Top 5 aggregate partnerships in IPL history

The Indian Premier League (IPL) has given rise to some of the best partnerships in world cricket. One could never have imagined the two best batsmen of the modern era, or an Indian and Australian opening the batting together before the advent of the IPL. 

Fans cherish these special moments a lot. We all remember Suresh Raina and MS Dhoni winning games for CSK, Virat Kohli, and AB de Villiers doing what seemed impossible, and someone as underrated as Gautam Gambhir and Robin Uthappa being pivotal for KKR’s success.

And of course, the players do learn a lot from each other with the varying experiences between the pairs. The list has the names of some of the best batsmen in the world in the shortest format of the game. 

In this article, we talk about the top five partnerships in terms of aggregate runs in the IPL: 

5. MS Dhoni and Suresh Raina – 1454 runs

One of the best middle-order partnerships that Chennai Super Kings and India have ever seen, Dhoni and Raina have been the pillars of both the teams. Their excellent camaraderie has been the pivot of multiple wins for CSK. Popularly known as ‘Thala’ and ‘Chinna Thala’ respectively, this pair is adored and worshipped across the country. 

Suresh Raina used to bat at number three for the Super Kings in his prime. Meanwhile, Dhoni has batted at various positions from number four to seven depending upon the situation of the game. They have won countless games because of their exceptional understanding of the game situation.

They ran extremely well between the wickets and took on the targetted bowlers. This ensured that nothing silly happened during the time they were batting together. CSK are missing Raina’s services majorly this season, and fans would hope that they do get an opportunity in the future to watch Dhoni and Raina bat once again.

4. Robin Uthappa and Gautam Gambhir – 1906 runs

The right-left combination of Uthappa and Gambhir has to be one of the most underrated partnerships in the Indian Premier League. They opened together for the Kolkata Knight Riders from 2014-17 in 50 innings, piling 1906 runs together. 

Their opening partnership laid the foundation for KKR’s title win in IPL 2014. Uthappa was the Orange Cap holder that season. Gambhir, being the captain, played the sheet-anchor’s role in this partnership for the Knight Riders. This allowed Robin to play his natural game. Both the batsmen are known to have performed in crunch situations.

The pair has stitched five 100+ partnerships- the highest being 158 against Rising Pune Supergiant in 2017. Robin Uthappa scored 87 and won the Man of the Match. Gambhir played the supporting role, scoring 62 runs. 

3. David Warner and Shikhar Dhawan – 2357 runs

The southpaws David Warner and Shikhar Dhawan opened for Sunrisers Hyderabad from 2014 to 2017. Both batsmen open the batting for their national cricket teams as well. They have amassed 2357 runs in 50 innings together. 

The two openers played a pivotal role in setting up Sunrisers Hyderabad’s first title win in 2016. Their highest partnership together was a 137-run stand against Gujarat Lions in 2016- Warner scored 74*, while Dhawan scored 53*. 

Warner was generally the more aggressive player in the partnership, although he didn’t play rash cricket, and rather, he took calculated risks. Dhawan was also fairly impactful in the partnership, as he could really take charge once he was set. 

2. Virat Kohli and Chris Gayle – 2787 runs

Chris Gayle and Virat Kohli opened for Royal Challengers Bangalore for the majority of 2011-17. This pair is the perfect blend of explosiveness and stroke-making. Both of them are definitely the greatest batsmen of all time in T20I and T20 cricket respectively. 

Gayle and Kohli have laid the foundation for most victories that came during RCB’s good seasons. With the magic of AB de Villiers to follow, the trio was certainly the best T20 cricket has ever witnessed in its history. Their highest partnership came against Delhi in 2012, with a 204-run stand. Gayle scored 128* and Kohli scored 73*.

They also brought to the table a left-right hand combination, which further made it tough for bowlers to execute their plans effectively. Gayle used to take more time at the start of the innings, while Kohli kept up the scoring rate with strike-rotation and the odd boundaries. Gayle would then take off and that would mean mayhem for the bowlers. The pair has nine 100+ partnerships in 59 innings in the IPL.

1. Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers – 3034 runs

Explosive English wicketkeeper Jos Buttler once said, “It’s like having Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in the same team.” Arguably the two best all-format batsmen of the modern era, Kohli and de Villiers have had many memorable partnerships for the Royal Challengers Bangalore. They are also the only pair to have two 200+ partnerships in the history of T20 cricket.

The pair has been a treat to watch for cricket fans for over a decade now. Kohli generally plays the role of an anchor in this partnership, giving the strike to ‘Superman’ de Villiers. However, Kohli can surely take on the bowlers when required- the 107 against Gujarat Lions in 2016 is a testament to that fact. Meanwhile, ABD can turn a game on its head in the span of a couple of overs.

This partnership has been a nightmare for bowlers. Kohli and de Villiers have 11 100+ stands in the history of the Indian Premier League. Let us hope that they grace the cricket fans with many more partnerships in the near future.