India made the headlines when they won the very first T20 World Cup in 2007 under the leadership of Dhoni. A totally new team with a new leader just played relentlessly and came out victorious. Speaking of the history of India’s T20 World Cup history, the Men in Blue have been one of the best teams when it comes to the shorter format.
They also made it to the finals a second time in 2014. However, they lost to Sri Lanka but have had some good overall history. Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Suresh Raina, and Yuvraj Singh are some of the big names when it comes to T20 cricket. In this article we will cover top highest partnership for the Indian team in T20 World Cup.
1. KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma (140 runs) against Afghanistan in 2021 ICC T20 Event
The 2021 T20 World Cup didn’t end well for the Men in Blue as they couldn’t make it to the top four either. After opening their campaign with two successive losses, India were out. However, they still won their last three matches, and that too, quite dominatingly. The highest partnership for any Indian wicket came against Afghanistan at Abu Dhabi between Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul.
Batting first, India made a huge total of 210/2 in their 20 overs. Both openers added 140 runs for the first wicket and scored their respective half-centuries. Rohit scored 74 off 47 balls and Rahul scored 69 off 48 balls. The target was too big for the Afghan team, and they lost the match by 66 runs in the end.
2. Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir (136 runs) against England in ICC T20 2007
The inaugural season of the T20 World Cup was one of the most iconic tournaments in the game of cricket. It just totally changed the value of playing cricket and the perceptions of the fans. India won the tournament with the collective efforts of the whole team. The second highest partnership for any wicket came in a match against England at Durban. However, this match is always remembered for Yuvraj’s smashing of Stuart Broad for six sixes in one over.
But it all started with the partnership between Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag at the top. Because it was a do or die match for India, both openers came in a different way. They added 136 runs for the first wicket to lay the perfect foundation for the rest of the batters to fire. Sehwag made 68 off 52 and Gambhir scored 58 off 41 balls. India scored 218 runs and won the match by 18 runs.
3. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli (106 runs) against West Indies in ICC T20 World Cup
The third highest partnership for India came in a match between India and West Indies in the 2014 World Cup. After winning the toss, India chose to bowl first. The Indian bowlers did a really good job and restricted the powerful West Indian batting order to just 129/4. And then, it was not going to be a big target for the Indians.
The Men in Blue chased down the target in 19.4 overs and won the match by seven wickets. Both Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma scored their respective half-centuries and added a 100-run partnership. They added 106 runs for the second wicket to help India win the match. Rohit made 62 off 55 and Virat scored 54 off 41 balls.
List of Highest Partnership for India in T20 World Cup
| Player | Runs | Wicket | Against | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma | 140 | 1st | Afghanistan | 2021 |
| Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir | 136 | 1st | England | 2007 |
| Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli | 106 | 2nd | West Indies | 2014 |
| Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli | 100 | 2nd | Bangladesh | 2014 |
| Gautam Gambhir and Rohit Sharma | 77 | 1st | Ireland | 2009 |
| Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag | 76 | 1st | New Zealand | 2007 |
| MS Dhoni and Yousuf Pathan | 63* | 6th | England | 2009 |
| Gautam Gambhir and Rohit Sharma | 59 | 1st | Bangladesh | 2009 |