T20 World Cup Highest 4th Wicket Partnership

Pathum Nissanka and Wanindu Hasaranga hold the record for the highest fourth-wicket partnership in Men's T20 World Cup history. The Sri Lankan pair added 123 runs against Ireland in the 2021 T20 World Cup at Abu Dhabi.

The partnership came under serious pressure. Sri Lanka had collapsed to 8/3 before Nissanka and Hasaranga rescued the innings. Hasaranga attacked his way to 71, while Nissanka scored 61. Their stand helped Sri Lanka recover to 171/7 before winning the match by 70 runs.

Jos Buttler and Eoin Morgan are second with a 112-run fourth-wicket partnership against Sri Lanka in the same tournament, while Alex Hales and Morgan are third with 107 against West Indies in 2012.

Highest 4th Wicket Partnerships in T20 World Cup History

Nissanka and Hasaranga's 123-run stand remained the Men's T20 World Cup fourth-wicket record through the 2026 tournament.

1. Pathum Nissanka and Wanindu Hasaranga – 123 vs Ireland, 2021

Pathum Nissanka and Wanindu Hasaranga created the highest fourth-wicket partnership in T20 World Cup history with 123 runs against Ireland in 2021.

Sri Lanka's innings had started terribly in Abu Dhabi.

Kusal Perera was dismissed early, Dinesh Chandimal followed soon after, and Avishka Fernando was also removed without scoring.

Sri Lanka were suddenly 8/3.

Ireland had the perfect start and were in a strong position to restrict Sri Lanka to a very small total.

Nissanka and Hasaranga then changed the match completely.

Sri Lanka Recovered From 8/3

The situation required more than simple survival.

Sri Lanka could not afford to spend ten overs defending because it was a T20 match.

The pair needed to rebuild while still finding enough boundaries to create a defendable score.

Nissanka played the more controlled role early in the partnership.

Hasaranga was promoted up the order and immediately showed attacking intent.

Their different approaches worked perfectly together.

Wanindu Hasaranga Scored 71

Hasaranga is better known around the world for his leg-spin, but his batting decided this match.

He scored 71 from 47 balls, hitting ten fours and one six.

The innings was especially valuable because he arrived when Sri Lanka were in deep trouble.

Instead of allowing Ireland to continue attacking, Hasaranga started finding boundaries and pushed the fielding side onto the defensive.

His aggression was the main reason the partnership grew so quickly.

Pathum Nissanka Scored 61

Nissanka stayed at the crease after Hasaranga was dismissed and finished with 61 from 47 balls.

His role was different.

While Hasaranga attacked, Nissanka made sure Sri Lanka did not suffer another collapse.

He rotated the strike, punished loose deliveries and batted deep into the innings.

Together, the pair added 123 runs for the fourth wicket and took Sri Lanka from 8/3 to 131/4.

Sri Lanka Reached 171/7

The record partnership completely transformed the innings.

A team that had looked in danger of being bowled out cheaply eventually finished with 171/7.

Ireland then struggled during the chase.

Sri Lanka's bowlers dismissed them for 101 and completed a 70-run victory.

Hasaranga was named Player of the Match after combining his 71 with an economical bowling performance.

Why the 123-Run Partnership Was So Important

The partnership was not built from a comfortable position.

Sri Lanka had already lost three wickets for eight runs.

Another quick wicket could have left them 20/4 or worse.

Nissanka and Hasaranga therefore had to handle both scoreboard pressure and the need to maintain a reasonable scoring rate.

They did not simply repair the innings.

They turned it into a match-winning total.

That match situation makes the partnership one of the finest recovery stands in T20 World Cup history.

2. Jos Buttler and Eoin Morgan – 112 vs Sri Lanka, 2021

Jos Buttler and Eoin Morgan added 112 runs for England against Sri Lanka during the 2021 T20 World Cup.

England had been reduced to 35/3 in Sharjah.

Sri Lanka's bowlers had controlled the opening overs, and England needed a partnership badly.

Buttler and Morgan responded with a patient rebuild before increasing the scoring rate later in the innings.

Their stand eventually reached 112.

Buttler Scored an Unbeaten Century

Buttler produced one of his greatest T20 World Cup innings.

He finished unbeaten on 101 from 67 balls.

The innings was unusual because Buttler did not dominate from the first over.

He adjusted to the slow pitch and difficult conditions before accelerating late.

