Highest 2nd Wicket Partnership in the History of T20 Internationals

Jos Buttler and Harry Brook hold the record for the highest second-wicket partnership in Men's T20 International history. The England pair added 233 runs for the second wicket against India in 2026, breaking the previous record held by Sanju Samson and Tilak Varma.

Buttler scored 131, while Brook remained unbeaten on 95 during the record partnership at Southampton. Their 233-run stand is also one of the highest partnerships for any wicket in Men's T20I cricket.

Before England broke the record, India's Sanju Samson and Tilak Varma had held the top position with their unbeaten 210-run partnership against South Africa in Johannesburg in 2024.

Highest 2nd Wicket Partnerships in T20 International Cricket

England now own two of the six highest second-wicket stands in Men's T20I history, with Harry Brook involved in both.

1. Jos Buttler and Harry Brook – 233 vs India, 2026

Jos Buttler and Harry Brook created the highest second-wicket partnership in T20I history when they added 233 runs against India in 2026.

The partnership came at the Utilita Bowl in Southampton during England's home T20I series against India.

England lost an early wicket, bringing Buttler and Brook together. Instead of rebuilding slowly, both batters attacked India's bowling and quickly changed the direction of the innings.

Their partnership eventually reached 233 before it was broken.

That moved them well past India's previous second-wicket record of 210 not out.

Jos Buttler Scored 131

Buttler played the bigger innings in the partnership, scoring 131 runs.

He used his usual range of shots, attacking both pace and spin.

Buttler is especially dangerous once he gets through the first few overs because he can hit almost every part of the ground. He can scoop fast bowlers, hit straight down the ground and attack spin over both sides of the wicket.

Against India, those skills helped England keep the run rate high throughout the partnership.

His century provided the main foundation for the record stand.

Harry Brook Finished Unbeaten on 95

Harry Brook provided equally important support and finished the partnership on 95 not out.

Brook has become one of England's most aggressive middle-order T20 batters.

He is particularly strong against pace and is willing to attack from the beginning of his innings rather than spend several overs getting settled.

That approach worked perfectly alongside Buttler.

Both batters kept scoring boundaries while also rotating the strike, which made it extremely difficult for India to build pressure.

Why the 233-Run Partnership Is Extraordinary

A T20 innings contains only 120 legal deliveries.

Building a 233-run partnership therefore requires an extraordinary scoring rate.

The pair also came together after England had already lost one wicket, meaning they did not have all 20 overs available.

To still add more than 230 runs shows how aggressively they batted.

Their stand is not only the highest second-wicket partnership in Men's T20Is but also one of the biggest partnerships for any wicket in the format.

Harry Brook Appears Twice Near the Top

Brook has another major second-wicket partnership with Phil Salt.

Salt and Brook added an unbeaten 146 against India in 2026.

That means Brook appears twice among the highest second-wicket partnerships in T20 International history.

His ability to score quickly from No. 3 makes him particularly well suited to building big second-wicket stands.

If England lose an opener early, Brook does not automatically move into a defensive role. He can continue attacking while the other batter controls the innings.

2. Sanju Samson and Tilak Varma – 210* vs South Africa, 2024

Sanju Samson and Tilak Varma held the world record before Buttler and Brook moved past them in 2026.

The Indian pair added an unbeaten 210 runs for the second wicket against South Africa in Johannesburg on November 15, 2024.

India batted first in the fourth T20I.

Abhishek Sharma gave India a quick start before being dismissed for 36.

Tilak then joined Samson.

What followed was one of India's greatest T20I batting partnerships.

Both Samson and Tilak Scored Centuries

Samson finished unbeaten on 109 from 56 balls.

Tilak was even more aggressive, scoring 120 not out from only 47 deliveries.

Both batters reached centuries in the same innings.

India eventually finished with 283/1 from 20 overs.

The pair stayed together until the end of the innings, meaning South Africa did not take another wicket after Abhishek's dismissal.

Tilak Varma Attacked From No. 3

Tilak had already scored a century in the previous match of the series.

He continued that form in Johannesburg and became one of the few players to score centuries in consecutive T20 Internationals.

His 120 included regular six-hitting through the middle and death overs.

Samson also kept attacking from the other end.

