The Titan Cup was a triangular one-day international cricket tournament held in India

India

India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

 between 17 October and 6 November, 1996. It involved the national cricket teams of South Africa, Australia and India. Although South Africa had won all its round-robin matches, it lost in the final to India. The tournament was sponsored by and named after Titan Industries

Titan Industries

Titan Industries is the world's fifth largest wrist watch manufacturer and India's leading producer of watches under the Titan, Fastrack, Sonata, Nebula, RAGA, Regalia, Octane & Xylys brand names. It is a joint venture between the Tata Group, and the Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation...

.

Background

The Titan Cup was held after the inaugural Border-Gavaskar Trophy

Border-Gavaskar Trophy

The Border–Gavaskar Trophy is a Test cricket series, played between India and Australia. It has witnessed some of the most competitive Test series played in recent years, with results usually either being a narrow win for one of the sides or a closely fought draw...

 test match between India and Australia in New Delhi

New Delhi

New Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...

, which was won by India, and served as the commencement of South Africa's 1996-97 tour of India. Having won the 1996 Pepsi Sharjah Cup

1996 Pepsi Sharjah Cup

The 1996 Pepsi Sharjah Cup was a triangular ODI cricket competition held in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates from April 12 to 19, 1996. It featured the national cricket teams of South Africa, Pakistan and India. Its official sponsor was Pepsi...

 and five out of their six matches in the 1996 Cricket World Cup

1996 Cricket World Cup

The 1996 Cricket World Cup, also called the Wills World Cup after its official sponsors, was the sixth edition of the tournament organized by the International Cricket Council . It was the second World Cup to be hosted by Pakistan and India, and for the first time by Sri Lanka...

, South Africa were considered favourites in the competition. Australia, the runners-up in the 1996 World Cup, were considered second favourites. India, not having won any ODI competitions in 1996, had seen the team captaincy change hands from veteran Mohammad Azharuddin

Mohammad Azharuddin

Mohammad Azharuddin also known as Azhar, is an Indian politician and former cricketer. He was an accomplished batsman and captained the Indian cricket team for much of the 1990s, until his involvement in a match-fixing scandal forced him into retirement...

 to the then 22-year old star batsman Sachin Tendulkar

Sachin Tendulkar

Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar is an Indian cricketer widely regarded as one of the greatest batsmen in the history of cricket. He is the leading run-scorer and century maker in Test and one-day international cricket. He is the only male player to score a double century in the history of ODI cricket...

.

South Africa

• Hansie Cronje
  Hansie Cronje
  Wessel Johannes "Hansie" Cronje was a South African cricketer and captain of the South African national cricket team in the 1990s...
  
   (captain)
• Gary Kirsten
  Gary Kirsten
  Gary Kirsten is a former South African cricketer, and the World Cup winning coach of the Indian cricket team. He played 101 Test matches and 185 One-day internationals for South Africa between 1993 and 2004, mainly as an opening batsman...
  
  
• Andrew Hudson
  Andrew Hudson
  Andrew Charles Hudson was a South African Test and ODI cricketer. The right-handed batsman played 35 Tests and 89 One Day Internationals for South Africa in the 1990s. His career spanned 16 consecutive summers, playing for both his country and his province KwaZulu-Natal...
  
  
• Pat Symcox
  Pat Symcox
  Patrick Leonard Symcox played 20 Tests and 80 One Day Internationals for South Africa in the 1990s and played provincial cricket for the Natal Dolphins in Durban....
  
  
• Daryll Cullinan
• Jonty Rhodes
  Jonty Rhodes
  Jonathan Neil "Jonty" Rhodes is a former South African Test and One Day International cricketer who played for the South African cricket team between 1992 and 2003.Rhodes was born in Pietermaritzburg, Natal Province, South Africa...
  