Morgan supported him with 40.

Their partnership helped England recover from 35/3 to a competitive total of 163/4.

England Defended the Total

Sri Lanka started the chase with a target of 164.

They fought through the middle overs but were eventually bowled out for 137.

England won by 26 runs.

Buttler's century earned him Player of the Match, while the 112-run stand with Morgan became the second-highest fourth-wicket partnership in Men's T20 World Cup history.

3. Alex Hales and Eoin Morgan – 107 vs West Indies, 2012

Alex Hales and Eoin Morgan added 107 for the fourth wicket against West Indies in the 2012 T20 World Cup.

England were chasing 180 at Pallekele.

Their innings began in disastrous fashion.

Craig Kieswetter and Luke Wright were both dismissed before England had scored a run.

Jonny Bairstow then struggled to build momentum and was eventually dismissed for 18.

That brought Morgan together with Hales.

Hales and Morgan Gave England Hope

Hales played a brilliant innings under pressure.

Morgan attacked alongside him, and the pair slowly brought the required rate back under control.

Their fourth-wicket partnership reached 107 runs.

For a period, England looked capable of completing an unlikely comeback.

West Indies eventually broke the stand and regained control.

England finished 15 runs short, but Hales and Morgan's partnership remained one of the best recovery stands of the tournament.

Eoin Morgan Appears Twice in the Top Three

Morgan is the only batter involved in two of the top three fourth-wicket partnerships in Men's T20 World Cup history.

He added 107 with Hales in 2012 and 112 with Buttler in 2021.

That nine-year gap also reflects Morgan's longevity in international T20 cricket.

He played different roles in the two partnerships but was central to England recovering from early wickets in both matches.

4. Martin Guptill and Glenn Phillips – 105 vs Scotland, 2021

Martin Guptill and Glenn Phillips added 105 runs for New Zealand against Scotland in the 2021 T20 World Cup.

New Zealand had lost three wickets and needed a partnership to keep the innings together.

Guptill took control with an aggressive innings.

Phillips played the supporting role and helped him carry the partnership through the middle overs.

Guptill eventually scored 93 from 56 balls, hitting six fours and seven sixes.

Guptill Nearly Reached a Century

Guptill's hitting became increasingly aggressive as the innings developed.

Scotland struggled to stop him once he began attacking the shorter boundaries.

Phillips made 33 and provided the stability New Zealand needed at the other end.

Their 105-run partnership helped New Zealand post 172/5.

Scotland responded strongly but finished 16 runs short.

5. David Warner and Marcus Stoinis – 102 vs Oman, 2024

David Warner and Marcus Stoinis added 102 runs for the fourth wicket against Oman during the 2024 T20 World Cup.

Australia were in trouble at 50/3 when the pair came together in Barbados.

Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh and Glenn Maxwell had already been dismissed.

Oman had created genuine pressure.

Warner and Stoinis first stabilised the innings before Stoinis launched a powerful late attack.

Stoinis Changed the Tempo

Warner scored 56 from 51 balls.

His innings gave Australia the stability they needed after losing three wickets.

Stoinis provided the power.

He smashed an unbeaten 67 from 36 balls, including several big sixes during the final overs.

The pair added 102 before Warner was dismissed at 152.

Australia eventually reached 164/5.

Australia Won Comfortably

Oman could not seriously threaten the target.

Australia won by 39 runs, and Stoinis was named Player of the Match after also contributing with the ball.

The 102-run partnership became Australia's highest fourth-wicket stand in Men's T20 World Cup history.

It is also the highest fourth-wicket partnership recorded in the 2024 edition.

6. Shoaib Malik and Younis Khan – 101 vs Sri Lanka, 2007

Shoaib Malik and Younis Khan added 101 runs for Pakistan against Sri Lanka in the inaugural 2007 T20 World Cup.

Pakistan needed a strong middle-order partnership after losing early wickets.

Younis and Malik provided exactly that.

Both were experienced batters capable of rotating the strike while also attacking spin.

Their century stand helped Pakistan build the type of total their bowling attack could defend.

The partnership remains one of Pakistan's highest fourth-wicket stands at the Men's T20 World Cup.

Pakistan Reached the 2007 Final

Pakistan were one of the strongest teams in the first T20 World Cup.

They eventually reached the final, where they lost a famous close match against India.

Partnerships involving experienced middle-order players such as Malik and Younis were important throughout the competition.

