The role of the openers in cricket is quite important. They are tasked to give their team a good start and if they succeed in doing that, it makes the job easy for the middle order batsmen to come in and play their natural game. Whichever format of the game it is, the opening stand always holds importance in terms of setting the tone for the innings.

The Indian Premier League (IPL) has created a platform where the best cricketers from the world come together and are seen playing together. The league has also allowed fans to witness some of the best openers from around the world come out and bat together.

As the <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/t20/ipl-indian-premier-league/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">IPL</a> 2021 is about to begin on April 09, it is a good time to look back at the best opening stands which the league has seen over the years. The league has seen some world-class opening pairs in its 13 seasons.

Here are the 5 memorable opening partnerships in the IPL:

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-496126" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Sanath-Jayasuriya-and-Sachin-Tendulkar.jpg" alt="Sanath Jayasuriya and Sachin Tendulkar" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-496126" class="wp-caption-text">Sanath Jayasuriya and Sachin Tendulkar. (Photo Source: Getty Images)</figcaption>

In the 90s, Sachin Tendulkar and <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/sanath-jayasuriyas-father-passes-away-at-the-age-of-80/">Sanath Jayasuriya</a> emerged as two extremely good limited-overs openers. Tendulkar was all class when it came to opening the batting, while Sanath was one of the most dangerous openers that the world had seen. They went onto lead their countries, quit captaincy, come back to focus on their batting, and eventually became one of the greatest players from their respective countries.

The two got together when the Mumbai Indians roped in Jayasuriya as one of their overseas picks at the first IPL auction. The two shared some memorable opening stands while playing for Mumbai in the first three seasons. Jayasuriya was at his best in the first edition, smashing bowlers all over the park while Sachin was at the other end, putting pressure on the bowlers.

Their best partnership came in a match against Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2008 in Port Elizabeth. They put 127 for the first wicket in just 12.2 overs. Jayasuriya made 52 runs off 32 balls. Tendulkar smashed 68 runs off 45 balls from the other end. Their partnership was a treat to watch for the kids from the 90s who had dreamt about the two batting together.

2. Gautam Gambhir-Robin Uthappa

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-138497" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Robin-Uthappa-and-Gautam-Gambhir.jpg" alt="Robin Uthappa and Gautam Gambhir" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-138497" class="wp-caption-text">Robin Uthappa and Gautam Gambhir. (Photo Source: BCCI)</figcaption>

In the 2014 IPL, Kolkata Knight Riders got off to a pretty bad start when they lost five out of their first seven matches. However, after the fifth match, KKR skipper <a href="https://www.facebook.com/crictracker/posts/4419708361393184" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gautam Gambhir</a> decided to make a change in the opening combination. He promoted Robin Uthappa up the order and decided to open the batting with him.

The experiment worked quite well when they notched up a hundred-run stand in their second outing, but KKR lost that match too. However, from thereon, KKR won seven matches consecutively to finish at the second position in the league standings. They entered the final and ended up winning the tournament as well.

The reason why this partnership is more memorable than many other stands is that it managed to help Kolkata turn its fortunes around and produced one of the most famous triumphs in T20 history. They opened the innings for the franchise in some of the upcoming seasons as well, with a lot of success at the top order.

3. Chris Gayle-Virat Kohli

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-496124" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Virat-Kohli-and-Chris-Gayle.jpg" alt="Virat Kohli and Chris Gayle" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-496124" class="wp-caption-text">Virat Kohli and Chris Gayle. (Photo by MANAN VATSYAYANA/AFP/GettyImages)</figcaption>

When Chris Gayle arrived in Royal Challengers Bangalore, no one had imagined the kind of effect he will have on the IPL. However, his batting has to be one of the highlights of the cash-rich league. Along with that RCB also took care and developed, <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/rishabh-pant-and-ishan-kishan-should-learn-from-virat-kohli-to-finish-matches-virender-sehwag/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Virat Kohli</a>, who ended up being one of the best batsmen the world has ever seen.

Initially, the two shared many successful partnerships for the second wicket when Kohli would come out to bat at no.3. But, with the requirement changing in the upcoming season, RCB skipper Kohli promoted himself to the opening slot and scored a bulk of runs. To watch Gayle and Kohli bat together is something breathtaking for the RCB fans.

One of their famous opening partnerships came in a 15-over match against Punjab Kings (then Kings XI Punjab) in Bengaluru. The match had to be shortened due to rain, but Gayle and Kohli came out all guns blazing. By the time the West Indian was dismissed for a 32-ball 73, the partnership had gathered 147 runs in 66 balls. Kohli went on to make 113 runs off 50 balls.

