The ICC Cricket World Cup, in its eleventh edition, has been a package of some high octane exhilarating action, with its share of ups and downs. As the World Cup approaches the business end of the tournament, it is only appropriate that we get our ABCs right.

1. AB de Villiers – The man has done anything and everything possible while wielding a cricket bat. To say he has been in red hot form in this world cup would be an understatement. He holds the record for the fastest 50, 100, and 150 in ODIs. He bludgeoned an unbeaten 66-ball 162 against a hapless West Indies attack. This probably had to be one of the most entertaining knocks in world cup history. Hopefully we get to see a few more of AB’s jaw dropping shots.

2. Boult’ing out the stumps – Trent Boult has been instrumental in New Zealand’s wonderful show in the WC so far. His 13 scalps so far keep him in the top rung of the leading wicket takers list along with his partner in crime, a certain Tim Southee. His career best figures of 5-27 against the Aussies.

3. Captain cool holds the fort- When the openers fall short, Kohli stands up, and if he doesn’t deliver, the middle order steadies the ship for India. But when all else fails, MSD takes charge. In India’s match against the West Indies, chasing a modest 182, India got into a bit of trouble. Being used to dealing with similar situations, Dhoni kept his composure and in company of R Ashwin chipped away the target.

4. DRS – The decision review system, only in its second World Cup, managed to stay away from controversy this time around. BCCI, however, is still not entirely happy about the encroachment of technology into the game. Hot Spot was not used this time, the official reason being cost efficiency and difficulty of transport.

5. Englishmen woes – England have had a dismissal showing so far in the World Cup, with their only victory coming against neighbours Scotland. There is a high chance of them being knocked out in the group stages, and their next clash against Bangladesh holds paramount importance.

6. Fantasy league madness- When the cricketers dish out performance on the field, their fans look towards the ICC fantasy league to earn glory. Fans all over have bettered their math skills, with endless permutation calculations as they try to get the best XI forward.

7. Gayleforce strikes – Christopher Henry Gayle joins the elite club of the 200ers. With his 215 off 147, the fastest double hundred in ODI history , he became the first non-Indian on non-Indian soil to reach this mark. His 372 run partnership with Marlon Samuels was on a record breaking spree, which the Zimbabweans were on the receiving end of.

8. Hashim the rock – Hashim Amla’s solidity has played the perfect foil for the mavericks of AB de Villiers. The run scoring machine of South Africa has been consistent ever since he wore the Protean cap. With 295 runs to his name so far, he is one of the leading run getters in the tournament, the 159 against Ireland being the best of the lot.

9. Irish coffee brewing surprises – Ireland coming into the tournament, with the modest tag of the minnows, has surprised quite a few people. Leaving aside the thrashing they received at the hands of the Proteas, they have had a decent tournament so far, and they go into the business end of the group stage with a genuine chance of making it through to the quarter- finals. Their batsmen, Ed Joyce, Paul Sterling, and Andy Balbirnie have all been leading the spirited Irish display. How long will it last? Time will tell.

10. Johnson barricade coming soon – Mitchell Johnson is yet to set the tournament on fire. Baring his 4-22 against Afghanistan, he is still to have an impact performance for the baggy greens. This could be an indication of the damage he can cause in the knock-out stages of the tournament.

11. Kiwis – Dark horses no more, New Zealand have had an enviable 100% winning streak. Much of this could be accounted for by how their pacers have conducted themselves. Boult and Southee have been wreaking havoc, ably supported by the uncanny Daniel Vettori. In Brendon McCullum, they have an inspiring leader who has been leading from the front. His 77 off 25 against England while chasing a paltry score of 123 symbolizes the team’s approach- they have been ruthless in their ways and this route has to be given credit for their winning streak.

12. Lankan trio’s last stand – This could likely be the last World Cup for the tested veterans of Lankan cricket, Kumar Sangakkara , Mahela Jayawardene, and Tillakaratne Dilshan. They have gone into the tournament with all guns blazing. Sangakkara with his hat-trick of centuries is the tournament’s leading run getter. Jayawardene and Dilshan have also scored sublime centuries. The trio has served Lankan Cricket for the past few decades, and is yet to take the Cup home.

13. Mauka Mauka – The words have rung a bell in every Indian household. There are hundreds of millions of hearts beating for the men in blue to grab this “mauka” and bring the crown back home untouched.

14. Not this time – The Protean jinx has finally been broken. South Africa was the only team to have never lost to India in World cup history. They emerged victorious in their three previous encounters, only to be thrashed later. The Indian batting juggernaut notched up 307 primarily due to the masterfully crafted 137 by Shikhar Dhawan. This was followed up by a disciplined bowling effort to bowl out the strong South African line up for 177.