Their 101-run stand against Sri Lanka remains part of the tournament's early partnership records.

7. Kevin O'Brien and Andrew Poynter – 101 vs Netherlands, 2014

Kevin O'Brien and Andrew Poynter added 101 runs for Ireland against Netherlands during the 2014 T20 World Cup.

Ireland had the platform to build a major total, and the pair used the middle and death overs effectively.

O'Brien brought his usual power-hitting ability.

Poynter supported him and helped Ireland maintain momentum.

The 101-run partnership placed Ireland alongside Pakistan as one of the few teams to record a fourth-wicket century stand at the tournament.

A Remarkable Match Despite the Partnership

Ireland reached 189/4, which looked like a very strong total.

However, Netherlands needed to chase it extremely quickly to qualify on net run rate.

They attacked almost every delivery and completed the chase in only 13.5 overs.

The result meant Ireland lost despite a 189-run total and a century fourth-wicket partnership.

It remains one of the most unusual matches in T20 World Cup history.

8. Paul Collingwood and Kevin Pietersen – 100 vs Zimbabwe, 2007

Paul Collingwood and Kevin Pietersen added exactly 100 runs for England against Zimbabwe in the 2007 T20 World Cup.

England needed a strong partnership after losing wickets at the top.

Pietersen's aggressive batting combined well with Collingwood's ability to control the innings.

Their partnership became the first 100-run fourth-wicket stand by England in Men's T20 World Cup history.

England later improved the record through Hales and Morgan and then Buttler and Morgan.

9. Dewald Brevis and David Miller – 97 vs India, 2026

Dewald Brevis and David Miller produced the biggest fourth-wicket partnership of the 2026 Men's T20 World Cup, adding 97 against India.

South Africa needed middle-order resistance after losing three wickets.

Brevis and Miller combined attacking intent with experience and carried the innings through an important phase.

Their 97-run partnership did not threaten the all-time record of 123, but it was the strongest fourth-wicket stand of the 2026 tournament.

It also confirmed that Nissanka and Hasaranga's 2021 record remained safe after another World Cup edition.

10. Jeevan Mendis and Kumar Sangakkara – 94 vs Zimbabwe, 2012

Jeevan Mendis and Kumar Sangakkara added 94 runs for Sri Lanka against Zimbabwe in the 2012 T20 World Cup.

Sangakkara brought experience and control, while Mendis provided important middle-order runs.

Their partnership helped Sri Lanka strengthen the innings after losing the top order.

Sri Lanka went on to reach the final of the 2012 tournament.

The 94-run stand also gave Sri Lanka another entry among the largest fourth-wicket partnerships in competition history.

Highest 4th Wicket Partnership for Sri Lanka in T20 World Cup

Sri Lanka hold the overall record through Pathum Nissanka and Wanindu Hasaranga's 123 against Ireland.

Sri Lanka also have another top-ten entry through Jeevan Mendis and Kumar Sangakkara's 94 against Zimbabwe.

The record partnership is especially memorable because it came after Sri Lanka had fallen to 8/3.

Highest 4th Wicket Partnership for England

England have produced several major fourth-wicket partnerships at the Men's T20 World Cup.

England are the only team with three partnerships of 100 or more near the top of this record list.

Eoin Morgan was involved in the two largest.

Highest 4th Wicket Partnership for Pakistan

Shoaib Malik and Younis Khan's 101-run stand against Sri Lanka in 2007 is one of Pakistan's leading fourth-wicket partnerships at the T20 World Cup.

Pakistan's middle order during the early years of the tournament included several experienced batters who could rebuild after early wickets.

Malik and Younis were especially effective at rotating the strike against spin, which made them a useful combination in pressure situations.

Highest 4th Wicket Partnership for Australia

David Warner and Marcus Stoinis hold Australia's Men's T20 World Cup record with 102 runs against Oman in 2024.

Australia were 50/3 before the partnership.

Warner provided stability while Stoinis attacked later.

The stand helped turn a difficult batting position into a comfortable victory.

Highest 4th Wicket Partnership in T20 World Cup 2024

The 2024 record was 102 runs by David Warner and Marcus Stoinis against Oman.

Australia had lost three wickets for 50 before they came together.

Their stand remained the highest fourth-wicket partnership of that edition and moved into the all-time top five.

