Highest Opening Partnerships in IPL: Nothing is more appealing than a perfect start in a cricket match. With the bowling, it’s a wicket in the first over, and with the bat, it’s a tenacious opening partnership. In the shortest format of cricket, having the best opening batting partnerships is crucial. It is critical to have the highest opening partnership when playing a short format game like the Indian Premier League (IPL). A good opening stand is always intimidating for opponents and takes the game away from them right away. Most teams even lost their plans and devolved into complete chaos while attempting to stop an unstoppable pair of batsmen.
Opening an innings stand is essential in a period of batting dominance. IPL is a prime example of this, and all the teams had strong opening pairs. Cricket players from all over the world come together to compete in the lucrative Indian Premier League. International cricketers join forces with Indian domestic cricketers to form a team in the IPL, paving the way for many players to make their international debuts for their respective national teams. Today, we’ll go over the best and highest opening partnerships in IPL history.
Top 5 highest opening partnerships in IPL Since 2008-2021 (Based on the latest)
| Current Rankings | Highest opening partnerships in IPL – Players Name | Runs Scored | Team | Against | Which Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Virat Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal | 181* | RCB | RR | 2021 |
| 2 | Shane Watson and Faf Du Plessis | 181* | CSK | KXIP (PBKS) | 2020 |
| 3 | KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal | 183 | PBKS | RR | 2020 |
| 4 | Gautam Gambhir and Chris Lynn | 184 | KKR | GL | 2017 |
| 5 | Jonny Bairstow and David Warner | 185 | SRH | RCB | 2019 |
Which is the highest opening partnership in IPL | 2008 to 2021 Updated list
| Match Date | Highest opening partnership in IPL – Players Name | Runs Scored | Team | Against | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 Mar 2019 | Johnny Bairstow and David Warner | 185 | SRH | RCB | Hyderabad |
| 7 Apr 2017 | Gautam Gambhir and Chris Lynn | 184* | KKR | GL | Rajkot |
| 27 Sep 2020 | KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal | 183 | KXIP | RR | Sharjah |
| 4 Oct 2020 | Shane Watson and Faf du Plessis | 181* | CSK | KXIP | Dubai |
| 22 Apr 2021 | Virat Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal | 181* | RCB | RR | Mumbai |
| 23 Apr 2013 | Chris Gayle and TM Dilshan | 167 | RCB | PW | Bengaluru |
| 20 May 2012 | Sachin Tendulkar and Dwayne Smith | 163* | MI | RR | Jaipur |
| 8 Oct 2020 | David Warner and Johnny Bairstow | 160 | SRH | KXIP | Dubai |
| 28 May 2011 | Michael Hussey and Murali Vijay | 159 | CSK | RCB | Chennai |
| 27 Apr 2008 | Adam Gilchrist and VVS Laxman | 155* | DC | MI | Mumbai |
| 3 Nov 2020 | David Warner and Wriddhiman Saha | 151* | SRH | MI | Sharjah |
| 21 Apr 2013 | Mahela Jayawardene and Virendra Sehwag | 151 | DD | MI | Delhi |
| 18 May 2016 | Chris Gayle and Virat Kohli | 147 | RCB | KXIP | Bengaluru |
| 23 Apr 2011 | David Warner and Virender Sehwag | 146 | DD | KXIP | Delhi |
| 19 Apr 2015 | Ajinkya Rahane and Shane Watson | 144 | RR | CSK | Ahmedabad |
| 10 Apr 2013 | Murali Vijay and Michael Hussey | 139* | CSK | KXIP | Mohali |
| 30 Apr 2017 | David Warner and Shikhar Dhawan | 139 | SRH | KKR | Hyderabad |
| 10 Apr 2021 | Prithvi Shaw and Shikhar Dhawan | 138 | DC | CSK | Mumbai |
| 21 Apr 2016 | David Warner and Shikhar Dhawan | 137* | SRH | GL | Rajkot |
| 16 Apr 2011 | Adam Gilchrist and Paul Valthaty | 136 | KXIP | DC | Hyderabad |
5 highest opening partnerships in IPL History (2008-2021)
1. Jonny Bairstow and David Warner- 185 against RCB in 2019
Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) broke the all-time IPL record for the highest opening partnership on March 31, 2019. In 2019, David Warner and Bairstow put on a 185-run partnership against RCB in Hyderabad. During the IPL 2019, the duo was on fire. In the first league matches for SRH the competition, they amassed four-century partnerships at a combined strike rate of 177 and 3 fifty partnerships at a combined strike rate of 151.