4. Murali Vijay- Michael Hussey

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-496125" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Murali-Vijay-and-Michael-Hussey.jpg" alt="Murali Vijay and Michael Hussey" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-496125" class="wp-caption-text">Murali Vijay and Michael Hussey. (Photo by SESHADRI SUKUMAR/AFP/GettyImages)</figcaption>

For any successful team, having two good openers batting at the top is very important. For Chennai Super Kings, their success in the years 2010 and 2011 wouldn’t have been possible without their two openers, Murali Vijay and Michael Hussey. In the 2010 IPL, Matthew Hayden had opened the innings for CSK with Vijay. But, Hayden’s form became a concern when they travelled to South Africa for the Champions League.

Captain <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/ms-dhonis-monk-look-for-ipl-2021-commercials-triggers-meme-fest-on-social-media/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MS Dhoni</a> pulled a trick off his sleeves as he introduced Hussey as Vijay’s new opening partner. In the final of the competition, the two produced a match-winning century stand to beat South Africa’s Warriors franchise. Eventually, Dhoni decided to stick to the same combination when he got back both of them for the IPL 2011.

In the final of IPL 2011, they produced a partnership of 159 runs in 15 overs to help the franchise win their second title on the trot. They followed that up with another successful opening stand of 87 in the 2012 final, but unfortunately, they lost to Kolkata in that game. Vijay and Hussey came up with memorable stands even in the 2012 and 2013 seasons.

5. Rohit Sharma and Quinton de Kock

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-456282" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Quinton-de-Kock-and-Rohit-Sharma.jpg" alt="Quinton de Kock and Rohit Sharma" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-456282" class="wp-caption-text">Quinton de Kock and Rohit Sharma. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI)</figcaption>

Since the departure of Sachin Tendulkar at the top order, Mumbai struggled to find a proper opening combination for some years. The middle-order was tasked to bail them out all the time. But, in the 2019 IPL that changed when Quinton de Kock arrived in the Mumbai camp. Rohit Sharma, by then, had become one of the best openers in the world, while de Kock had a similar reputation.

The two got together to produce some memorable match-winning stands at the top order. Their combination already gave more freedom to the middle-order of Mumbai Indians, which already had some of the best hitters. The results which followed saw the team reach a different level of success.

Mumbai won the 2019 and 2020 seasons, becoming the second team after Chennai to win back-to-back seasons. Their opening partnership has laid down the foundation for many victories and is one of the key reasons behind the success of Mumbai. In the 2021 season, the duo will be seen once again at the top.

The role of the openers in cricket is quite important. They are tasked to give their team a good start and if they succeed in doing that, it makes the job easy for the middle order batsmen to come in and play their natural game. Whichever format of the game it is, the opening stand always holds importance in terms of setting the tone for the innings.&nbsp;
The Indian Premier League (IPL) has created a platform where the best cricketers from the world come together and are seen playing together. The league has also allowed fans to witness some of the best openers from around the world come out and bat together.&nbsp;
As the <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/t20/ipl-indian-premier-league/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">IPL</a> 2021 is about to begin on April 09, it is a good time to look back at the best opening stands which the league has seen over the years. The league has seen some world-class opening pairs in its 13 seasons.
<h3>Here are the 5 memorable opening partnerships in the IPL:</h3>
<h3>1. Sachin Tendulkar-Sanath Jayasuriya</h3>
<figure id="attachment_496126" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-496126" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-496126" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Sanath-Jayasuriya-and-Sachin-Tendulkar.jpg" alt="Sanath Jayasuriya and Sachin Tendulkar" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-496126" class="wp-caption-text">Sanath Jayasuriya and Sachin Tendulkar. (Photo Source: Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
In the 90s, Sachin Tendulkar and <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/sanath-jayasuriyas-father-passes-away-at-the-age-of-80/">Sanath Jayasuriya</a> emerged as two extremely good limited-overs openers. Tendulkar was all class when it came to opening the batting, while Sanath was one of the most dangerous openers that the world had seen. They went onto lead their countries, quit captaincy, come back to focus on their batting, and eventually became one of the greatest players from their respective countries.
The two got together when the Mumbai Indians roped in Jayasuriya as one of their overseas picks at the first IPL auction. The two shared some memorable opening stands while playing for Mumbai in the first three seasons. Jayasuriya was at his best in the first edition, smashing bowlers all over the park while Sachin was at the other end, putting pressure on the bowlers.
Their best partnership came in a match against Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2008 in Port Elizabeth. They put 127 for the first wicket in just 12.2 overs. Jayasuriya made 52 runs off 32 balls. Tendulkar smashed 68 runs off 45 balls from the other end. Their partnership was a treat to watch for the kids from the 90s who had dreamt about the two batting together.

