Since the inaugral World T20 was held in South Africa in 2007, the game of T20 cricket has gradually evolved into a much more cultured sport. It is not just about going all-guns-blazing and spanking the ball out of the park, it is about building partnerships and cashing in on the right moments.
Let’s take a look a look at the all-time highest partnerships in the tournament’s history in SPORTZWIKI’s Top 5 Highest partnerships in World T20.
5. Chris Gayle and Andre Fletcher
West Indies openers Chris Gayle and Andre Fletcher put on a 133-run opening stand to set the West Indies on their way to chasing down a target of 170 set by Australia at the Oval in 2009. The Windies won the match comfortably by 7 wickets with 25 balls remaining.
4. Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir
In the match in which the Punjab dasher Yuvraj Singh tortured England pacer Stuart Broad with six maximums in an over, Indian openers Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir gave Indian team a superb start with a 136-run opening partnership, helping India post a total of 218.
The men in blue eventually won the game by 18 runs.
3. Salman Butt and Kamran Akmal
Pakistan‘s destructive duo of Kamran Akmal and Salman Butt took the Bangladesh bowlers to the cleaners as they set Pakistan up for a massive score of 172 with an opening partnership of 142 runs in 2010 at Gros Islet. Pakistan were victorious by 21 runs.
2. Chris Gayle and Devon Smith
Chris Gayle and Devon Smith’s opening blitz in the inaugral game of the World T20 in South Africa in 2007 gave the competition a blistering start as the duo produced a 145 run opening stand. Gayle played the role of the aggressor and smashed 117 in just 57 balls while Devon Smith smartly rotated the strike to allow his senior colleague to decimate the South African attack.
1. Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara
Sri Lankan legends Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara take the 1st position in SPORTZWIKI’s Top 5 Highest partnerships in World T20 with a humongous partnership of 166 runs for the second wicket at Bridgetown against West Indies in 2010.
With the duo retiring from the T20 format after the ongoing edition of the 2014 ICC World Twenty20 in Bangladesh, Sri Lankan fans would be hoping for something similar from two of their superstars.
