The greatest men's ODI World Cup kits ranked

To celebrate the 2023 edition of Kit Week, and to preview the upcoming men's ODI World Cup in India, we've ranked the best shirts the tournament has seen. 

No.20 - Canada 2007

Easily forgotten given Canada's forgettable performances at the 2007 World Cup (three losses from as many matches) but at least the Canadians brought a unique style with their kit. With so few top cricketing nations using red as their primary colour, Canada stood out against any opponent with their striking outfits.

No.19 - West Indies 1996

For a team with such a proud history, West Indies have produced a series of very underwhelming kits in the men's ODI World Cup. While all teams had the same template of uniform in the 1996 edition, the maroon of the Windies seems to fit it better than most. With the addition of the maroon floppy too, this is a big winner.

No.18 - Pakistan 2015

Pakistan on the other hand, have had several World Cup bangers. Their 2015 outfit in Australia was another fine effort, going back to the lighter green that had served them well in 1992 & 1999. This kit takes a lot of people to Wahab Riaz v Shane Watson in the quarter-final, a classic Cup contest. Little details like the patterns on the front and the gold lettering all culminate in making a very memorable piece of clothing.

No.17 - Australia 2003

The Australians went simple for their title defence in South Africa in 2003 and thanks mainly to a world-beating team made this a kit to be feared. Design-wise it's nothing special, a touch of green down the sides and a large Southern Cross on the front have been staples of Aussie kits in the past. But the dominance with which they took the title wearing these threads adds extra weighting in the ranking system.

No.16 - Netherlands 2003

The Dutch have so much to work with when it comes to cricketing uniform with the prominent orange of their national sides always coming to the fore. This particular number relies heavily on the gold lion of their cricket board's logo, with the big cat's sword and crown right there under 'HOLLAND'. The navy collar is a nice contrast too. The 2003 World Cup was a crowded field for memorable kits, and the Netherlands certainly deserves its mention.

No.15 - Bangladesh 2011

Bangladesh's uniforms have been a mixed bag over the years. While green and red as always featured in some way, they've experimented with lighter greens, darker greens, gold, black, lots of red, not much red, even tiger stripes (1999). But pretty close to perfect was their effort in 2011, which featured a little bit of almost everything (except the tiger stripes).

No.14 - India 2003

Can you believe India went to the first colour-kitted World Cup in navy blue? The subcontinental giants have since made sky blue their thing however and 2003 stands out as a classic for many Indian and non-Indian fans. Sachin Tendulkar was in his prime, his truckload of runs leading his nation to the World Cup final for the first time in 20 years. A kit pretty simple in essence, gold lettering on the light blue base, an artistic rendering of the Indian flag underneath and a few dark blue additions on the shoulders and the sleeves, perhaps as an homage to the first brave Indians who ran out in navy in 1992.

No.13 - Sri Lanka 1992

Any kit whose wearers lift the trophy at the end of the tournament automatically becomes iconic. That was the case for Sri Lanka in 1996, who defied the odds and took out their maiden crown wearing the pick of the '96 templates kits.

No.12 – New Zealand 1999 

This shirt divides opinion, and rightly so. Where some look upon this one fondly with 90s nostalgia, others see it in a less flattering light. The Kiwis opted against the grey they'd run with in 1992 and 1996 to go with an outrageous electric blue. The national 'silver fern' appears not-so-subtly, emblazoned on the chest five times, as well as being stamped on the hat and trousers. Perhaps disappointingly, New Zealand have gone with almost exclusively full black at the World Cups that have followed.

No.11 – Zimbabwe 1999

Zimbabwe had a great 1999 World Cup, causing big upsets by knocking off South Africa and India. They also made a lasting impression on the fashion front, with their national symbol the 'Great Zimbabwe Bird' large and proud on the front of their shirt. Zimbabwean red also looks good in one-day cricket and this edition, especially with dual-colour collar, is one of their best.

No.10 – New Zealand 2019

New Zealand's embrace of black since the 2003 World Cup has led to what some view as uninspired designs. Relying heavily on black may have been to the Kiwis' detriment in recent tournaments but 2019 took the simplicity and nailed it – thanks to the white collar. A little bit of contrast around the neckline makes a big difference, a bit like ensuring you've hit more boundaries than your opponent.

No.9 – Kenya 1999

Kenya's 1999 shirt combines two elements that were very popular in the late 90s, a bright base colour with a prominent image emblazoned front and centre. The visual comes from the Kenyan flag, a traditional shield protecting two spears. Kits that display elements of a country's culture and celebrate its identity are almost always winners.

No.8 – Australia 2007

For so long Australian gold had actually been yellow, a 'canary yellow' if you will, but that all changed for the 2007 tournament in the Caribbean. The Aussies went with gold-and-bottle green combo that we'd never seen before. The collar-less shirt also featured an innovative zip where buttons traditionally lived, showing how little touches can make big differences. It worked a treat as Australia went through undefeated on their way to a third-consecutive World Cup title.

No.7 – Pakistan 1992 

Picking a kit from either of the 1992 or 1996 tournaments is hard to justify as every team had the same design, just with altered colours. However, Pakistan in '92 is an easy one to select – claiming the title for the first time as a country, the first time in coloured uniforms and the first time at the MCG. The bright green has served them well whenever they've brought it out and it all began with these threads.

No.6 – South Africa 2003

When you host a world tournament, you have to make sure you stand out. And if you can't do that with your performance on the field, at least do it with what you wear. South Africa nailed the brief in 2003 by incorporating tiger stripes into their uniform, one of the African safari's famed 'big five' animals. Now let's see them get the buffalo into their next kit.

No.5 – India 2019

Going against the norm earns you extra points in this kit ranking process and India scored well for that reason. This kit draws from the orange on the Indian flag, using it on a navy-blue base to give a striking contrast. The greatest travesty was this was worn only once as it was India's 'clash strip' when they faced off against eventual champions England.

No.4 – Scotland 2015

Does much more need to be said beyond 'tartan sleeves'? Wonderful shades of deep blue and purple make this the standout fit from the 2015 World Cup.

No.3 – England 2019

England made the final of the 1992 World Cup but lost the decider to Pakistan while wearing a baby blue version of the template kit. In 2019, they decided to go one better on both fronts and definitely succeeded. The lighter shade was a sharp change from the dark blue they had relied so heavily on since 1999. We love a retro call-back and the English pulled this off in the grandest of style.

No.2 – Pakistan 1999 

This was a serious Pakistan line up and a serious outfit to match. The lethal lime green was back and the Pakistani five-pointed star couldn't be larger. With long sleeves and a popped collar up, these boys were oozing class. Pakistan didn't show up in the final but they showed up in the fashion stakes and take a deserving second spot in this list, just as they did in 1999.

No.1 – Australia 1999

It just had to be number one. Past players loved playing in it, current players want to play in it. A unique take on the Southern Cross stands is a great starting point, and the (very) bright yellow is impossible to miss. Those stars lining the sleeves and the collar are exceptional, as were the performances of many of the Australians, with Shane Warne, Steve Waugh, Mark Waugh, Ricky Ponting and Glenn McGrath all having a big say in securing Australia's second men's ODI crown.

Final rankings