<h3>2. Gautam Gambhir-Robin Uthappa</h3>
<figure id="attachment_138497" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-138497" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-138497" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Robin-Uthappa-and-Gautam-Gambhir.jpg" alt="Robin Uthappa and Gautam Gambhir" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-138497" class="wp-caption-text">Robin Uthappa and Gautam Gambhir. (Photo Source: BCCI)</figcaption></figure>
In the 2014 IPL, Kolkata Knight Riders got off to a pretty bad start when they lost five out of their first seven matches. However, after the fifth match, KKR skipper <a href="https://www.facebook.com/crictracker/posts/4419708361393184" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gautam Gambhir</a> decided to make a change in the opening combination. He promoted Robin Uthappa up the order and decided to open the batting with him.&nbsp;
The experiment worked quite well when they notched up a hundred-run stand in their second outing, but KKR lost that match too. However, from thereon, KKR won seven matches consecutively to finish at the second position in the league standings. They entered the final and ended up winning the tournament as well.&nbsp;
The reason why this partnership is more memorable than many other stands is that it managed to help Kolkata turn its fortunes around and produced one of the most famous triumphs in T20 history. They opened the innings for the franchise in some of the upcoming seasons as well, with a lot of success at the top order.

<h3>3. Chris Gayle-Virat Kohli</h3>
<figure id="attachment_496124" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-496124" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-496124" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Virat-Kohli-and-Chris-Gayle.jpg" alt="Virat Kohli and Chris Gayle" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-496124" class="wp-caption-text">Virat Kohli and Chris Gayle. (Photo by MANAN VATSYAYANA/AFP/GettyImages)</figcaption></figure>
When Chris Gayle arrived in Royal Challengers Bangalore, no one had imagined the kind of effect he will have on the IPL. However, his batting has to be one of the highlights of the cash-rich league. Along with that RCB also took care and developed, <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/rishabh-pant-and-ishan-kishan-should-learn-from-virat-kohli-to-finish-matches-virender-sehwag/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Virat Kohli</a>, who ended up being one of the best batsmen the world has ever seen.&nbsp;
Initially, the two shared many successful partnerships for the second wicket when Kohli would come out to bat at no.3. But, with the requirement changing in the upcoming season, RCB skipper Kohli promoted himself to the opening slot and scored a bulk of runs. To watch Gayle and Kohli bat together is something breathtaking for the RCB fans.&nbsp;
One of their famous opening partnerships came in a 15-over match against Punjab Kings (then Kings XI Punjab) in Bengaluru. The match had to be shortened due to rain, but Gayle and Kohli came out all guns blazing. By the time the West Indian was dismissed for a 32-ball 73, the partnership had gathered 147 runs in 66 balls. Kohli went on to make 113 runs off 50 balls.&nbsp;

<h3>4. Murali Vijay- Michael Hussey</h3>
<figure id="attachment_496125" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-496125" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-496125" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Murali-Vijay-and-Michael-Hussey.jpg" alt="Murali Vijay and Michael Hussey" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-496125" class="wp-caption-text">Murali Vijay and Michael Hussey. (Photo by SESHADRI SUKUMAR/AFP/GettyImages)</figcaption></figure>
For any successful team, having two good openers batting at the top is very important. For Chennai Super Kings, their success in the years 2010 and 2011 wouldn’t have been possible without their two openers, Murali Vijay and Michael Hussey. In the 2010 IPL, Matthew Hayden had opened the innings for CSK with Vijay. But, Hayden’s form became a concern when they travelled to South Africa for the Champions League.
Captain <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/ms-dhonis-monk-look-for-ipl-2021-commercials-triggers-meme-fest-on-social-media/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MS Dhoni</a> pulled a trick off his sleeves as he introduced Hussey as Vijay’s new opening partner. In the final of the competition, the two produced a match-winning century stand to beat South Africa’s Warriors franchise. Eventually, Dhoni decided to stick to the same combination when he got back both of them for the IPL 2011.&nbsp;
In the final of IPL 2011, they produced a partnership of 159 runs in 15 overs to help the franchise win their second title on the trot. They followed that up with another successful opening stand of 87 in the 2012 final, but unfortunately, they lost to Kolkata in that game. Vijay and Hussey came up with memorable stands even in the 2012 and 2013 seasons.