  
• Fanie de Villiers
  Fanie de Villiers
  Petrus Stephanus de Villiers , South Africa), was a cricketer who played 18 Tests and 83 One Day Internationals for South Africa as a right arm fast-medium bowler and right hand batsman between 1992 and 1998.De Villiers debuted in first-class cricket in 1985-86 for Northern Transvaal B...
  
  
• Brian McMillan
  Brian McMillan
  Brian Mervin McMillan played 38 Tests and 78 One Day Internationals for South Africa from 1991 to 1998...
  
  
• Allan Donald
  Allan Donald
  Allan Anthony Donald is a former South African cricketer and one of their most successful pace bowlers.In his prime, he was one of the best fast bowlers ever seen in Test cricket, reaching the top of the ICC Test rankings in 1998 and peaked with a top ICC ranking of 895 points the next year, the...
  
  
• Dave Richardson (wicket-keeper)
• Derek Crookes
  Derek Crookes
  Derek Norman Crookes in Mariannhill, Natal is a former South African cricketer and played 32 One Day Internationals for South Africa from 1994 to 2000. In domestic cricket he played for Natal, Gauteng, Easterns and the Highveld Lions....
  
  
• Nicky Boje
  Nicky Boje
  Nico "Nicky" Boje is a South African cricketer who played in 43 Tests and 115 One Day Internationals for South Africa, and attended Grey College in Bloemfontein...
  
  
• Lance Klusener
  Lance Klusener
  Lance Klusener is a South African cricketer, more specifically an all-rounder. He is known for his aggressive batting and his fast-medium swing bowling. He is nicknamed "Zulu" because of his fluency in that language. Following his exploits at the 1999 World Cup, he topped the ICC ODI Batting...
  
  

The South African coaching staff was headed by Bob Woolmer

Bob Woolmer

Robert Andrew Woolmer was an international cricketer, professional cricket coach and also a professional commentator...

.

Australia

• Mark Taylor
  Mark Taylor
  Mark Taylor may refer to:*Mark Taylor , Canadian television actor *Mark Taylor , City councillor of Bay Ward in Ottawa*Mark Taylor , Australian cricketer...
  
   (captain)
• Steve Waugh
  Steve Waugh
  Stephen Rodger "Steve" Waugh, AO is a former Australian cricketer and fraternal twin of cricketer Mark Waugh. A right-handed batsman, he was also a successful medium-pace bowler...
  
  
• Mark Waugh
  Mark Waugh
  Mark Edward Waugh AM is a former Australian cricketer, who represented Australia in Test matches from early 1991 to late 2002, and made his One-Day International debut in 1988. Waugh is regarded as one of the most elegant and gifted stroke makers to ever play the game. His nickname is "Junior" as...
  
  
• Glenn McGrath
  Glenn McGrath
  Glenn Donald McGrath AM , nicknamed "Pigeon", is a former Australian cricket player. He is one of the most highly regarded fast-medium pace bowlers in cricketing history, and a leading contributor to Australia's domination of world cricket from the mid-1990s to the early 21st century...
  
  
• Ian Healy
  Ian Healy
  Ian Andrew Healy is a former cricketer who played for Queensland and Australia. A specialist wicketkeeper and useful right-hand middle-order batsman, he made an unheralded entry to international cricket in 1988, after only six first-class games. His work ethic and combativeness was much needed...
  
   (wicket-keeper)
• Shane Warne
  Shane Warne
  Shane Keith Warne is a former Australian international cricketer widely regarded as one of the greatest bowlers in the history of the game. In 2000, he was selected by a panel of cricket experts as one of the five Wisden Cricketers of the Century, the only specialist bowler selected in the quintet...
  
  
• Stuart Law
  Stuart Law
  Stuart Grant Law OAM is an Australian-born cricketer. He is also the head coach of Bangladesh national cricket team, as from July, he succeeded fellow Aussie Jamie Siddons, who left shortly after the 2011 Cricket World Cup...
  