15. Old horses’ resilient stand – This World Cup has seen seasoned veterans raise their hands up and deliver mesmerizing performances. Kumar Sangakkara is leading the charts as the leading run getter, while Chris Gayle’s 215 is the highest score of the tournament. Daniel Vettori has been at his miserly best and chipping away wickets for the Kiwis. Misbah-Ul-Haq very much holds the Pakistan line up on his own.

16. Pacers turning it on – Many speculate that cricket is turning into a batsmen’s game. With 400+ scores being accumulated on a regular basis and with the influences of T20 cricket, it should come as no surprise. Fortunately, this tournament has seen bowlers turn brickbats to bouquets. The Indian pacers Mohammad Shami, Umesh Yadav, and Mohit Sharma have been bowling in the right lengths and lines, thereby reaping benefits. The South African, the Australian and the New Zealand attacks have blown their opposition away. Looks like the art of fast bowling isn’t dead yet.

17. Quinton de Kock’s woeful form – All the stalwarts of the Protean line up have fired at some point or the other and are in piping red hot form, except for de Kock. His string of low scores at the top of the innings has been a major concern for the South Africans. If they are to make in-roads into the tournament, de Kock needs to deliver right away.

18. Rivals awry – India 6, Pakistan 0. India’s record against arch rivals Pakistan remained intact for another day. India got to 300 on the back of Virat Kohli’s hundred, which was followed by a display of classic swing bowling by the Indian pacers. Mohammad Shami with figures of 4-35 was the destroyer-in-chief.

19. Starc terror – Mitchell Starc’s 6-28 will be remembered as one of the best spells of left arm bowling that couldn’t be part of a winning side. In one of the most contested high-voltage clashes of the tournament, NZ vs AUS turned out to be everything it was billed for. Boult blew away the Aussies for a modest 151, after which an inspired spell of bowling all but won the match for the Aussies, as NZ sneaked past with one wicket to spare, thanks to the heroics of McCullum and Kane Williamson.

20. Tim snares some timber – Tim Southee’s figures of 7-33 are the best bowling figures of the tournament, and third best overall. Southee looked good to take a wicket every other ball, and it looked like he would single-handedly bundle out the entire English line-up.

21. Unconquered Men in Blue – The Indian team, along with that of New Zealand’s, has an enviable 100% winning streak. India looks set to make it through the group stage undefeated, being up against relatively easier opponents. The improved performances of the bowlers had a lot to do with this turnaround in down under. India’s power-heavy batting line up can match up with any batting line up on paper, and at this point in the tournament, they are a cohesive unit that will only go from strength to strength.

22. Virat hunting for a big one – India’s batting mainstay has been amongst runs, but by his high standards, that tournament turning knock is yet to take place. A player of his calibre is always on the lookout for runs and that big knock is only some time away for India’s Vice Captain.

23. Warner Entertainment – David Warner’s 178(133) looked good to reach the 200ers club and maybe some more, helping Australia to a record breaking 417. Though the knock came against tournament minnows Afghanistan, it served to entertain the full capacity crowd gathered. The Australians on the fateful day tumbled upon many a records, and then bowled the Afghans out for a partly 142.

24. X-factor galore – Teams are in search for a player who can completely change the complexion of the game by his mere presence. The audacity of the shots played by Glenn Maxwell and the awe-inspiring 360 degree shorts of ABD can turn about the direction of the game. McCullum’s sheer bravado at the top of the innings leads the way for the rest of the Kiwi innings. The Indian line up is pumped with X-factor and each player is capable of single- handedly winning matches.

25. Young guns: Time to take centre stage – The ”Young players to watch out for” are yet to go all cylinders blazing. Kane Williamson (24) is a pivotal member of the Kiwi line-up. Jos Buttler (also 24) of England came into the tournament with high expectations, and will hopefully deliver soon. The youngest player in the tournament is 18-year-old Usman Ghani of Afganisthan, whereas the oldest is Khurram Khan of UAE, 43. There is still a long way to go and the young guns can be expected to fire at some stage or the other.

26. Zimbabwe : Not just making up the numbers – Zimbabwe mourns in the lower end of Pool B, but they have showed resilience and determination. They fought West Indies despite having been floored by Gayle’s 215. They also were part of highly contested matches against Pakistan and Ireland which could have gone either way. Brendan Taylor and Sean Williams have been the stars of this fight back, answering the age old question “Do these minnows have a place in a tournament like this?” with considerable conviction and strength. Ireland’s and Zimbabwe’s performances are making speculators rethink their claim.