In a competition like IPL, each group needs to have a great start with the bat in the beginning overs of the match. It all depends on how the opening batters perform which characterizes the strategy of the team in the innings. In the event that they deliver a great start, at that point, the fielding restriction can be put under pressure which can result in disturbance of plans for the other team. While in case of an awful start, it gets to be troublesome to recover from an early misfortune.
In this article, we'll be examining the five most noteworthy opening partnerships in the history of IPL.
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5. KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal – 183 runs
This match will be carved into the memory of fans since of Rahul Tewatia’s bursting thump, which took the Rajasthan Royals to an exciting win. But before that, Mayank Agarwal had hit a brilliant hundred in the first innings scoring 106 runs off 50 balls. Mayank and KL Rahul added 183 runs for the first wicket, which made a difference for Kings XI Punjab to reach a total of 223/2 in 20 overs. Rahul crushed 69 runs off 54 balls with the assistance of seven fours and one six.
4. Gautam Gambhir and Chris Lynn – 184 runs unbroken partnership
Kolkata Knight Riders openers Chris Lynn and Gautam Gambhir, two players as different as chalk and cheese, produced a batting masterclass as they ran amok against Gujarat Lions in 2017. Batting first, a strong GL line-up posted 183/4 on the board in Rajkot, and it was expected to be a difficult chase. But the opening KKR duo made an absolute mockery of the challenging target. They smashed the ball to all parts of the ground and were able to accomplish the chase in just 14.5 overs. Lynn finished with a devastating 93* off just 41 balls, while captain Gautam Gambhir remained unbeaten on 76 runs off 46 balls. While KKR won that match by 10 wickets, Gambhir-Lynn set up an 184-run partnership for the unbroken first wicket.
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3. Jonny Bairstow and David Warner – 185 runs
The foremost dangerous opening partnership of the English and Aussie duo, David Warner and Jonny Bairstow from Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) have gotten along like a house on fire and annihilated bowling lineups for fun. In 2019, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) had to endure the fury of both of them together. Choosing to bowl, RCB endured blow after blow as both the batters assaulted with all their might. They didn’t spare any bowlers and went on a rampage hardly seen before. They had an enormous partnership of 185 runs in just 16.2 overs. Both the batters completed their centuries, which made a difference for SRH to score 231/2, which was 118 runs more from RCB's reply. It was a thrashing of the most noteworthy order.
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2. Sai Sudharsan and Shubman Gill - 210 runs
During the 59th game of the IPL 2024, Gujarat Titans (GT) openers Sai Sudharsan and Shubman Gill provided one of the greatest starts in the IPL history. Chennai Super Kings (CSK) bowlers heavily struggled against the Indian openers who had no mercy on that night at Ahmedabad. While they put a 210-run partnership for the opening wicket, Sudharsan scored 103 runs and captain Gill scored 104 runs. GT scored 231/3, while CSK only managed to score 196/8 in 20 overs.
1. Quinton de Kock and KL Rahul - 210 runs unbroken partnership
It was the IPL 2022 match between Lucknow Super Giants and Kolkata Knight Riders at Dr. DY Patil Sports Academy in Mumbai. After winning the toss, LSG openers Quinton de Kock and the skipper KL Rahul were not in a mood to leave the crease. They set a solid partnership, where De Kock was busy to bash the KKR bowlers and the captain was providing strong support from the other end. The innings ended on 210/0 as De Kock and Rahul provided an unbroken opening partnership. While De Kock was not out on 140 runs off 70 balls (10 fours and 10 sixes), Rahul scored 68 not out off 51 balls (3 fours and 4 sixes). In reply, KKR scored 208/8 as LSG won by two runs.