  
• Brad Hogg
  Brad Hogg
  George Bradley "Brad" Hogg , is an Australian cricketer currently listed with the Perth Scorchers in the Big Bash League. He is a left-arm chinaman bowler, and a capable lower-order left-handed batsman, as well as an excellent fielder....
  
  
• Michael Bevan
  Michael Bevan
  Michael Gwyl Bevan is a former Australian left-handed cricket batsman and a slow left arm chinaman bowler. He played 232 ODI matches for Australia, and was a part of the 1999 and 2003 teams that won the World Cup...
  
  
• Jason Gillespie
  Jason Gillespie
  Jason Neil Gillespie is an Australian cricketer who formerly represented Australia at international level, in both Tests and One Day Internationals, and South Australia, Yorkshire and Glamorgan at first-class level. His primary role is as a right-arm fast-medium bowler, but he is also a competent...
  
  
• Michael Slater
  Michael Slater
  Michael Jonathon Slater is a former Australian cricketer who played in 74 Tests and 42 ODIs for the Australian cricket team from 1993 to 2001...
  
  
• Damien Fleming
  Damien Fleming
  Damien William Fleming is a former Australian cricketer who played in 20 Tests and 88 ODIs from 1994 to 2001....
  
  
• Paul Reiffel
  Paul Reiffel
  Paul Ronald Reiffel is a former Australian cricketer who played in 35 Tests and 92 ODIs from 1992 to 1999. He was part of Australia's victorious 1999 World Cup team. After retirement he became a First Class cricket umpire.-Playing career:Reiffel's career best bowling figures of 6-71 came at...
  
  
• Adam Gilchrist
  Adam Gilchrist
  Adam Craig Gilchrist AM , nicknamed "Gilly" or "Churchy", is an Australian international cricketer who currently captains Kings XI Punjab and recently captained Middlesex. He is an attacking left-handed batsman and record-breaking wicket-keeper, who redefined the role for the Australian national...
  
   (wicket-keeper)

India

• Sachin Tendulkar
  Sachin Tendulkar
  Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar is an Indian cricketer widely regarded as one of the greatest batsmen in the history of cricket. He is the leading run-scorer and century maker in Test and one-day international cricket. He is the only male player to score a double century in the history of ODI cricket...
  
   (captain)
• Anil Kumble
  Anil Kumble
  Anil Kumble is a former Indian cricketer and captain of the Indian Test cricket team. He is a right-arm leg spin bowler and a right-hand batsman. He is currently the leading wicket-taker for India in both Test and One Day International matches...
  
   (vice-captain)
• Sourav Ganguly
  Sourav Ganguly
  Sourav Chandidas Ganguly is a former Indian cricketer, and captain of the Indian national team. Born into an affluent family, Ganguly was introduced into the world of cricket by his elder brother Snehasish. He is regarded as one of India's most successful captains in modern times. He started his...
  
  
• Sujith Somasunder
  Sujith Somasunder
  Sujith Bijjahalli Somasundar is a former Indian cricketer. He played domestic cricket for Karnataka and played two One Day Internationals for India in 1996-Early Domestic Career:...
  
  
• Rahul Dravid
  Rahul Dravid
  Rahul Sharad Dravid , is a cricketer in the Indian national team, of which he has been a regular member since 1996. He was appointed as the captain of the Indian cricket team in October 2005 and resigned from the post in September 2007. Dravid was honoured as one of the top-five Wisden Cricketers...
  
  
• Sunil Joshi
  Sunil Joshi
  Sunil Bandacharya Joshi is a former Indian cricketer. He is an all-rounder who bowls slow left arm spin and bats left-handed. He used to travel 40 miles to Hubli each morning for practice, and then return to his native town of Gadag in time for school...
  
  
• Navjot Singh Sidhu
  Navjot Singh Sidhu
  Navjot Singh Sidhu is former Indian cricket star . After retirement from cricket Navjot Singh Sidhu took up television commentary, and politics. He was later forced to resign from his political position because he was convicted of homicide.-Biography:...
  