Highest 4th Wicket Partnership in T20 World Cup 2026

The leading fourth-wicket stand of the 2026 tournament was 97 runs by Dewald Brevis and David Miller for South Africa against India.

It fell 26 runs short of the overall record.

That means the 123-run stand established by Sri Lanka in 2021 remained No. 1 after the 2026 World Cup.

Fourth-Wicket Partnerships Are Different From Opening Stands

An opening pair begins with all 120 legal deliveries potentially available.

A fourth-wicket pair begins only after three batters have already been dismissed.

That usually means fewer balls remain.

The pair may also arrive during a collapse, when bowlers have momentum and the batting team is under pressure.

This makes a century fourth-wicket partnership particularly valuable in T20 cricket.

T20 World Cup Partnership Records by Wicket

The tournament has produced major partnerships at several wicket positions.

The numbers generally become smaller for later wickets because fewer overs remain and teams have fewer specialist batters left.

Why Nissanka and Hasaranga's Record Still Stands

The 123-run record has survived several World Cup editions.

The biggest reason is the match situation required to produce such a stand.

A team must lose three wickets early enough to leave enough overs for the fourth-wicket pair.

The new pair then has to remain together while scoring at a high rate.

If the top order bats too long, the fourth-wicket pair does not have enough deliveries.

If the first three wickets fall very early, the pressure of a collapse makes aggressive batting difficult.

Nissanka and Hasaranga found the perfect balance between recovery and scoring.

What Is a Fourth-Wicket Partnership?

A fourth-wicket partnership begins after a team has lost three wickets.

The two batters remain in partnership until another wicket falls or the innings finishes.

For example, Sri Lanka were 8/3 when Nissanka and Hasaranga came together.

The fourth wicket eventually fell at 131.

The difference between those scores produced their 123-run partnership.

Extras scored while the two batters are together also count towards the partnership.

Highest 4th Wicket Partnership in T20 World Cup

Losing three wickets early can completely change a T20 innings.

The bowling side normally becomes more aggressive because it senses a collapse.

The fourth-wicket pair has to stop that momentum without allowing the required or desired scoring rate to become impossible.

A strong partnership can transform the innings.

Sri Lanka's 2021 match against Ireland is a perfect example. They moved from 8/3 to a total of 171/7 and eventually won by 70 runs.

Who Holds the Highest 4th Wicket Partnership in T20 World Cup History?

The direct answer is Pathum Nissanka and Wanindu Hasaranga of Sri Lanka.

They added 123 runs for the fourth wicket against Ireland in the 2021 Men's T20 World Cup at Abu Dhabi.

Sri Lanka had been reduced to 8/3 before the pair rescued the innings.

Hasaranga scored 71 and Nissanka made 61 as Sri Lanka reached 171/7 and won by 70 runs.

Their 123-run partnership remained the Men's T20 World Cup record through the 2026 edition.

FAQs

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

Pathum Nissanka and Wanindu Hasaranga hold the record with 123 runs for Sri Lanka against Ireland in 2021.

How many runs did Wanindu Hasaranga score in the record partnership?

Hasaranga scored 71 from 47 balls.

How many runs did Pathum Nissanka score against Ireland?

Nissanka scored 61 from 47 deliveries.

What was Sri Lanka's score before the record partnership?

Sri Lanka had collapsed to 8/3 before Nissanka and Hasaranga rebuilt the innings.

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

Jos Buttler and Eoin Morgan are second with 112 runs for England against Sri Lanka in 2021.

What is England's highest fourth-wicket partnership in the T20 World Cup?

Buttler and Morgan's 112-run partnership against Sri Lanka is England's highest.

What is Australia's highest fourth-wicket partnership in T20 World Cup history?

David Warner and Marcus Stoinis added 102 against Oman in 2024.

What is Pakistan's highest fourth-wicket partnership in the T20 World Cup?

Shoaib Malik and Younis Khan added 101 against Sri Lanka in 2007.

What was the highest fourth-wicket partnership in T20 World Cup 2024?

David Warner and Marcus Stoinis recorded a 102-run stand against Oman.

Was the fourth-wicket partnership record broken in T20 World Cup 2026?

No. Dewald Brevis and David Miller recorded a 97-run stand, while Nissanka and Hasaranga's 123 remained the all-time record.

Sources

• ESPNcricinfo – Men's T20 World Cup Partnership Records by Wicket
  View T20 World Cup partnership records