Highest Opening Partnership in T20 International
A strong opening partnership is crucial in T20 cricket as it sets the tone for the rest of the innings. The openers need to score quickly from the start, allowing the batters to follow to keep up the aggressive approach. A blistering start by the opening pair puts pressure on the opposition and enables the other batters to continue attacking without worry.Check the Highest Opening Partnership in T20 International Cricket in below list.
The highest opening partnership in T20s
| Batsmen (Team) | Runs | Against | Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hazratullah Zazai,Usman Ghani (Afghanistan) | 236 | Ireland | Dehradun | 23 Feb 2019 |
| Aaron Finch and DJM Short (Australia) | 223 | Zimbabwe | Harare | 3 Jul 2018 |
| George Munsey, Kyle Coetzer (Scotland) | 200 | Netherlands | Dublin | 16 Sep 2019 |
| Mohammad Rizwan, Babar Azam (Pakistan) | 197 | South Africa | Centurion | 19 Apr 2021 |
| Martin Guptill, Kane Williamson (New Zealand) | 171* | Pakistan | Hamilton | 17 Jan 2016 |
| Graeme Smith & Loots Bosman (South Africa) | 170 | England | Centurion | 15 Nov 2009 |
| 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 |
| Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam Pakistan | 150 | England | Nottingham | 17 Jul 2021 |
| Chris Gayle and Devon Smith West Indies | 149 | South Africa | Nottingham | 11 Sep 2007 |
The highest 1st wicket partnership in T20 International history is 236 runs made by Hazratullah Zazai and Usman Ghani of Afghanistan against Ireland at Dehradun on 23 February 2019. To this day, it remains the highest 1st wicket partnership in the history of T20 Internationals.
Record-Breaking Stand by Afghanistan
The highest opening partnership in T20 Internationals was scripted by Afghanistan’s Hazratullah Zazai and Usman Ghani. They amassed a staggering 236 runs against Ireland at Dehradun on February 23, 2019. This incredible stand remains the highest opening partnership in T20I history.
2nd Highest Total Partnership in T20
The second highest of 223 runs came from Australia’s Aaron Finch and D’Arcy Short versus Zimbabwe in 2018. Finch blasted a record individual score of 172 in that match.
India’s Highest Opening Stand in T20
Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul hold the record for India’s 3rd highest opening partnership in T20 Internationals. On December 22, 2017, they put together a massive 165-run stand against the West Indies in Indore.
Rohit scored a blistering 118 runs from just 43 balls, while Rahul made an impressive 89 runs from 49 deliveries. Their big knocks powered India to chase down the target easily.
On September 19, 2007, Indian opening batsmen Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag made history in Durban against England. They put together a partnership of 136 runs for the first wicket. Their big opening stand of 136 runs was a new record for India at that time. Gambhir scored 58 runs while Sehwag made a quick 68 runs.
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Other Notable Opening Stands
Here are some other notable highest opening partnerships in T20I cricket:
- Kamran Akmal and Salman Butt (Pakistan): 142 runs against Bangladesh on May 1, 2010, at Gros Islet.
- Tillakaratne Dilshan and Sanath Jayasuriya (Sri Lanka): 124 runs against the West Indies at Nottingham on June 10, 2009.
- Tamim Iqbal and Liton Das (Bangladesh): 92 runs, their highest opening partnership in T20Is.
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