  
• Aashish Kapoor
  Aashish Kapoor
  Aashish Rakesh Kapoor is a former Indian cricketer who played in 4 Tests and 17 ODIs from 1994 to 2000. He was member of the 1996 World Cup Squad but was dropped and was never able to make it back to ODI after 2000....
  
  
• Nayan Mongia
  Nayan Mongia
  Nayan Ramlal Mongia is a former Indian cricketer. He played as a right-handed batsman and a wicketkeeper. Currently, he is a cricket analyst....
  
   (wicket-keeper)
• Javagal Srinath
  Javagal Srinath
  Javagal Srinath is a former Indian cricketer. He was a frontline fast bowler for the Indian cricket team until his retirement, being the second Indian pace bowler after Kapil Dev to take 200 Test wickets. One ball that he bowled during the 1996 tour of South Africa measured...
  
  
• Mohammad Azharuddin
  Mohammad Azharuddin
  Mohammad Azharuddin also known as Azhar, is an Indian politician and former cricketer. He was an accomplished batsman and captained the Indian cricket team for much of the 1990s, until his involvement in a match-fixing scandal forced him into retirement...
  
  
• Venkatesh Prasad
  Venkatesh Prasad
  Bapu Krishnarao Venkatesh Prasad is a former Indian cricketer. He is the bowling coach for Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League, having formerly performed the same role for the Indian cricket team from 2007 to 2009. He made his debut in 1996...
  
  
• Ajay Jadeja
  Ajay Jadeja
  Ajaysinhji Daulatsinhji Jadeja was born on 1 February 1971 in royal rajput family of Jamnagar, Gujarat. He was a regular in the Indian cricket team between 1992 and 2000, playing in 15 Test matches and 196 One Day Internationals. His cricketing achievements were overshadowed by a 5 year ban for...
  
  
• Robin Singh
  Robin Singh
  Robin Singh , full name Rabindra Ramanarayan Singh is a former all-rounder who played for India. He is currently the coach of Mumbai Indians...
  
  
• Vikram Rathore

The team coach was Madan Lal

Madan Lal

Madan Lal Udhouram Sharma is a former Indian cricketer and Indian national cricket coach. He currently coaches Delhi Giants in the Indian Cricket League...

. Debutants included Karnataka

Karnataka

Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...

 opening batsman Sujith Somasunder

Sujith Somasunder

Sujith Bijjahalli Somasundar is a former Indian cricketer. He played domestic cricket for Karnataka and played two One Day Internationals for India in 1996-Early Domestic Career:...

 and Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...

 all-rounder Robin Singh

Robin Singh

Robin Singh , full name Rabindra Ramanarayan Singh is a former all-rounder who played for India. He is currently the coach of Mumbai Indians...

.

Results

South Africa won all their round-robin matches against India and Australia. Australia did not win any of their matches, losing two of their encounters against India. The India-Australia match in Cuttack

Cuttack

Cuttack is the former capital of the state of Orissa, India. It is the headquarters of Cuttack district and is located about 20 km to the north east of Bhubaneswar, the capital of Orissa. The name of the city is an anglicised form of Kataka that literally means The Fort, a reference to the...

 was abandoned due to rain, resulting in both teams getting one point each. India qualified for the final against South Africa on the strength of their two round-robin victories against Australia.

Team	P	W	L	T	NR	NRR	Points
	6	6	0	0	0	+0.478	12
	6	2	3	1	0	-0.289	5
	6	0	5	1	0	-0.296	1

Final

Records and awards

India's Titan Cup win was its first ODI tournament victory in 1996, as well as the first under captain Sachin Tendulkar. Tendulkar was the lead run-scorer in the tournament, with 320 runs in 6 innings. With 17 wickets, Allan Donald of South Africa bagged the player of the series award.