The victim was Royal Challengers Bangalore, and the primary perpetrators were Jonny Bairstow and David Warner. After leading SRH to their first IPL title, David Warner was already regarded as an SRH legend. He was the SRH’s run-machine, with little help from other specialized batsmen. They signed Jonny Bairstow, a lethal English opener, in 2019. The pair was steadfast and ferocious at the same time. Bairstow quickly reached his century against RCB and was dismissed in the 17th over of the match with an individual score of 114. David Warner kept up the savagery, scoring a century in the final over. The team total was 231 and they easily won the match by 118 runs.
2. Gautam Gambhir and Chris Lynn- 184* against Gujarat Lions in 2017
KKR’s Chris Lynn was a revelation in 2017. The explosive Queenslander had incredible success in the Big Bash League. Following his IPL debut in 2014, he only had a decent stint in 2017 where he demonstrated his raw power and ability to make the ball disappear. The Gujarat Lions scored 183 runs in their first match of the 2017 season against the Gujarat Lions in Rajkot.
The Kolkata Knight Riders achieved a world record in T20 cricket by completing a target of 184 without losing a single wicket, and Chris Lynn was the man who did the heavy duty. To chase down the total, KKR sent out Chris Lynn to wreak havoc. Gujarat bowlers, along with skipper Gautam Gambhir, had no answers for his devastating striking. He finished with 93 runs off 41 deliveries, while Gambhir had his time with an unbeaten 76 off 48 balls. The chase of 184 runs was finished with 31 balls remaining.
3. KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal- 183 against Rajasthan Royals in 2020 IPL
It was one of the most memorable matches in IPL history, and it was arguably the best match of 2020. With their class and consistency, KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal were on their way to becoming the most intimidating opening duo. Every match, their inexperienced and fragile middle-order demanded a good opening stand, and the pair delivered almost every time. In this match, they gave KXIP a massive lead of 183 runs in 16.3 overs. Mayank Agarwal hit a century and KL Rahul batted patiently to score 69 off 54 balls. The team total was 223, which was one of the highest in 2020 IPL history. Unfortunately, their efforts were in vain as Rajasthan Royals skipper Sanju Samson smashed a historic century and helped RR chase down the record total in a thrilling game of cricket.
4. Shane Watson and Faf Du Plessis- 181* against KXIP (now PBKS) in 2020
The IPL 2020 season was CSK’s worst IPL season, as they failed to qualify for the playoffs for the first time in their history. Following their first victory over the Mumbai Indians, they lost three matches in a row. It was unbelievable that such a consistent franchise had forgotten how to win matches. The match against KXIP (now PBKS) proved to be a relieving match for CSK. Returning to a target of 179, Faf Du Plessis and Shane Watson, two international legends, work together to complete the chase without losing a wicket. Shane Watson scored 83 runs off 53 balls, while the then-South African captain scored 27 runs off the same number of deliveries. The performance was supposed to give the team a boost in their qualification battle, but the momentum was lost.
5. Virat Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal- 181* against Rajasthan Royals in 2021
The Royal Challengers Bangalore IPL 2021’s newest opening pair has been phenomenal and instrumental in their stunning performances. King Kohli and the young talented 21-year-old Devdutt Padikkal (DDP) formed one of the tournament’s ferocious left-right combinations. RCB faced Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2021 match number 16 at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium. The Royals set the Challengers a total of 177/9, but it proved to be no serious challenge for Kohli and his partner Devdutt Padikkal. Padikkal had a slow start to the season, but on that day, he turned into an absolute beast, scoring 101 off 52 balls. Virat Kohli, along with the youngster DDP, saved his wicket by scoring 72 runs, causing more damage on the RR side. The chase was over by the 17th over, and the scoreboard read 181/0.
Conclusion
We hope you enjoyed reading through our entire list of the highest opening partnerships in IPL. The information was gathered from the official Iplt20.com website. Please share your thoughts in the comments section below. This page’s content is subject to change at any time. Our website makes no guarantees about the information’s accuracy.