Rather than one player acting only as an anchor, both batters scored quickly.

That made the partnership especially difficult to contain.

India Hit 23 Sixes

India's total included 23 sixes, one of the highest numbers ever recorded in a Men's T20I innings.

Samson and Tilak were responsible for most of the damage.

The partnership pushed India to 283/1, which became one of the highest totals ever recorded between Full Member teams.

South Africa were later restricted well below the target, and India completed a massive victory.

India's Highest T20I Partnership

The 210-run stand remains India's highest partnership for any wicket in Men's T20 Internationals.

India's leading partnerships include:

Samson appears three times in this list, showing how important he has been in several of India's biggest T20I partnerships.

3. Michael Levitt and Sybrand Engelbrecht – 193 vs Namibia, 2024

Michael Levitt and Sybrand Engelbrecht added 193 runs for the Netherlands against Namibia in 2024.

The partnership came during a T20I tri-series in Nepal.

Levitt produced the bigger innings, smashing 135 from only 62 balls.

His innings included 11 fours and 10 sixes.

Engelbrecht supported him with 75.

The pair combined for one of the best batting performances in Netherlands T20I history.

Michael Levitt's 135 Changed the Match

Levitt was still relatively new to international cricket when he produced the innings.

He attacked Namibia's bowlers throughout his stay at the crease and showed why the Netherlands viewed him as an important power-hitting opener.

After the first wicket fell, Engelbrecht joined him and kept the scoring rate high.

Their 193-run stand became the world record for the second wicket at the time.

Samson and Tilak later moved past it in November 2024.

Netherlands Continue to Feature in Partnership Records

The Netherlands also have Max O'Dowd and Ben Cooper in the top ten.

They added 144 against Ireland in 2019.

For an Associate side, having multiple partnerships high on an all-time T20I record list is a major achievement.

The Netherlands have regularly produced aggressive top-order batters who are comfortable playing against Full Member and Associate opposition.

4. Ollie Hairs and Brandon McMullen – 183 vs Italy, 2023

Scotland's Ollie Hairs and Brandon McMullen added 183 runs for the second wicket against Italy in 2023.

Hairs scored 127 not out, while McMullen made 96.

The partnership pushed Scotland into a dominant position.

Hairs was the main aggressor and continued through to the end of the innings.

McMullen came close to joining him with a century but was dismissed four runs short.

Scotland's Batting Depth Was on Display

Hairs and McMullen are both naturally aggressive batters.

Their partnership showed how quickly a T20 innings can grow once two set players stay together.

After reaching fifty, both continued attacking instead of slowing down.

That helped the stand move past 150 and eventually reach 183.

It remains Scotland's biggest second-wicket partnership in Men's T20Is.

5. Alexander Dizija and Leslie Dunbar – 152 vs Bulgaria, 2022

Serbia's Alexander Dizija and Leslie Dunbar added 152 runs against Bulgaria in 2022.

Dunbar played the major innings, scoring 117, while Dizija contributed 58.

The partnership gave Serbia a strong platform and placed the pair among the leading second-wicket combinations in international T20 cricket.

The presence of Serbia, Cambodia and other emerging nations near the top of the list reflects the rapid global growth of T20 International cricket.

6. Phil Salt and Harry Brook – 146* vs India, 2026

Phil Salt and Harry Brook added an unbeaten 146 for England against India in 2026.

Brook's presence in another major partnership is important.

It shows that the Buttler-Brook record was not an isolated case.

England's aggressive batting setup allows players such as Salt, Buttler and Brook to continue attacking even after an early wicket.

That approach can quickly turn a second-wicket stand into a match-winning partnership.

7. Tillakaratne Dilshan and Mahela Jayawardene – 145 vs England, 2014

Tillakaratne Dilshan and Mahela Jayawardene added 145 runs for Sri Lanka against England during the 2014 Men's T20 World Cup.

The partnership came between two of Sri Lanka's greatest T20 batters.

Jayawardene scored 89, while Dilshan made 55.

Both players were excellent at finding gaps rather than relying only on power.

Their partnership helped Sri Lanka build a major total.

Although England later completed a memorable chase through Alex Hales, the 145-run stand remains one of Sri Lanka's biggest second-wicket partnerships in T20I cricket.

