Top 5 best opening pairs in IPL history ft. Sai Sudharsan & Shubman Gill

Team success in the IPL depends on several variables, starting with the retentions, auction moves, and the players' form and impact on the field. However, it is hard to argue that batting in the powerplay has become a vital factor in dictating the outcome of an IPL game.

A case in point could be the Chennai Super Kings (CSK), whose struggles at the top with the bat has them placed at the bottom of the table. Conversely, the Gujarat Titans (GT) have flourished with seven wins in ten matches, thanks predominantly to the excellent opening partnership of Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan.

The duo have peeled off runs for fun at the top, setting the base for onslaughts later in the innings. The pair's latest heroics was a 41-ball 87 as a partnership against the SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH), setting up GT's massive total of 224 and an eventual 38-run win.

Gill and Sudharsan's partnerships have fans wondering if they are witnessing the best opening pair in IPL history. The league has been blessed with several brilliant opening combinations in its 18-year history.

Yet, the Gill-Sudharsan duo has undeniably placed themselves among the pantheon of legends for opening pairs.

Where do they rank among the top five best opening pairs in IPL history? Let us find out.

# 5 Michael Hussey and Murali Vijay

With CSK's struggles in the powerplay in IPL 2025, some of their accomplished opening pairs from the past have been doing the rounds on social media. One such was the ever-reliable opening pair of Michael Hussey and Murali Vijay between the 2011 and 2013 seasons.

The pair are ninth all-time for runs as an opening pair with 1,360 runs at an excellent average of 41.21 in 34 innings. The duo shared 11 half-centuries and two century partnerships to help CSK consistently get off to flying starts.

Furthermore, the Hussey-Vijay pairing had a massive impact on CSK's success, with the side winning the title in 2011 and finishing runners-up in 2012 and 2013.

# 4 Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan

Next comes the opening partnership that has been the talk of the ongoing IPL, Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan. The duo has only opened since the middle of last season and are already inching close to the 1,000-run mark.

Gill and Sudharsan have added 956 runs at an extraordinary average of 73.53 in a mere 13 innings. A more stunning stat is that the pair have crossed a partnership of 50 in nine of their 13 innings, including three century partnerships.

They also tied the record for the best-ever opening partnership in IPL history (KL Rahul and Quinton de Kock the other) with their 210-run stand against the Chennai Super Kings last year.

# 3 Virat Kohli and Faf du Plessis

Virat Kohli and Faf du Plessis had an IPL 2023 for the ages [Credit: Getty]

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) fans will joyfully remember 2022 to 2024 for the scintillating opening partnerships between Virat Kohli and Faf du Plessis. If AB de Villiers and Kohli thrilled Indian fans with their incredible partnerships for a decade, it was another South African legend making merry with the ace Indian batter.

The Faf-Kohli partnership is the second most prolific among opening pairs in IPL history, with 1,890 runs. The duo opened in 37 innings, averaging a brilliant 51.08 with five century partnerships and nine half-century stands.

Their opening partnerships also played a massive role in RCB qualifying for the playoffs in 2022 and 2024. The duo also hold the single-season record for the most runs by an opening pair, with 939 runs in the 2023 season.

# 2 Devon Conway and Ruturaj Gaikwad

The elegant opening pair helped CSK win the title in 2023 [Credit: Getty]

One of CSK's biggest blunders in the ongoing IPL was never opening the batting with Devon Conway and Ruturaj Gaikwad. The duo opened in the 2022 and 2023 IPL seasons with much success, helping CSK win their fifth title in 2023.

The Conway-Gaikwad partnership has scored over 1,200 runs in 22 innings at an average of 54.90, including four centuries and six half-centuries. A seamless mixture of caution and aggression, this partnership is second all-time for most runs in a single season, with 849 in 2023.

# 1 David Warner and Shikhar Dhawan

The David Warner-Shikhar Dhawan pairing is undoubtedly the most underrated opening partnership in IPL history. The duo opened for the SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) in their most successful period from 2014 to 2017.

They remain the only opening pair with over 2,000 runs in partnership in IPL history.

Dhawan and Warner scored a stunning 2,220 runs as an opening combination at an average of 47.23 with 18 50+ stands, including six century partnerships, in 48 innings. The pair played a massive role in SRH's lone IPL title in 2016.