketer became the first ever batter to be given out timed out in the history of international cricket. The experienced campaigner suffered a major setback, as he came to bat in the middle, during the game against Bangladesh in the group stage of the ODI World Cup at Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi.

As the batter was dismissed, Mathews came up padded and took his stance. As he was about to face his first delivery, the strap of his helmet came off. Mathews realized it and signalled towards the dressing room to fetch him a new helmet. Neither the opposition captain nor the on-field umpire was informed about the exchange of the helmet. As a result, Shakib Al Hasan appealed for a timed-out dismissal.

As Mathews did not take his stance two minutes after he arrived in the middle, the umpires declared him out. Mathews tried to explain his situation and pleaded with the Bangladeshi captain to take back the dismissal. Shakib refused to do so, and Mathews walked back to the pavilion with a broken heart. The image of him being disappointed went viral on the internet and caused heartbreak among the fans.

3. Kane Williamson's reaction after New Zealand's loss in the semifinal

Kane Williamson is known to be a cool and calm customer on the field. Outside it, Williamson is a family person and a team man. New Zealand and Kane had a tough time in the ODI World Cup 2023. After winning their first four matches in the tournament, New Zealand lost 5 of their last 6 matches in the tournament. One of them was the loss against India in the semifinal of the tournament.

On a good batting surface at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, India won the toss and elected to bat first. The home side batted exceptionally well and posted a mammoth total of 397 runs on the board. Chasing the target, New Zealand was reduced to 41/2. The Kiwis were in deep trouble straightaway and needed a partnership. Kane Williamson and Daryl Mitchell tried to provide the same for the third wicket.

The duo batted well but could not get their side out of trouble. Mohammed Shami bowled an exceptional spell and helped India to win the match by 70 runs. The Indian pacer claimed 7/57 and knocked New Zealand out of the tournament. After the loss, Williamson seemed to be lost in his thoughts. The image of him being perplexed after the loss broke the hearts of many cricket fans.

2. Quinton De Kock disappointed after South Africa's loss in the semifinal

Quinton De Kock was one of the best players in the tournament. The South African batter broke so many records in the tournament. De Kock became one of the fewest batters to score 4 or more tons in a single edition of an ODI World Cup. With the bat, De Kock had a great season. Even with the gloves, De Kock was one of the safest options in the tournament. As a player, De Kock had a fantastic season.

Despite being regarded as one of the favourites to win the tournament, South Africa lost to Australia in the semifinal. After being asked to bat first, South Africa posted 212 runs on the board at Eden Gardens in Kolkata. In helpful conditions for the bowlers, Australia gave their best performance with the ball and restricted South Africa to a low score. Australia got a good start to their innings and almost sealed the game.

South Africa made a comeback in the match by picking wickets in the middle overs phase. But it was not good enough, as Australia held their nerves to clinch a 3-wicket win against the Proteas. Australia went on to win the tournament eventually. South Africa failed to qualify for the final of the tournament for yet another time. After the loss, De Kock was seen disappointed, which led to fans getting emotional.

1. Rohit Sharma in tears after India's loss in the final

Rohit Sharma was one of the players of the tournament. Along with Virat Kohli, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, and many others, the Indian captain had a stellar season as a player. As a captain, Rohit had some tactical decisions with a good fieldset, aggressive captaincy, bowling changes and other features. But it was with the bat that Rohit shined the most in the tournament, which made the audience admire him.

In 11 innings in the tournament, Rohit scored 597 runs at a batting average of over 52, at a batting strike rate of over 124, including a hundred and three fifty-plus scores. Despite the sensational batting of Rohit, India could not have the eventual glory in the tournament. Australia beat India in the final at Narendra Modi stadium in Ahmedabad, in front of a packed house that came to cheer the home side.

India won the toss and elected to bat first in the big game. Rohit gave a blazing start to India, as he scored 47 runs in 31 balls. Against the run of play, the Indian opener was dismissed, thanks to a sensational catch from Head. From there, India was reduced to a total of 240 runs. Australia chased down the total by 6 wickets. After the loss, Rohit was seen in tears, which broke the hearts of millions of fans across the globe.