8. Paras Khadka and Aarif Sheikh – 145* vs Singapore, 2019

Paras Khadka and Aarif Sheikh added an unbeaten 145 for Nepal against Singapore in 2019.

Khadka played the main innings, scoring an unbeaten 106.

Aarif provided support with 39 not out.

The partnership carried Nepal through the chase without another wicket falling.

Khadka's century was particularly important because it came while chasing and allowed Nepal to control the required rate.

The unbeaten nature of the stand makes it one of Nepal's greatest T20I partnerships.

9. Ram Sharan and Luqman Gupta – 145 vs Indonesia, 2024

Cambodia also appear among the leading second-wicket partnerships.

Ram Sharan and Luqman Gupta added 145 against Indonesia in 2024.

Sharan scored 86 not out, while Gupta made 55.

Their stand placed Cambodia alongside several much more established cricket nations in the T20I partnership record book.

10. Max O'Dowd and Ben Cooper – 144 vs Ireland, 2019

Max O'Dowd and Ben Cooper added 144 for the Netherlands against Ireland in 2019.

Cooper scored 91 not out, while O'Dowd made 69.

Their stand gave the Netherlands a strong batting platform against one of their regular European rivals.

The Netherlands later improved their national second-wicket record through Levitt and Engelbrecht's 193 in 2024.

Highest 2nd Wicket Partnership for England in T20Is

The England record is now the world record.

Jos Buttler and Harry Brook – 233 against India in 2026.

They moved comfortably ahead of England's previous second-wicket partnerships.

Harry Brook is also involved in England's 146-run unbeaten stand with Phil Salt, giving him two major entries on the all-time list.

Highest 2nd Wicket Partnership for India in T20Is

Sanju Samson and Tilak Varma hold India's second-wicket record with 210 not out against South Africa.

The pair both scored centuries.

India had lost only one wicket when they came together and did not lose another during the remaining innings.

Their partnership also remains India's highest for any wicket in Men's T20Is.

Sanju Samson and Deepak Hooda – 176 vs Ireland

India also own another major second-wicket partnership.

Sanju Samson and Deepak Hooda added 176 against Ireland in 2022.

Hooda scored 104, while Samson made 77.

India posted 225/7 and won a close match.

For more than two years, the partnership was India's record for the second wicket.

Samson later improved his own record by partnering Tilak Varma for 210 not out.

Sanju Samson and Suryakumar Yadav – 173 vs Bangladesh

Samson was also involved in a 173-run second-wicket partnership with Suryakumar Yadav against Bangladesh in 2024.

Samson scored 111, while Suryakumar made 75.

The partnership helped India reach 297/6, one of their highest T20I totals.

This means Samson has been involved in several of India's largest partnerships in the format.

Highest 2nd Wicket Partnership for Pakistan in T20Is

Pakistan's leading second-wicket partnership is 143 not out between Ahmed Shehzad and Mohammad Hafeez against Zimbabwe in 2013.

Shehzad finished unbeaten on 98, while Hafeez scored an unbeaten 54.

Pakistan also have major second-wicket stands involving Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam.

Rizwan and Babar added 126 against Zimbabwe in 2021, with Rizwan scoring 91 not out and Babar making 52.

Highest 2nd Wicket Partnership for Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka's leading second-wicket stands include the 145-run partnership between Tillakaratne Dilshan and Mahela Jayawardene against England in 2014.

Sri Lanka have traditionally produced strong top-order T20 batters.

Players such as Dilshan, Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara, Kusal Perera and Pathum Nissanka have all been capable of building major partnerships after an early wicket.

Highest 2nd Wicket Partnership for Netherlands

Michael Levitt and Sybrand Engelbrecht hold the Netherlands record with 193 against Namibia in 2024.

It briefly stood as the world record.

Levitt's 135 was the key innings, while Engelbrecht scored 75.

The Netherlands also have the 144-run O'Dowd-Cooper partnership inside the overall top ten.

Highest 2nd Wicket Partnership in T20 World Cup History

The overall T20I record and the Men's T20 World Cup record are different.

One of the biggest second-wicket partnerships in Men's T20 World Cup history came from Quinton de Kock and Rilee Rossouw, who added 168 against Bangladesh in 2022.