<h3>5. Rohit Sharma and Quinton de Kock</h3>
<figure id="attachment_456282" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-456282" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-456282" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Quinton-de-Kock-and-Rohit-Sharma.jpg" alt="Quinton de Kock and Rohit Sharma" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-456282" class="wp-caption-text">Quinton de Kock and Rohit Sharma. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI)</figcaption></figure>
Since the departure of Sachin Tendulkar at the top order, Mumbai struggled to find a proper opening combination for some years. The middle-order was tasked to bail them out all the time. But, in the 2019 IPL that changed when Quinton de Kock arrived in the Mumbai camp. Rohit Sharma, by then, had become one of the best openers in the world, while de Kock had a similar reputation.&nbsp;
The two got together to produce some memorable match-winning stands at the top order. Their combination already gave more freedom to the middle-order of Mumbai Indians, which already had some of the best hitters. The results which followed saw the team reach a different level of success.&nbsp;
Mumbai won the 2019 and 2020 seasons, becoming the second team after Chennai to win back-to-back seasons. Their opening partnership has laid down the foundation for many victories and is one of the key reasons behind the success of Mumbai. In the 2021 season, the duo will be seen once again at the top.&nbsp;

The role of the openers in cricket is quite important. They are tasked to give their team a good start and if they succeed in doing that, it makes the job easy for the middle order batsmen to come in and play their natural game. Whichever format of the game it is, the opening stand always holds importance in terms of setting the tone for the innings. 
The Indian Premier League (IPL) has created a platform where the best cricketers from the world come together and are seen playing together. The league has also allowed fans to witness some of the best openers from around the world come out and bat together. 
As the <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/t20/ipl-indian-premier-league/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">IPL</a> 2021 is about to begin on April 09, it is a good time to look back at the best opening stands which the league has seen over the years. The league has seen some world-class opening pairs in its 13 seasons.
<h3>Here are the 5 memorable opening partnerships in the IPL:</h3>
<h3>1. Sachin Tendulkar-Sanath Jayasuriya</h3>
<figure id="attachment_496126" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-496126" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-496126" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Sanath-Jayasuriya-and-Sachin-Tendulkar.jpg" alt="Sanath Jayasuriya and Sachin Tendulkar" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-496126" class="wp-caption-text">Sanath Jayasuriya and Sachin Tendulkar. (Photo Source: Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
In the 90s, Sachin Tendulkar and <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/sanath-jayasuriyas-father-passes-away-at-the-age-of-80/">Sanath Jayasuriya</a> emerged as two extremely good limited-overs openers. Tendulkar was all class when it came to opening the batting, while Sanath was one of the most dangerous openers that the world had seen. They went onto lead their countries, quit captaincy, come back to focus on their batting, and eventually became one of the greatest players from their respective countries.
The two got together when the Mumbai Indians roped in Jayasuriya as one of their overseas picks at the first IPL auction. The two shared some memorable opening stands while playing for Mumbai in the first three seasons. Jayasuriya was at his best in the first edition, smashing bowlers all over the park while Sachin was at the other end, putting pressure on the bowlers.
Their best partnership came in a match against Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2008 in Port Elizabeth. They put 127 for the first wicket in just 12.2 overs. Jayasuriya made 52 runs off 32 balls. Tendulkar smashed 68 runs off 45 balls from the other end. Their partnership was a treat to watch for the kids from the 90s who had dreamt about the two batting together.

<h3>2. Gautam Gambhir-Robin Uthappa</h3>
<figure id="attachment_138497" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-138497" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-138497" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Robin-Uthappa-and-Gautam-Gambhir.jpg" alt="Robin Uthappa and Gautam Gambhir" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-138497" class="wp-caption-text">Robin Uthappa and Gautam Gambhir. (Photo Source: BCCI)</figcaption></figure>
In the 2014 IPL, Kolkata Knight Riders got off to a pretty bad start when they lost five out of their first seven matches. However, after the fifth match, KKR skipper <a href="https://www.facebook.com/crictracker/posts/4419708361393184" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gautam Gambhir</a> decided to make a change in the opening combination. He promoted Robin Uthappa up the order and decided to open the batting with him. 
The experiment worked quite well when they notched up a hundred-run stand in their second outing, but KKR lost that match too. However, from thereon, KKR won seven matches consecutively to finish at the second position in the league standings. They entered the final and ended up winning the tournament as well. 
The reason why this partnership is more memorable than many other stands is that it managed to help Kolkata turn its fortunes around and produced one of the most famous triumphs in T20 history. They opened the innings for the franchise in some of the upcoming seasons as well, with a lot of success at the top order.

