Highest Partnership in T20 World Cup History

Sahibzada Farhan and Fakhar Zaman hold the record for the highest partnership in Men's T20 World Cup history. The Pakistan openers added 176 runs for the first wicket against Sri Lanka in the 2026 T20 World Cup at Pallekele.

Farhan scored 100 from 60 balls, while Fakhar smashed 84 from 42 deliveries. Their partnership broke the 175-run record set by New Zealand openers Finn Allen and Tim Seifert earlier in the same tournament.

Before the 2026 World Cup, England's Jos Buttler and Alex Hales held the record with their unbeaten 170-run opening stand against India in the 2022 semi-final.

Highest Partnerships in T20 World Cup History

The 176-run stand by Farhan and Fakhar is the highest partnership for any wicket in Men's T20 World Cup history through the 2026 tournament.

1. Sahibzada Farhan and Fakhar Zaman – 176 vs Sri Lanka, 2026

Sahibzada Farhan and Fakhar Zaman created the highest partnership in T20 World Cup history with a 176-run opening stand against Sri Lanka in 2026.

The match was played during the Super Eight stage at Pallekele. Pakistan needed a strong victory to keep their semi-final hopes alive, which meant they needed not only to win but also improve their net run rate.

Sri Lanka won the toss and asked Pakistan to bat first.

Farhan and Fakhar immediately attacked.

Pakistan reached 50 inside five overs and crossed 100 without losing a wicket.

Farhan and Fakhar Dominated the Powerplay

Farhan had already been Pakistan's most consistent batter during the tournament.

Fakhar brought a more aggressive left-handed option at the other end.

The two batters complemented each other well. Farhan kept finding boundaries and rotating the strike, while Fakhar attacked anything loose.

Their partnership passed 150 and continued to grow.

By the time Fakhar was dismissed, Pakistan had reached 176 without loss.

It was a new Men's T20 World Cup record.

Fakhar Zaman Scored 84 From 42 Balls

Fakhar played one of his best T20 World Cup innings.

He scored 84 from 42 balls, hitting nine fours and four sixes.

His fifty came from only 27 deliveries.

Fakhar's aggression was important because Pakistan needed to push the total as high as possible.

He kept the scoring rate above ten runs per over for much of the partnership.

Sahibzada Farhan Scored a Century

Farhan continued after Fakhar's dismissal and completed his century from 59 balls.

He eventually finished with 100 from 60 deliveries, hitting nine fours and five sixes.

The century was his second of the tournament.

Farhan became the first batter to score two centuries in a single Men's T20 World Cup edition.

He also finished the tournament with 383 runs, another single-edition record.

Pakistan Collapsed After the Record Partnership

The opening partnership had taken Pakistan to 176/0.

However, the innings changed dramatically after Fakhar was dismissed.

Pakistan lost eight wickets for only 36 more runs and finished on 212/8.

The collapse stopped them from reaching the much bigger total they needed for their net run rate situation.

Sri Lanka later scored 207/6.

Pakistan won the match by five runs, but the margin was not enough to reach the semi-finals.

Even though Pakistan were eliminated, Farhan and Fakhar left the tournament with the all-time partnership record.

2. Finn Allen and Tim Seifert – 175* vs UAE, 2026

Finn Allen and Tim Seifert held the T20 World Cup partnership record for only a few weeks in 2026.

New Zealand were chasing 174 against the United Arab Emirates in Chennai.

Instead of treating the target carefully, Allen and Seifert attacked from the beginning.

They reached 77 without loss during the powerplay and never allowed the UAE bowlers to recover.

New Zealand completed the chase without losing a wicket.

The pair finished with an unbeaten 175-run opening partnership.

Tim Seifert Scored 89 Not Out

Seifert was the more aggressive batter.

He scored 89 not out from 42 deliveries, hitting 12 fours and three sixes.

He reached his fifty from only 23 balls.

Seifert kept attacking even as the target became easier and eventually hit the winning runs.

His innings earned him Player of the Match.

Finn Allen Scored 84 Not Out

Allen finished unbeaten on 84 from 50 balls.

He hit five fours and five sixes.

Unlike Seifert, Allen did not need to attack every delivery. He kept the partnership stable while still scoring well above the required rate.

New Zealand reached 175/0 in 15.2 overs and won by ten wickets.

At that moment, the 175-run stand became the highest partnership for any wicket in Men's T20 World Cup history.

