In Twenty20 (T20) cricket, in particular, it is really important for a team to get off to a good start as it lays a solid foundation for the others that follow. If the opening pair provides a decent partnership, the job becomes much easier for the middle-order batsmen as they can go for their shots without worrying about the fall of wickets.
Similarly, in the Indian Premier League (IPL), we have had some sensational opening pairs who have been instrumental in their team’s success.
Here are the five best opening pairs in IPL history:
(Note – The list is in no particular order)
1. Gautam Gambhir and Robin Uthappa
While Gautam Gambhir and Robin Uthappa didn’t have a great season this time around, resulting in Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) not qualifying for the playoffs, they were one of the main reasons for them winning the 2014 edition. The team generally operates on the principle that one of the openers will bat deep into the innings, thereby allowing stroke makers like Andre Russell and Yusuf Pathan to play their shots.
In 2014, Gambhir-Uthappa were involved in four consecutive partnerships of 50 or more for the opening wicket in the IPL - 121 vs RR, 106 vs DD, 68 vs KXIP and 50 vs MI, thereby becoming the first opening pair to share four consecutive half-century stands.
2. David Warner and Shikhar Dhawan
Despite Sunrisers Hyderabad having an extremely weak middle-order, the fact that they have competed for the playoff spots over the last two seasons is largely due to the opening pair of David Warner and Shikhar Dhawan.
When both of them get going, they can be almost unstoppable as they like to dominate the bowlers and don’t give them an opportunity to settle into their line and length. The pair has had three partnerships of over a hundred overall with the highest being 130 in the 2015 season against Kolkata Knight Riders.
3. Brendon McCullum and Dwayne Smith
This brutal opening pair of Brendon McCullum and Dwayne Smith can cause irreparable damage to the opposition if they aren’t got out early. While McCullum generates his power due to his unbelievable bat speed, Smith has brute force and is one of the hardest hitters of the cricket ball in the game currently.
The two complement each other’s batting abilities perfectly and make sure more often than not that they provide a fiery start to the team. The opening pair has had 2 century+ stands in the IPL so far and they have come at a blistering pace to add to the misery of the bowlers. CSK have had brilliant opening partnerships in past seasons too, and McCullum and Smith, who came together in the 2014 edition, have successfully ensured that they fill the void.
4. Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir
The duo of Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir were one of the most consistent opening pairs in world cricket during their time together. Apart from forming a successful partnership for India across all three formats, they also enjoyed great success with the Delhi Daredevils from 2008 to 2010.
They had a great understanding of each other’s strengths and complemented each other brilliantly. While Sehwag would go after the bowling right from the word go, Gambhir would take his time to get his eye in before expanding his range of strokes. In the 3 IPL seasons together, they aggregated 732 with four half-century stands and one century stand of 122.
5. Murali Vijay and Michael Hussey
While Murali Vijay and Michael Hussey weren’t acclaimed as a great opening pair, their statistics are second to none. After all, they are the only opening pair to have scored 1000 or more runs together in the IPL.
They put on 8 half-century partnerships and 2 century partnerships in 28 innings at an average of 40.92 with their highest partnership being 159, which came in the final of the 2011 IPL season against RCB and helped CSK lift their second IPL innings. While Vijay would come up with a truly brilliant knock every once in a while, Hussey was extremely consistent as he churned out runs match after match.
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