Top Five Highest Opening Partnerships in T20 World Cup

The T20 format has changed the course of cricket since its inception. However, some aspects of the game continue to be vital irrespective of the format. A decent opening partnership to start the innings is one such key factor. It’s as simple as this: score as many runs as possible at the beginning so that you gain an early advantage. The partnerships below are a list of some of the highest opening partnerships in the T20 World Cup.

Highest Opening Partnerships in T20 World Cup:

5. Shane Watson & David Warner (Australia vs India, Colombo 2012)

Being given a mediocre target of 141 to chase, David Warner and Shane Watson put to rest all hopes India had of winning the match. Batting stupendously, the duo batted through the challenging conditions and put 133-runs on the board. Watto (72) was the aggressor in the partnership while Warner (63*) played second fiddle to him. As a result, Australia emerged victorious comprehensively with 9 wickets and 32 balls to spare.

Also Read: Top Five Wicketkeepers with Most Dismissals in T20 International

4. Chris Gayle & Andre Fletcher (West Indies vs Australia, The Oval 2009) –

In an innings that showed a glimpse of how dangerous Chris Gayle could be in the T20s, West Indies beat Australia in a match that could very much be described as a child’s play. Chasing 170, openers Chris Gayle and Andre Fletcher put together 133-runs for the first wicket. There was no place to hide for the Australian bowlers as both the batters were striking the ball at 160+. Gayle (88 off 50) and Fletcher (53 off 32) fueled West Indies’ innings to an ecstatic 7-wicket victory.

3. Gautam Gambhir & Virender Sehwag (India vs England, Durban 2007) –

The game which made an entire country fall in love with T20s was headlined by Gambhir (58) and Sehwag (68). The duo opened India’s innings against England and put a record-opening partnership. The Delhi boys put together an impressive 136-run partnership, which still holds as the highest opening partnership for India to this very day. They set the stage for one of the greatest cameos in cricket history that came courtesy of Yuvraj Singh as India posted a record of 218 runs and won the match by 18 runs.

Also Read: Top-5 players with Highest Individual Scores in T20 International

2. Kamran Akmal & Salman Butt (Pakistan vs Bangladesh, Gros Islet, 2010) –

Former Pakistan openers Kamran Akmal and Salman Butt set the stage on fire with a solid opening partnership. Batting first, the duo added a record 142-runs to the tally in a formidable showcase of their skills. Scoring 73 each, Kamran and Salman helped Pakistan set an above-par total of 172/3. As a result of which, Pakistan was able to emerge victorious over Bangladesh by 21 runs.

1. Chris Gayle & Devon Smith (West Indies vs South Africa, Johannesburg 2007) –

Well, this should not come as a surprise that the highest opening partnership in the T20 World Cup has come courtesy of West Indies. Chris Gayle absolutely ran through the Protean bowling attack and left a massacre behind. Scoring 117 off just 57 balls, Gayle became the first batsman to score a century in T20 World Cup. Devon Smith (35 off 34) too played the role of the anchor to perfection. At the outset, West Indies ended their innings with a humongous total of 205. This surprisingly, wasn’t enough, as South Africa chased the record target with 14 balls to spare.

Also Read: Top Five players to hit most fours in T20 World Cup

Summary of the top five Highest Opening Partnerships in T20 World Cup History

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