Farhan and Fakhar broke it later in the tournament by only one run.

3. Jos Buttler and Alex Hales – 170* vs India, 2022

Jos Buttler and Alex Hales added an unbeaten 170 against India in the 2022 T20 World Cup semi-final.

For almost four years, this was the tournament record.

India had scored 168/6 at Adelaide Oval.

A semi-final chase of 169 should have created pressure, but England's openers made it look simple.

Buttler and Hales attacked India's fast bowlers from the powerplay and never allowed the required rate to become a problem.

England won without losing a wicket.

Hales and Buttler Destroyed India's Bowling Attack

Alex Hales scored 86 not out from 47 balls.

Jos Buttler finished unbeaten on 80 from 49 deliveries.

Together, they hit ten sixes.

India tried pace, spin and changes in length, but nothing broke the partnership.

England reached 170/0 in only 16 overs and qualified for the final.

They later beat Pakistan to win the 2022 T20 World Cup.

Why the 170-Run Partnership Was Special

The match was a World Cup semi-final.

There was no second chance for either side.

A single early wicket could have changed the pressure of the chase.

Instead, Hales and Buttler batted through the entire innings.

It remains one of the greatest opening partnerships in a T20 World Cup knockout match.

4. Quinton de Kock and Rilee Rossouw – 168 vs Bangladesh, 2022

Quinton de Kock and Rilee Rossouw added 168 runs for the second wicket against Bangladesh during the 2022 T20 World Cup.

South Africa lost an early wicket, but the dismissal did not slow them down.

De Kock attacked during the powerplay while Rossouw settled into the innings.

Once Rossouw found his rhythm, the partnership became extremely difficult to stop.

The pair pushed South Africa past 170 before the second wicket finally fell.

Rossouw Scored a Century

Rossouw was the main scorer in the partnership.

He made 109 from 56 balls, hitting seven fours and eight sixes.

He reached his century from 52 deliveries.

De Kock also played aggressively, making 63 from 38 balls.

South Africa eventually finished on 205/5.

Bangladesh were then bowled out for 101, giving South Africa a 104-run win.

5. Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara – 166 vs West Indies, 2010

Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara added 166 runs against West Indies in the 2010 T20 World Cup.

The two Sri Lankan greats produced a superb second-wicket partnership in Barbados.

Jayawardene was in excellent form during the tournament and played the attacking role.

Sangakkara supported him and helped keep the innings moving.

Their partnership became the highest in Men's T20 World Cup history at the time.

Sri Lanka's Experienced Pair Controlled the Match

Jayawardene and Sangakkara were among the most experienced players in international cricket.

That experience showed during the partnership.

They did not rely only on sixes.

They used gaps, ran hard between the wickets and punished poor deliveries.

The stand remained one of the tournament's biggest partnerships for more than a decade.

6. Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran – 154 vs Uganda, 2024

Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran added 154 runs for Afghanistan against Uganda in the 2024 T20 World Cup.

The partnership came in Afghanistan's opening match of the tournament.

Gurbaz attacked early, while Ibrahim played a controlled innings from the other end.

The two openers batted together for more than 14 overs.

Their partnership helped Afghanistan build a strong total and start the tournament with a dominant victory.

Gurbaz and Ibrahim Became Afghanistan's Key Opening Pair

Gurbaz scored 76, while Ibrahim made 70.

Their combination of power and control became one of Afghanistan's biggest strengths during the tournament.

The pair continued producing useful partnerships as Afghanistan reached their first Men's T20 World Cup semi-final.

The 154-run stand remains one of the highest opening partnerships in tournament history.

7. Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan – 152* vs India, 2021

Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan produced an unbeaten 152-run partnership against India in the 2021 T20 World Cup.

The match carried huge pressure because Pakistan had never previously beaten India in a men's World Cup match.

India scored 151/7.

Pakistan needed 152 to win.

Babar and Rizwan never gave India a chance to get back into the game.

Pakistan Won by 10 Wickets

Rizwan scored 79 not out from 55 balls.

Babar finished unbeaten on 68 from 52 balls.

Pakistan reached 152/0 in 17.5 overs.

It was Pakistan's first World Cup victory over India and one of their most famous T20 wins.

The partnership also became Pakistan's highest in Men's T20 World Cups at the time.

Farhan and Fakhar moved past it in 2026.

