India added to the list of huge winning margins at this year’s Cricket World Cup while Virat Kohli made individual history in Sunday’s rout of South Africa.
Here, the PA news agency looks at the statistical significance of the result.
India win big again
Four of the World Cup’s top 10 winning margins by runs have come in this year’s tournament, with hosts India now ranking second and joint-seventh on that list.
Sunday’s 243-run success – Kohli’s hundred setting up a total of 326 for five before the Proteas were skittled for 83 – followed three days after they beat Sri Lanka by 302 runs.
That was only the second win by 300-plus runs in World Cup history, the first coming just over a week earlier when Australia beat the Netherlands by a record 309 after scoring 399 for eight.
The 2015 tournament saw Australia win by 275 runs against Afghanistan while South Africa beat the West Indies by 257, matching India’s win over Bermuda in 2007.
Australia beat Namibia by 256 in 2003 while India’s win over South Africa matched Sri Lanka’s margin against beleaguered Bermuda in 2007.
South Africa beat the Netherlands by 231 in 2011 and their 229-run success against England this year matched Australia, against the Dutch in 2007, for 10th place.
Teams batting first have not had it all their own way this year, with New Zealand beating England by nine wickets while there have been four eight-wicket margins and five by seven wickets.
Kohli matches Sachin
Kohli’s 101 not out at Eden Gardens was significant beyond just the immediate contest with the Proteas.
His 49th one-day international century matched the record set by his illustrious compatriot Sachin Tendulkar for the most in the format.
The “Little Master” played a record 463 ODIs between 1989 and 2012 and scored 18,426 runs at an average of 44.83 in his 452 innings.
Kohli has got there in just 289 games and 277 innings, scoring 13,626 runs in total with his average of 58.48 – over 13 runs higher than Tendulkar’s.
The latter does still have more half-centuries, 96 to Kohli’s 70, as well as the higher individual innings with an unbeaten 200 against South Africa in 2010.
That is the 10th-highest score in ODI history and makes Tendulkar one of only eight men with a double-century in the format – current India captain Rohit Sharma has three to his name including a record 264 against Sri Lanka in 2014. The feat has also been achieved twice in women’s cricket, by New Zealand’s Amelia Kerr and Australia’s Belinda Clark.
Kohli’s best is 183 against Pakistan in 2012, ranking 22nd on the all-time list.
Pooran's blistering 61 not enough as Shai Hope's Capitals edge LSG by 19 runs to keep slim play-off hopes alive
Delhi Capitals defeated Lucknow Super Giants to boost their hopes of making the Indian Premier League play-offs.
The Capitals claimed a 19-run victory on Tuesday, with Abishek Porel (58) and Tristan Stubbs (57 not out) starring.
Their efforts propelled Delhi to 208-4 from their 20 overs, with Shai Hope (38) and Rishabh Pant (33) chipping in with useful contributions as LSG's bowling attack struggled badly. Hope faced 27 balls and had three fours and two sixes in his knock.
Nicholas Pooran top-scored with a 27-ball 61 in Lucknow's chase, while Arshad Khan plundered an unbeaten 58, yet it was not enough, with the Super Giants only able to reach 189-9 in response. Pooran's knock included six fours and four maximums, while Khan had three fours and five sixes in his 33-ball knock.
Shai Hope found his range after a quiet start.
Ishant Sharma, with 3-34, was the pick of the Capitals' bowlers, as they must now wait and see if Chennai Super Kings or Sunrisers Hyderabad slip up enough to send Delhi into the top four.
LSG are down in seventh, and they must beat Mumbai Indians heavily in their last match to stand any chance of making the play-offs.
Data Debrief: Ishant hits double figures... again
Introduced as the impact player, Ishant fulfilled his duty with three swift wickets inside his first three overs, with Quinton de Kock, KL Rahul and Deepak Hood all taken out.
Ishant has now taken 10 wickets this season, and is onto 93 across his entire IPL career. It is the sixth season Ishant has reached double figures for wickets, and his second in a row.
Afridi lauds 'world class' Babar and Rizwan as Pakistan win Ireland series
Shaheen Afridi lauded Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan as "world class" after the pair guided Pakistan to a T20I series victory over Ireland on Tuesday.
Babar's side were defeated in the first meeting with Ireland last week but responded with two convincing chases to secure a 2-1 triumph.
Ireland captain Lorcan Tucker's 73 helped his side to set a target of 179 in the winner-takes-all-decider, but Pakistan had little trouble in easing to a six-wicket victory with 18 balls to spare.
Rizwan, who managed an unbeaten 75 in the second meeting, crafted a well-made 56, while Babar carried Pakistan to within touching distance after his 42-ball 75.
Big-hitter Azam Khan blasted 18 off just six deliveries to see the visitors over the line, though Afridi was quick to credit the work of the two experienced Pakistan campaigners.
"For us, before the World Cup, it's important to have these games to ready ourselves and there are a few areas to improve," said Afridi, who impressed with 3-14 in the first innings.
"They're both world-class players [Babar and Rizwan]; they know how to play their role and they have done really well on this pitch."
Babar bludgeoned four of his five sixes off Ben White's bowling in the 14th over, while sharing 139 runs with the in-form Rizwan for the second wicket.
"We had good communication in the middle because we have played a lot of cricket together; we were trying to play on our strengths and the aim was to match with the run rate," Babar added.
"Lots of positives for us to take and we were able to execute our plans.
"We have a big tournament coming up and this is good practice; we are now looking forward to the England series."
Mark Adair was the only Ireland bowler to impress with his economical 3-28, though Tucker was still satisfied with his side's efforts.
"It was brilliant and a great privilege to captain," Tucker said at the post-match presentation. "It would have been nice to start with a win.
"We set up a platform nicely but unfortunately, we couldn't finish well. We gave everyone a go with the ball. Credit to the lads, they bowled well in tough conditions.
"Maybe it was a bit disappointing with the result but we had positives from the series."
IPL: KKR ensured top-two spot after washout
The first abandoned game of the Indian Premier League ensures Kolkata Knight Riders will finish in the top two and Gujarat Titans’ elimination from playoff contention.
A combination of lightning and rain meant there was not even a toss, with the intense storm ripping banners from the stands, which later wrapped around the floodlights.
KKR had all but ensured a place in the top two due to their dominating net run-rate, but a 19th point of the season confirmed it, leaving them with one game to try and clinch top spot for the first time.
The Titans needed to win their final two games to give themselves any hope of reaching the playoffs, though it would have proven tough for the side with the lowest net run-rate in the league.
It is the first time GT have failed to make the playoffs since they joined the competition before the 2022 season.
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