Five games behind every Cricket World Cup participant, tournament hosts India remain the only team still undefeated, and England, the defending champions, have fallen to near the bottom of the table in a surprising turn of events.
Losers
1. England’s loss to Sri Lanka all but confirms an exit from the tournament. Sports commentators called it a brutal fall from glory for England, who last won the World Cup in 2019 after beating New Zealand.
This has to be the subject of the weakest World Cup defense ever seen in any sport. Made worse by having to keep flying and playing and getting beaten even after you’ve fallen to pieces/essentially retired from the format. Cricket remains the cruelest sport
—Barney Ronay (@barneyronay) October 26, 2023
The England team was the second most favored team to win this year’s tournament among Bloomberg Terminal subscribers participating in the Bracket.
2. Australian batsman Glenn Maxwell criticized the use of flashing light shows in the middle of matches as “the dumbest idea”, saying it takes time for the eyes to adjust as the stadium darkens for the shows, which have been added for spectators. His teammate David Warner thought differently.
I absolutely loved the light show, what an atmosphere. It’s all about the fans. Without all of you, we couldn’t do what we love. 🙏🙏🙏 https://t.co/ywKVn5d5gc
— David Warner (@davidwarner31) October 25, 2023
Winners
1. Afghanistan scored another victory, this time against neighboring country and arch-rival Pakistan. The players were recorded dancing to the song Lungi Dance, which many Indians associate with Chennai, the city where the match took place. The match also had a political twist: the Pakistani government has said it will begin deporting undocumented Afghan refugees who fled across the border after the Taliban took power. Many of Afghanistan’s top players learned cricket in refugee camps in Pakistan.
The Afghan team dances to lungi dance songs on the bus on the way to the hotel. pic.twitter.com/wVLxZmPbeC
— Sammy 𝕏 (@sammyX39) October 23, 2023
2. Jubilant Food Works Ltd., which owns and operates fast-food chains in India including Domino’s, has registered an increase in orders every time the Indian team plays cricket, Chief Executive Officer Sameer Khetarpal said in an analyst call on Wednesday. The company could hope that India’s strong performance in the tournament continues as it missed net revenue estimates in the quarter ended September, sending its share prices to the lowest level in almost two months.
Wonderful deliveries from a man in blue? We support this 🍕#INDvsNZ#DominosIndia
— dominos_india (@dominos_india) October 22, 2023