8. Alex Hales and Eoin Morgan – 152 vs Sri Lanka, 2014

Alex Hales and Eoin Morgan added 152 runs for the third wicket against Sri Lanka in 2014.

England were chasing a difficult target and had lost early wickets.

Hales and Morgan completely changed the chase.

Hales went on to score an unbeaten century, while Morgan provided powerful support.

England completed the chase with four balls remaining.

The 152-run partnership remains one of the highest stands for a non-opening wicket in T20 World Cup history.

Alex Hales Scored England's First T20I Century

Hales made 116 not out.

At the time, it was England's first century in T20 international cricket.

His partnership with Morgan showed that a big T20 partnership does not always need to begin in the first over.

England had lost early wickets but still managed to build a match-winning stand.

9. Chris Gayle and Devon Smith – 145 vs South Africa, 2007

Chris Gayle and Devon Smith added 145 runs in the opening match of the first Men's T20 World Cup.

The tournament could hardly have started in a more explosive way.

Gayle scored 117 from 57 balls and became the first batter to score a century in a Men's T20 World Cup.

Smith provided support as the West Indies built a huge opening stand.

Although South Africa later chased the target successfully, the partnership immediately showed what T20 World Cup batting could become.

Gayle Dominated the Partnership

Gayle hit seven fours and ten sixes during his innings.

He attacked almost every South African bowler.

Smith's role was different.

He kept rotating the strike and allowed Gayle to continue attacking.

Their 145-run stand remained among the tournament's highest partnerships for many years.

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

Sri Lanka's experienced batting pair of Mahela Jayawardene and Tillakaratne Dilshan added 145 runs against England in 2014.

Both batters were excellent players of pace and spin.

They used their experience to build a major second-wicket partnership and put Sri Lanka in a strong position.

England eventually produced a remarkable chase through Alex Hales, but the Jayawardene-Dilshan partnership remains one of the biggest stands in T20 World Cup history.

Highest Opening Partnership in T20 World Cup History

Farhan and Fakhar's 176 against Sri Lanka is also the highest opening partnership in Men's T20 World Cup history.

The three largest opening partnerships in tournament history have all come since 2022.

Highest Partnership for Pakistan in T20 World Cup

Pakistan's record belongs to Sahibzada Farhan and Fakhar Zaman with 176 runs.

Before 2026, Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan held the Pakistan record with their unbeaten 152 against India in 2021.

The Farhan-Fakhar stand added 24 runs to Pakistan's previous record.

Highest Partnership for India in T20 World Cup

One of India's biggest Men's T20 World Cup partnerships came from Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul, who added 140 against Afghanistan in 2021.

India needed a strong batting performance after difficult results earlier in the tournament.

Rohit and Rahul attacked from the beginning and built a huge opening stand.

Rohit scored 74, while Rahul made 69.

India reached 210/2 and won comfortably.

Highest Partnership for England in T20 World Cup

England's record is the 170-run unbeaten partnership between Jos Buttler and Alex Hales against India in 2022.

The fact that the partnership came in a semi-final makes it even more memorable.

England did not lose a single wicket while chasing 169.

That performance took them directly into the final, where they beat Pakistan.

Highest Partnership for New Zealand in T20 World Cup

Finn Allen and Tim Seifert hold New Zealand's record with 175 not out against UAE in 2026.

The pair briefly held the overall T20 World Cup record as well.

Their unbeaten partnership completed a ten-wicket chase in only 15.2 overs.

It remains one of the fastest major successful chases built entirely by two openers.

Highest Partnership for Afghanistan in T20 World Cup

Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran hold Afghanistan's record with 154 runs against Uganda in 2024.

The pair became central to Afghanistan's batting during that tournament.

Both were capable of attacking in the powerplay, but they could also bat long enough to build a major total.

Their opening partnerships helped Afghanistan reach the semi-finals for the first time.

Highest Second-Wicket Partnership in T20 World Cup

Quinton de Kock and Rilee Rossouw's 168 against Bangladesh in 2022 is one of the highest second-wicket partnerships in tournament history.

The stand came after South Africa lost an early wicket.

Instead of rebuilding slowly, the pair attacked almost immediately.

Rossouw scored a century, while de Kock contributed a fast fifty.

Their partnership helped South Africa cross 200.

Highest Third-Wicket Partnership in T20 World Cup

Alex Hales and Eoin Morgan's 152-run stand against Sri Lanka in 2014 is one of the great third-wicket partnerships in the competition.

