Often regarded as one of the most prestigious cricket tournaments in the world, the ICC Cricket World Cup is undoubtedly followed by millions of cricket aficionados from all over the world and is also hailed as one of the most competitive cricket tournaments in the world on a global level. Over the past few decades, the ICC Cricket World Cup has been witness to numerous legendary bowlers who have left the opponent teams absolutely stunned and have dismantled the finest batting attacks of the finest teams across the world with their ruthless bowling attack and breakneck deliveries.
While it is often hailed as one of the most decorated moments for international bowlers to pick a wicket in their debut ICC Cricket World Cup season, a few have already etched their names in history after picking up a wicket right on their first ball of their debut season.
In this article we will take a look at the top four bowlers who have picked up the wicket on the first ball of their ICC Cricket World Cup debut.
ICC Cricket World Cup: Top 3 First-Delivery Wicket Takers
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Ian Harvey, Australia
The legendary former Australian international cricketer, Ian Harvey, is at the first spot in our list of the top three bowlers who created history and took a wicket with their first ball on their World Cup debut. Often regarded as one of the most reliable all-rounders for Australia in the history of international cricket, Ian Harvey created history during the 2003 World Cup.
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The sensational Australian all-rounder, Ian Harvey, dismissed Pakistan’s Saleem Elahi on the very first delivery of his debut World Cup match and established himself as the first ever international cricketer to achieve the decorated feat, ranking him at the first spot in our list. Ian Harvey undoubtedly received enormous praise and recognition from cricket aficionados from all over the world for his dominant bowling exploits throughout the 2003 World Cup.
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Chaminda Vaas, Sri Lanka
At the second spot in our list of the top four bowlers who picked up the wicket on the first ball of their ICC Cricket World Cup debut, we have the legendary Sri Lankan former international cricketer Chaminda Vaas, who is often hailed as one of the most prolific bowlers in the history of international cricket as of 2025.
Chaminda Vaas made his much anticipated and highly decorated World Cup debut against India in 2007 and while some of the fans of the Indian cricket team were sceptical about his inclusion in the Indian squad for the 2007 World Cup, he left everyone stunned with his ruthless bowling attack throughout the tournament. Moreover, Chaminda Vaas gave a major blow to the Indian batting lineup after he dismissed India’s Robin Uthappa on his very first delivery, which undoubtedly garnered him an unparalleled popularity among the fans of international cricket.
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Kagiso Rabada, South Africa
Next, at the third spot in our list of the top three bowlers who created history and took a wicket with their first ball on their World Cup debut we have the trailblazing South African international cricketer Kagiso Rabada who is widely regarded as one of the greatest bowlers to ever represent South Africa in the history of international cricket.
Kagiso Rabada created history after he picked up a wicket on his first ball of the 2019 World Cup edition against Bangladesh. Owing to his dominant bowling exploits throughout his debut World Cup edition, Kagiso Rabada undoubtedly earned enormous praise and recognition from millions of cricket aficionados from all over the world.
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Sheldon Cottrell, West Indies
Finally, at the fourth spot in our list of the top four bowlers who have picked up the wicket on the first ball of their ICC Cricket World Cup debut, we have the iconic Jamaican international cricketer Sheldon Cottrell, who is often hailed as one of the most trailblazing, dynamic and game-changing bowlers in the history of international cricket. Sheldon Cottrell made his debut against Pakistan in the 2019 World Cup and grabbed enormous attention from the hardcore fans of international cricket after he dismissed Pakistan’s Imam-ul-Haq with his breakneck first delivery of his debut World Cup match, ranking him at the fourth spot on our list.
