Highest Opening Partnership in T20 International

T20I is the shortest format of cricket of 20 overs so it is vastly essential for any cricket team to accomplish the maximum runs by the opening pairs. The first wicket partnership plays a key role in the formation of a big total on the scoreboard. Every cricket team wants to maintain the high run rate by the opening batters in the 20 overs match in order to give free hand to the other batsmen too. The good start of the inning decreases the pressure from the middle order and allows them to play their own game freely without any pressure. Because only 2 fielders are allowed to field outside the 30-yards of the circle in the Powerplay, the opening pairs also get the advantage to free their hands and score maximum runs.

The first highest 1st wicket partnership in T20 International was 236 runs made by Hazratullah Zazai and Usman Ghani of Afghanistan against Ireland at Dehradun on 23 Feb 2019 and still stand as the highest opening partnership in the history of T20 international. Only four times, the first wicket partnership in T20I crossed 200 runs.

AJ Finch and DJM Short of Australia did this feat for the second time and scored 223 runs against Zimbabwe on 3 Jul 2018.

India has added a total of 100 runs or more 8 times by the opening pairs. The highest 1st wicket partnership for India in T20I was 165 runs scored by Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul in Indore on 22 Dec 2017. In the 20 overs match, there are 74 moments when the opening batsmen crossed the 100 runs as 1st wicket partnership.

New Zealand has achieved this accomplishment maximum times and scored 10 times 100 or more runs as 1st wicket partnership in T20I,  then Australia with 8 times comes after New Zealand, India 8, West Indies 5, England 4, Pakistan 4, Sri Lanka 3, South Africa 3 times.

Indian openers G Gambhir and V Sehwag did this coup for the first time for India and made 136 runs as 1st wicket partnership against England at Durban on 19 Sep 2007. After 9 years, this feat was repeated by KL Rahul and Mandeep Singh for India. They scored unbeaten 103 runs against Zimbabwe at Harare on 20 Jun 2016. 

Highest Opening Partnership in T20 Internationals

The top 10 highest opening partnership in T20 Internationals are given below:

Batsmen (Team)

Runs 

Against

Venue

Date

Hazratullah Zazai,Usman Ghani
(Afganistan)

236

Ireland

Dehradun

23 Feb 2019

Aaron Finch and DJM Short
(Australia)

223

Zimbabwe

Harare

3 Jul 2018

Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan
Pakistan
203* England Karachi 22 Sept 2022

George Munsey, Kyle Coetzer
(Scotland)

200

Netherlands

Dublin

16 Sep 2019

Mohammad Rizwan, Babar Azam
(Pakistan)
197 South Africa Centurion 19 Apr 2021
Devon Conway, Glenn Phillips
(New Zealand)
184 West Indies Mount Maunganui 29 Nov 2020
Dawid Malan, Eoin Morgan
(England)
182 NZ Napier 8 Nov 2019
Quinton De Kock, David Miller
(South Africa)
174* IND Guwahati 2 Oct 2022

Martin Guptill, Kane Williamson
(New Zealand)

171*

Pakistan

Hamilton

17 Jan 2016

Alex Hales and Jos Buttler (England) 170* India Adelaide 10 Nov 2022

Graeme Smith & Loots Bosman
(South Africa)

170

England

Centurion

15 Nov 2009

Quinton De Kock, Rilee Rossouw
(South Africa)
168 Bangladesh Sydney 27 Oct 2022

Rohit Sharma, Lokesh Rahul
(India)

165

Sri Lanka

Indore

22 Dec 2017

Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan
(India)

160

Ireland

Dublin

27 Jun 2018

Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan
(India)

158

NZ

Delhi

1 Nov 2017

Mohammad Rizwan, Babar Azam
(Pakistan)
158 WI Karachi 16 Dec 2021

Paul Hennessy, Awais Ahmed
(Spain)

155

Malta

Cartagena

30 Mar 2019

Paul Stirling and Kevin O'Brien
(Ireland)

154

West Indies

St George's

15 Jan 2020

Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam
Pakistan (T20 World Cup 2021)
152* India Dubai 24 Oct 2021
Quinton de Kock and Reeza Hendricks
South Africa
152 West Indies Centurian 26 Mar 2023
Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam
Pakistan
150 England Nottingham 17 Jul 2021

The highest 1st wicket partnership for Pakistan in T20I was 142 runs scored by Kamran Akmal and Salman Butt against Bangladesh at Gros Islet on 1 May 2010 but recently Babar Azam and Rizwan broken this record by scoring 197 runs for opening wicket.

For Sri Lanka, Tillakaratne Dilshan and Sanath Jayasuriya scored 124 runs for the 1st wicket as the highest 1st wicket partnership against West Indies at Nottingham on 10 Jun 2009.

Tamim Iqbal and Liton Das made 92 runs against Zimbabwe at Dhaka on 9 Mar 2020 as their higest first wicket partnership.


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