England had already lost both openers.

Hales and Morgan therefore had to rebuild while keeping up with a high required run rate.

They managed both jobs successfully.

The partnership eventually produced a famous England chase.

Highest Partnership in a T20 World Cup Knockout Match

Jos Buttler and Alex Hales' unbeaten 170 against India in the 2022 semi-final remains one of the highest partnerships in a Men's T20 World Cup knockout game.

A World Cup semi-final creates much more pressure than a normal group match.

England still chased 169 without losing a wicket.

Hales and Buttler did not allow India's bowlers to create even one breakthrough.

That makes the partnership one of the tournament's greatest knockout batting performances.

Highest Partnership in T20 International History

T20 cricket is often associated with individual power hitting, but partnerships remain very important.

A strong partnership allows one batter to attack while the other keeps the innings stable.

It also prevents the bowling side from bringing new batters to the crease.

Two set batters can score much faster during the middle and death overs because both already understand the pitch and bowling attack.

This is why many record partnerships lead directly to big totals or easy chases.

Opening Partnerships Are Especially Valuable

The opening pair has one major advantage: the powerplay.

Only two fielders can stay outside the inner circle during the first six overs.

Good opening batters use that rule to find boundaries early.

If both openers survive the powerplay, the batting side can enter the middle overs with wickets in hand and a strong run rate.

Farhan and Fakhar, Allen and Seifert, Buttler and Hales, and Babar and Rizwan all used that formula successfully.

How the Partnership Record Changed in 2026

The 2026 T20 World Cup changed the record twice.

First, Finn Allen and Tim Seifert added 175 not out against UAE, moving past Buttler and Hales' 170 from 2022.

Later in the same tournament, Sahibzada Farhan and Fakhar Zaman added 176 against Sri Lanka.

That meant the all-time record increased twice in one edition.

Farhan and Fakhar eventually finished only one run ahead of Allen and Seifert.

Who Holds the Highest Partnership in T20 World Cup History?

The direct answer is Sahibzada Farhan and Fakhar Zaman of Pakistan.

They added 176 runs for the first wicket against Sri Lanka in the 2026 Men's T20 World Cup.

Fakhar scored 84 from 42 balls, while Farhan made 100 from 60.

Their partnership broke the previous record of 175 not out set by Finn Allen and Tim Seifert earlier in the same tournament.

FAQs

What is the highest partnership in T20 World Cup history?

Sahibzada Farhan and Fakhar Zaman hold the record with a 176-run opening partnership for Pakistan against Sri Lanka in 2026.

Who held the record before Farhan and Fakhar?

Finn Allen and Tim Seifert held it briefly with an unbeaten 175-run partnership against UAE in 2026.

What was the highest partnership before the 2026 T20 World Cup?

Jos Buttler and Alex Hales held the record with 170 not out against India in the 2022 semi-final.

What is Pakistan's highest partnership in T20 World Cup history?

Farhan and Fakhar's 176-run stand against Sri Lanka in 2026 is Pakistan's highest.

How many runs did Sahibzada Farhan score in the record partnership?

Farhan scored 100 from 60 balls.

How many runs did Fakhar Zaman score?

Fakhar made 84 from 42 deliveries.

What is the highest partnership by New Zealand in T20 World Cup history?

Finn Allen and Tim Seifert added 175 not out against UAE in 2026.

What is India's highest opening partnership in T20 World Cup?

Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul added 140 against Afghanistan in 2021, one of India's biggest World Cup opening stands.

What is the highest T20 World Cup partnership in a knockout match?

Jos Buttler and Alex Hales' unbeaten 170 against India in the 2022 semi-final is one of the highest knockout partnerships.

Did Pakistan win the match in which Farhan and Fakhar made 176?

Yes. Pakistan beat Sri Lanka by five runs, although the victory was not enough to take Pakistan into the 2026 semi-finals.

Sources

• ICC – Records Broken at the Men's T20 World Cup 2026
  View official ICC record summary
• Pakistan Cricket Board – Farhan and Fakhar's 176-Run Partnership vs Sri Lanka
  View official PCB match report
• ICC – Allen and Seifert's 175-Run Partnership vs UAE
  View official ICC match report
• ICC – New Zealand's T20 World Cup 2026 Campaign
  View official ICC tournament review