Sri Lanka has a really good record when it comes to One Day cricket. They won the ODI World Cup in 1996 and ended up as runners-up in the 2007 and 2011 World Cups. But when it comes to batting, Sri Lanka has always given the world some of the greatest batsmen of all time.
Speaking of their World Cup history, Sri Lanka holds the record for the third highest partnership. They also have a few big partnerships. In fact, after India (5), only Sri Lanka and Australia have four 200-run partnerships in the history of the World Cup.
So in this article, we will discuss the highest partnership for Sri Lanka in the history of the ODI World Cup.
Sri Lanka Highest Partnership in ODI World Cup
| Players | Runs | Wkt | Against | Venue | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Upul Tharanga and Tillakaratne Dilshan | 282 | 1st | Zimbabwe | Pallekele | 2011 |
| Upul Tharanga and Tillakaratne Dilshan | 231* | 1st | England | Colombo (RPS) | 2011 |
| Lahiru Thirimanne and Kumar Sangakkara | 212* | 2nd | England | Wellington | 2015 |
| Kumar Sangakkara and Tillakaratne Dilshan | 210* | 2nd | Bangladesh | Melbourne | 2015 |
| Kumar Sangakkara and Tillakaratne Dilshan | 195 | 2nd | Scotland | Hobart | 2015 |
| Asanka Gurusinha and Aravinda de Silva | 183 | 3rd | Kenya | Kandy | 1996 |
| Sanath Jayasuriya and Mahela Jayawardene | 183 | 3rd | West Indies | Providence | 2007 |
| Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene | 179 | 3rd | Canada | Hambantota | 2011 |
| Asanka Gurusinha and Aravinda de Silva | 172 | 3rd | Zimbabwe | Colombo (RPS) | 1996 |
3. Lahiru Thirimanne and Kumar Sangakkara (212* runs) against England in 2015 ICC event
This was the 22nd match of the 2015 World Cup between England and Sri Lanka at Wellington. Batting first, the English team scored 309/6 in their 50 overs. Joe Root hit a splendid century and made 121 off 108 balls. It was a big target to chase in a pressure match in the World Cup. But it was not a good day for the English bowlers.
Sri Lanka added 100 runs for the first wicket. Dilshan got out at 44, which brought Kumar Sangakkara to the crease. Then, he, along with Thirimanne, added an unbeaten partnership of 212* runs for the second wicket to win the match. Both batters scored their respective centuries. Thirimanne scored 139* off 143 balls and Sangakkara won the MOM award for his 117* off 86 balls. Sri Lanka won that match by nine wickets with 16 balls to spare.
2. Upal Tharanga and Tillakaratne Dilshan (231* runs) against England in 2011 ICC event
Their second highest partnership also came against the same opposition in the 2011 World Cup. Sri Lanka were very good in that tournament and ended as the runners-up. It was the fourth quarter-final against England at Colombo. Batting first, the English team scored only 229/6 in their 50 overs. Jonathan Trott was the high scorer for them, scoring 86 runs.
It was a below-par target and that is how the game went. The Sri Lankan openers didn’t need the help of any other batters in the line-up and chased down the target on their own. Upal Tharanga and Tillakratne Dilshan both scored their respective centuries and added 231* runs for the opening wicket to win the game. Tharanga remained unbeaten on 102* off 122 and Dilshan was not out of 108* off 115 balls.
1. Upal Tharanga and Tillakaratne Dilshan (282 runs) against Zimbabwe in 2011 ODI World Cup
Upal Tharanga and Tillakaratne Dilshan once again feature on the list, and that too in the same tournament. It was the 26th match between Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe at Pallekele. After winning the toss, Zimbabwe chose to bowl first, but it didn’t turn out to be the right decision. Both Sri Lankan openers came and just kept on scoring at will. They added a huge partnership of 282 runs for the opening wicket.
Notably, this is still a record for the first wicket in the ODI World Cup. Both batters also scored their centuries. Dilshan scored 144 off 131 and Tharanga made 133 runs off 141. As a result, Sri Lanka posted a target of 327 runs. In reply, Zimbabwe were bowled out for 188 and lost the match by 139 runs.