The IPL is the most famous and successful cricket league around the globe. The IPL began in 2008 and has continued every year. Performing in such a league is a dream for many. Partnerships are vital to win matches, and batsmen have formed great partnerships. For a great partnership, batters must have mutual understanding, compatibility, trust, and communication. Presenting to you the Top 10 most successful IPL batting pairs:
1. AB de Villiers And Virat Kohli
These two batsmen form the greatest pair in the IPL, with over 3000 runs in this format. The destructive pair of Kohli and Villiers broke up when De Villiers announced his retirement from cricket. They both played for RCB in the IPL and formed 10-century stands and two double-century stands, which is the highest for any pair.
2. Virat Kohli And Chris Gayle
They are a former pair from Royal Challengers Bangalore who have made tonnes of runs for RCB. They have nine-century partnerships and 12 50s partnerships between them. They made over 2500 runs in 8 years until Gayle was released by the RCB before the 2018 IPL auction.
3. Shikhar Dhawan And David Warner
They are both left-handed openers who played for Sunrisers Hyderabad and made over 2500 runs in the IPL. They both are the most destructive players in the IPL. They have made good partnerships and led SRH to their first IPL title in 2016. This pair got separated in 2017 when Warner got banned for a year and Dhawan moved to the Delhi Capitals.
4. Gautam Gambhir And Robin Uthappa
They played for the Kolkata Knight Riders from 2014 to 2017 and made 1900 runs combined. They formed a great opening couple and led KKR to win the IPL title in 2014. Uthappa played an aggressor role, whereas Gambhir played an anchor. The pair finally broke up when Gambhir retired from cricket.
5. Murali Vijay And Michael Hussey
They formed a great opening pair for the Chennai Super Kings and contributed over 1000 runs in less than two years. They created an opening stand of 159 runs against RCB for the first wicket in the 2011 IPL final and led CSK to victory. They both complemented each other well and contributed to the team.
6. Shane Watson And Faf du Plessis
After CSK got banned for two years, they returned in the 2018 edition of the IPL season and won the title for the third time. Their victory was only possible because of the successful opening pair of CSK. Faf and Watson formed a great opening pair at the top and played some crucial knocks. Faf’s knock against SRH in the first qualifier and Watson’s knock against DC in the final were magnificent.
7. Brendon McCullum And Dwayne Smith
The former New Zealand captain and West Indies opener formed a destructive opening pair for CSK in the 2014 edition of the IPL, which led to CSK’s appearance in the IPL final. They were both destructive batsmen and were ready to hit from the first delivery of the innings. They formed great partnerships, and both were in the race for the orange cap.
8. Chris Gayle And KL Rahul
They both started their careers in the IPL playing for RCB, but destiny had some other plans for them as they moved to Punjab, formed a great combination, and made over 1000 runs in less than two years. They have four centuries of partnerships to their name. The duo finally broke up when Rahul left Punjab to move to the Lucknow Super Giants and Gayle announced his retirement.
9. Suresh Raina And MS Dhoni
The legendary pair of Chennai Super Kings, who formed the base for the batting unit of CSK, played for more than ten years in the IPL for CSK. They have over 1000 runs to their name and 13 fifty-run partnerships. They both played some crucial knocks and contributed to CSK’s victories. The duo broke up when CSK did not purchase Raina in the 2023 auction.
10. Shikhar Dhawan And Prithvi Shaw
After the Delhi Daredevils changed their name to the Delhi Capitals in the 2018 IPL season, they purchased Shikhar Dhawan and Prithvi Shaw, who became a great opening pair for Delhi. Delhi reached the IPL finals, where they were defeated by CSK. They played until 2021 and formed great partnerships, Dhawan then moved to the Punjab Kings.