Rossouw scored 109, while de Kock made 63.

South Africa finished on 205/5 before winning the match comfortably.

The overall international record is therefore 65 runs higher than the World Cup mark.

Highest 2nd Wicket Partnership Between Full Member Teams

Buttler and Brook's 233 against India is also the highest second-wicket partnership involving Full Member nations.

Samson and Tilak's 210 not out against South Africa is next.

These partnerships are particularly impressive because they came against established international bowling attacks.

Both stands also featured at least one batter scoring a century.

What Is a Second-Wicket Partnership?

A second-wicket partnership begins after the batting team loses its first wicket.

The two batters then stay together until the second wicket falls or the innings ends.

For example, if an opener is dismissed at 10/1 and the next wicket falls at 243/2, the second-wicket partnership is 233 runs.

An unbeaten second-wicket partnership occurs when the first wicket falls but the next two batters remain together until the end of the innings.

Highest 2nd Wicket Partnership in T20 Cricket

An early wicket can put a batting team under pressure.

A strong second-wicket partnership immediately changes that situation.

Instead of allowing the bowling side to attack new batters, the pair can rebuild and then begin increasing the run rate.

In T20 cricket, this balance is important.

The partnership cannot spend too many overs simply defending because only 120 legal deliveries are available.

The biggest second-wicket partnerships therefore combine stability with very aggressive scoring.

Why the 233 Record Will Be Difficult to Break

A pair needs 234 runs to break the current record.

That would be difficult even for two batters who stay together for most of the 20 overs.

If the first wicket falls after two or three overs, the remaining pair has even fewer deliveries available.

They would need to score well above 12 runs per over for a long period while avoiding dismissal.

Modern T20 batting is becoming more aggressive, so another record is possible, but 233 remains an exceptional target.

Highest 2nd Wicket Partnership vs Highest Opening Partnership

The two records are different.

The highest opening partnership starts at 0/0 and continues until the first wicket falls.

The highest second-wicket partnership starts after that first dismissal.

Japan's Lachlan Yamamoto-Lake and Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming hold the opening record with 258 not out against China.

Buttler and Brook hold the second-wicket record with 233 against India.

Who Holds the Highest 2nd Wicket Partnership in T20I History?

The direct answer is Jos Buttler and Harry Brook of England.

They added 233 runs for the second wicket against India at Southampton in 2026.

Buttler scored 131, while Brook finished unbeaten on 95.

Their partnership broke the previous record of 210 not out set by India's Sanju Samson and Tilak Varma against South Africa in 2024.

FAQs

What is the highest second-wicket partnership in T20 International history?

Jos Buttler and Harry Brook hold the record with 233 runs for England against India in 2026.

Who held the record before Buttler and Brook?

Sanju Samson and Tilak Varma held it with an unbeaten 210-run partnership against South Africa in 2024.

How many runs did Jos Buttler score in the record partnership?

Buttler scored 131 runs.

How many runs did Harry Brook score?

Brook finished unbeaten on 95 during the record partnership.

What is India's highest second-wicket partnership in T20Is?

Sanju Samson and Tilak Varma hold India's record with 210 not out against South Africa.

What is Pakistan's highest second-wicket partnership in T20Is?

Ahmed Shehzad and Mohammad Hafeez added 143 not out against Zimbabwe in 2013.

What is the Netherlands' highest second-wicket partnership?

Michael Levitt and Sybrand Engelbrecht added 193 against Namibia in 2024.

What is Scotland's highest second-wicket partnership?

Ollie Hairs and Brandon McMullen added 183 against Italy in 2023.

What is the highest second-wicket partnership in the T20 World Cup?

Quinton de Kock and Rilee Rossouw added 168 for South Africa against Bangladesh in the 2022 Men's T20 World Cup.

Is the 233-run stand the highest T20I partnership for any wicket?

It is one of the highest, but the overall Men's T20I partnership record is higher. Japan's Lachlan Yamamoto-Lake and Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming added 258 not out for the first wicket against China in 2024.

Sources

• ECB – England vs India 2026 T20I Series
  View official England match records
• ICC – Sanju Samson and Tilak Varma's Record Partnership Against South Africa
  View official ICC report
• ICC – Michael Levitt's 135 Against Namibia
  View official ICC feature