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 |
236 |
Ireland |
Dehradun |
23 Feb 2019 |
|
Aaron Finch and DJM Short |
223 |
Zimbabwe |
Harare |
3 Jul 2018 |
| Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan Pakistan |
203* | England | Karachi | 22 Sept 2022 |
|
George Munsey, Kyle Coetzer |
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 |
171* |
Pakistan |
Hamilton |
17 Jan 2016 |
| Alex Hales and Jos Buttler (England) | 170* | India | Adelaide | 10 Nov 2022 |
|
Graeme Smith & Loots Bosman |
170 |
England |
Centurion |
15 Nov 2009 |
| Quinton De Kock, Rilee Rossouw (South Africa) |
168 | Bangladesh | Sydney | 27 Oct 2022 |
|
Rohit Sharma, Lokesh Rahul |
165 |
Sri Lanka |
Indore |
22 Dec 2017 |
|
Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan |
160 |
Ireland |
Dublin |
27 Jun 2018 |
|
Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan |
158 |
NZ |
Delhi |
1 Nov 2017 |
| Mohammad Rizwan, Babar Azam (Pakistan) |
158 | WI | Karachi | 16 Dec 2021 |
|
Paul Hennessy, Awais Ahmed |
155 |
Malta |
Cartagena |
30 Mar 2019 |
|
Paul Stirling and Kevin O'Brien |
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.
Advertisement