5 pairs with most hundred-run partnerships in ODIs

Cricket is considered to be a batsman's game, and ODI cricket in particular has always been dominated by the willow-wielders. Batsmen have taken full advantage of the rules to score big and quick runs in the 50-over format.

But while the batsmen have made huge scores individually, there have been certain players who have hunted in pairs. These players develop such a strong understanding with one another that they regularly combine to form big partnerships.

There are a few batting pairs that have been involved in a barrage of big match-winning partnerships for their teams. Here is a look at five pairs with the most century partnerships in ODI cricket.

#5 Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma - 16

Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma

Both Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma did not have the best of starts to their international cricket. Around the time of the 2013 Champions Trophy, India were looking to move on from the likes of Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir as they brought in Dhawan, who had a fantastic start to his Test career.

In a surprising move by MS Dhoni, Rohit was asked to open with Dhawan. Rohit was struggling to find his feet in international cricket at that time and Dhoni's decision to elevate him as an opener raised quite a few eyebrows.

But the decision paid off, and Dhawan and Rohit were involved in a 127-run stand in the very first match they opened together. They haven't looked back since.

The Delhi-Mumbai duo have been India's first-choice openers in ODIs for the last six years and have scored 4753 runs together. Dhawan and Rohit have opened together in 107 innings where they have had 16 hundred-run partnerships.

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#4 Adam Gilchrist, Matthew Hayden - 16

Adam Gilchrist and Matthew Hayden

Adam Gilchrist and Matthew Hayden are arguably the most destructive opening pair of all time. Both the batsmen were known for their ability to take the attack to the opposition, putting the bowlers under tremendous pressure right from the start of the innings.

Together, Gilchrist and Hayden were involved in 16 hundred-run partnerships for the Kangaroos. They also have 29 half-century partnerships to their name.

Batting together in 117 innings, Gilchrist and Hayden scored 5409 runs at an average of 47.44. They were an integral part of the Australian team that is considered to be the strongest team of this era.

Gilchrist and Hayden opened the innings for the Aussies in the 2003 and 2007 World Cups and they are among the few cricketers who have won every World Cup they have played in.

#3 Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli - 17

Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli

Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are undoubtedly two modern greats of ODI cricket. Rohit and Kohli have played some sensational knocks for Team India in the past few years and are considered to be the best in the business.

Their personal relationship has often been a topic of interest in the media. There have been several instances where a clash of opinions between the two has surfaced, giving rise to stories that everything isn't well between them.

However, their on-field partnership tells a different story altogether. Kohli and Rohit have batted in 77 innings together where they have scored 4732 runs at a staggering average of 65.72.

Kohli and Rohit have been involved in 17 hundred-run partnerships. With a lot of cricket still left in both the legends, these numbers are only going to get better.

#2 Kumar Sangakkara, Tillakaratne Dilshan - 20

Kumar Sangakkara and Tillakaratne Dilshan

Kumar Sangakkara and Tillakaratne Dilshan are two of the greatest Sri Lankan cricketers ever. Both Dilshan and Sangakkara have scored more than 10,000 runs in ODI cricket.

While Sangakkara cemented his place in the national side quite early in his career, Dilshan had a bumpy start to his career. Dilshan was considered a bits and pieces player for a long time and was even dropped from the side a few times.

But he found his touch once he started to open in ODIs. Dilshan was known for his aggressive approach, and he played some swashbuckling innings for the Lankan tigers.

On the other hand, Sangakkara just got better with time and eventually became the mainstay of Sri Lanka's batting.

Dilshan and Sangakkara batted together in as many as 108 innings where they accumulated 5475 runs at an impressive average of 53.67. They stitched together 20 hundred-run and 19 fifty-run partnerships.

#1 Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly - 26

Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly

Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly walking out to the middle together in Indian colours was among the first cricket memories of many in the previous generation. The left-hand / right-hand batting combination did wonders for Team India in the late 90s and early 2000s.

The Prince of Kolkata and the Master blaster batted together in as many as 176 innings, which is a record in ODI cricket. They loved each other's company in the middle and went on to score 8227 runs at an average of 47.55 batting together for India, which is again a record for most runs by any pair in the history of ODI cricket.

The Ganguly-Tendulkar combination was involved in 26 hundred-run partnerships. That is despite the fact that they did not open together in the latter part of their careers.