The Indian Premier League (IPL) has witnessed some of the most breathtaking batting performances in T20 history. When it comes to the best partnership in IPL, some of these batters have not only changed the way matches are being played, but also changed the basic foundations of orthodox T20 batting.
In this article, we will see the ten instances of IPL batting pairs outbatting the other team, making sure that IPL fans have the times of their lives. After reading this article, it’s reasonable to conclude that the IPL has undergone a drastic change. And it has surely happened because of these batting performances.
Best Partnership in IPL | The All-Time Top 10 List
Before diving into the details, here’s a comprehensive table highlighting the highest partnerships in IPL history based on runs scored, batters involved, the teams they represented, and the year in which they achieved these milestones.
|
Rank |
Batting Pair |
Runs |
Wicket |
Team |
Opponent |
Year |
Venue |
|
1 |
AB de Villiers & Virat Kohli |
229 |
2nd |
RCB |
Gujarat Lions |
2016 |
Bengaluru |
|
2 |
AB de Villiers & Virat Kohli |
215* |
2nd |
RCB |
Mumbai Indians |
2015 |
Wankhede |
|
3 |
KL Rahul & Quinton de Kock |
210* |
1st |
LSG |
Kolkata Knight Riders |
2022 |
DY Patil Stadium |
|
4. |
Shubman Gill & Sai Sudharshan |
210 |
1st |
GT |
CSK |
2024 |
Ahmedabad |
|
5 |
Shaun Marsh & Adam Gilchrist |
206 |
2nd |
Kings XI Punjab |
RCB |
2011 |
Dharamshala |
|
6 |
Virat Kohli & Chris Gayle |
204* |
2nd |
RCB |
Delhi Daredevils |
2012 |
Delhi |
|
7 |
David Warner & Naman Ojha |
189* |
2nd |
Delhi Daredevils |
Deccan Chargers |
2012 |
Hyderabad |
|
8 |
David Warner & Jonny Bairstow |
185 |
1st |
Sunrisers Hyderabad |
RCB |
2019 |
Hyderabad |
|
9 |
Chris Lynn & Gautam Gambhir |
184* |
1st |
Kolkata Knight Riders |
Gujarat Lions |
2017 |
Rajkot |
|
10 |
KL Rahul & Mayank Agarwal |
183 |
1st |
Kings XI Punjab |
Rajasthan Royals |
2020 |
Sharjah |
Now, let’s break down each partnership and analyze its significance.
AB de Villiers & Virat Kohli—229 Runs (RCB vs. Gujarat Lions, 2016)
Most importantly, this famous combination is still the best in IPL history. During a game in Bengaluru, Kohli and de Villiers established a 229-run partnership for the second wicket, effectively halting the Gujarat Lions’ bowling attack. Both players accounted for hundreds, contributing significantly to RCB’s impressive score. The combination of Kohli’s traditional stroke play and de Villiers’s innovative talent complemented each other well and RCB went onto win the match by 144 runs.
AB de Villiers & Virat Kohli—215 Runs (RCB vs. Mumbai Indians, 2015)*
In addition to the previously mentioned stand, this same batting pair also featured in the second-best partnership in the IPL. A year earlier, AB de Villiers and Virat Kohli made history when they added 215 runs against the Mumbai Indians at Wankhede Stadium. Both players stayed unbeaten with De Villiers leading the charge. RCB won the game with ease.
KL Rahul & Quinton de Kock—210 Runs (LSG vs KKR, 2022)*
KL Rahul and Quinton de Kock forged 210 runs against LSG in the IPL in 2022, making this the third best partnership in IPL. This was the best opening stand in the league’s history and one of the smoothest partnerships ever that came against KKR in DY Patil Stadium in Mumbai. While Rahul scored 68, De Kock hit an amazing 140 unbeaten. Right from the start, the Kolkata Knight Riders bowlers were perplexed and failed to find a solution to the problem. They eventually failed to chase down the mammoth total and went onto lose the match by just 2 runs.