<h3>3. Chris Gayle-Virat Kohli</h3>
<figure id="attachment_496124" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-496124" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-496124" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Virat-Kohli-and-Chris-Gayle.jpg" alt="Virat Kohli and Chris Gayle" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-496124" class="wp-caption-text">Virat Kohli and Chris Gayle. (Photo by MANAN VATSYAYANA/AFP/GettyImages)</figcaption></figure>
When Chris Gayle arrived in Royal Challengers Bangalore, no one had imagined the kind of effect he will have on the IPL. However, his batting has to be one of the highlights of the cash-rich league. Along with that RCB also took care and developed, <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/rishabh-pant-and-ishan-kishan-should-learn-from-virat-kohli-to-finish-matches-virender-sehwag/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Virat Kohli</a>, who ended up being one of the best batsmen the world has ever seen. 
Initially, the two shared many successful partnerships for the second wicket when Kohli would come out to bat at no.3. But, with the requirement changing in the upcoming season, RCB skipper Kohli promoted himself to the opening slot and scored a bulk of runs. To watch Gayle and Kohli bat together is something breathtaking for the RCB fans. 
One of their famous opening partnerships came in a 15-over match against Punjab Kings (then Kings XI Punjab) in Bengaluru. The match had to be shortened due to rain, but Gayle and Kohli came out all guns blazing. By the time the West Indian was dismissed for a 32-ball 73, the partnership had gathered 147 runs in 66 balls. Kohli went on to make 113 runs off 50 balls. 

<h3>4. Murali Vijay- Michael Hussey</h3>
<figure id="attachment_496125" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-496125" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-496125" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Murali-Vijay-and-Michael-Hussey.jpg" alt="Murali Vijay and Michael Hussey" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-496125" class="wp-caption-text">Murali Vijay and Michael Hussey. (Photo by SESHADRI SUKUMAR/AFP/GettyImages)</figcaption></figure>
For any successful team, having two good openers batting at the top is very important. For Chennai Super Kings, their success in the years 2010 and 2011 wouldn’t have been possible without their two openers, Murali Vijay and Michael Hussey. In the 2010 IPL, Matthew Hayden had opened the innings for CSK with Vijay. But, Hayden’s form became a concern when they travelled to South Africa for the Champions League.
Captain <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/ms-dhonis-monk-look-for-ipl-2021-commercials-triggers-meme-fest-on-social-media/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MS Dhoni</a> pulled a trick off his sleeves as he introduced Hussey as Vijay’s new opening partner. In the final of the competition, the two produced a match-winning century stand to beat South Africa’s Warriors franchise. Eventually, Dhoni decided to stick to the same combination when he got back both of them for the IPL 2011. 
In the final of IPL 2011, they produced a partnership of 159 runs in 15 overs to help the franchise win their second title on the trot. They followed that up with another successful opening stand of 87 in the 2012 final, but unfortunately, they lost to Kolkata in that game. Vijay and Hussey came up with memorable stands even in the 2012 and 2013 seasons.

<h3>5. Rohit Sharma and Quinton de Kock</h3>
<figure id="attachment_456282" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-456282" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-456282" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Quinton-de-Kock-and-Rohit-Sharma.jpg" alt="Quinton de Kock and Rohit Sharma" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-456282" class="wp-caption-text">Quinton de Kock and Rohit Sharma. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI)</figcaption></figure>
Since the departure of Sachin Tendulkar at the top order, Mumbai struggled to find a proper opening combination for some years. The middle-order was tasked to bail them out all the time. But, in the 2019 IPL that changed when Quinton de Kock arrived in the Mumbai camp. Rohit Sharma, by then, had become one of the best openers in the world, while de Kock had a similar reputation. 
The two got together to produce some memorable match-winning stands at the top order. Their combination already gave more freedom to the middle-order of Mumbai Indians, which already had some of the best hitters. The results which followed saw the team reach a different level of success. 
Mumbai won the 2019 and 2020 seasons, becoming the second team after Chennai to win back-to-back seasons. Their opening partnership has laid down the foundation for many victories and is one of the key reasons behind the success of Mumbai. In the 2021 season, the duo will be seen once again at the top.

The league has seen some world-class opening pairs in its 13 seasons.

IPL 2021: Top 5 memorable opening partnerships in the history of the tournament

The Indian Premier League (IPL) has created a platform where the best cricketers from the world come together and are seen playing together.