Shubman Gill & B Sai Sudharshan—210 Runs (GT vs CSK, 2024)
On May 10th, 2024, the two young guns of Gujarat Titans batted brilliantly to enter the record books. In a tricky match against CSK, Sudharshan was inserted as an Impact Player and went on to forge a 210-run stand upon opening the innings with Shubman Gill. Both batted CSK out of the match as GT went on to smash 231/3 on the board. Clearly, this was a hard target to chase, and the Yellow Brigade went on to lose the match by 35 runs.
Shaun Marsh & Adam Gilchrist—206 Runs (KXIP vs RCB, 2011)
The Australian pair of Shaun Marsh and Adam Gilchrist combined for Kings XI Punjab and ripped apart the RCB bowling attack in 2011 at Dharamsala. They put together a 206-run stand for the second wicket. Gilchrist scored an impressive 106, while Marsh contributed a modest 79*. Such was the impact that Punjab went on to finish at 232/2—an imposing total that RCB failed to chase eventually.
Virat Kohli & Chris Gayle—204 Runs (RCB vs. Delhi Daredevils, 2012)*
This match dates back to 2012, when heavy hitters like Chris Gayle and Virat Kohli came out together and blew Delhi out of the match as soon as the game started. Together, they forged 204 runs against Delhi Daredevils in 2012 at their own backyard—Feroz Shah Kotla. Gayle’s quick stroke play went well with Kohli’s restrained hitting. This was the right mix of brute force and skill, and it put RCB in charge.
David Warner & Naman Ojha—189 Runs (Delhi Daredevils vs. Deccan Chargers, 2012)*
In 2012, turning up for Delhi Daredevils, Australia’s David Warner and Naman Ojha shared a 189-run stand against Deccan Chargers. On a flat track at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad, the home team had already slammed 187 runs while batting first. Now, it was up to the Delhi openers to initiate the attack. However, they lost Virender Sehwag early, but Ojha and Warner ensured that Delhi hunted down the total with ease.
David Warner and Jonny Bairstow—185 runs (SRH vs. RCB, 2019).
In 2019, Sunrisers Hyderabad’s David Warner and Jonny Bairstow initiated the innings against RCB, launching an explosive attack from the very first ball. They attacked at every ball and gave SRH an opening of 185 runs. Both of them went on to score a century as the home team posted a total of 231/2 at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium. This was too much for RCB, and they lost the match by 118 runs.
Chris Lynn & Gautam Gambhir—184 Runs (KKR vs. Gujarat Lions, 2017)*
In 2017, Chris Lynn and Gautam Gambhir put on a show in Rajkot by sharing an opening stand that was 184 runs against the home side.
Gujarat Lions had set a target of 184, which could have been tricky. But Gambhir and Lynn combined well, with each complementing the other with his unique style. While Lynn took the attack to the opposition, Gambhir took his own time. Both helped KKR hunt down the target with 10 wickets to spare. While Gambhir scored 76*, Lynn scored 93*.
Final Thoughts
The IPL has featured some incredible batting combinations over the years that have revolutionized the game. From the famous Kohli-ABD pair for RCB to the powerful openers for Sunrisers Hyderabad, each pair has brought something different to the game. Fans will remember these amazing batting displays for a very long time. As the new season is upon us, fans would hope the next-gen batters such as Yashaswi Jaiswal, Tilak Varma, Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharshan to make the most of their opportunites.
FAQs
The highest partnership in IPL history is 229 runs, scored by AB de Villiers and Virat Kohli for RCB against Gujarat Lions in 2016.
KL Rahul and Quinton de Kock hold the record for the highest opening partnership, scoring 210 runs for Lucknow Super Giants in IPL 2022*.
Yes, Shaun Marsh & Adam Gilchrist (206 runs) and KL Rahul & Quinton de Kock (210)* are other partnerships that have crossed 200 runs in IPL history.
RCB has recorded the most 200+ partnerships in IPL history, with three instances featuring Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers, and Chris Gayle.
David Warner and Jonny Bairstow hold the record for the fastest 150-run stand, reaching the milestone in just 70 balls for Sunrisers Hyderabad against RCB in 2019.