Top 5 run-scoring pairs for India in Twenty20 Internationals

Back in the day when the Twenty20 format was conceived, India were the most reluctant nation to come on board. But then, 10 years down the line, India have become the hotspot as far as this format is concerned and with the Indian Premier League growing from strength to strength, there is only one way this format can progress.

Indian cricketers are superstars in the format and with the plethora of talent at their disposal, they are genuine threats.

In this slider, we take a look at five pairs of batsmen who have been the most successful for India in T20Is.

#5 Virat Kohli-Yuvraj Singh

Probably the best in the business, Yuvraj Singh took to Twenty20 like a hurricane, and in many ways set the template for the format for the years to come.

And then there is Virat Kohli, the modern day giant against the white ball. Together, this duo has been a prolific pair for India over the years.

In the 15 innings they have played together so far, they have scored 602 runs at an average of 43 and a run rate of 7.75.

Also, they have have been involved in six partnerships of over 50 and have remained unbeaten once.

#4 Virat Kohli-Suresh Raina

Suresh Raina is currently out of favour with the national selectors but there is no denying his worth and impact in the shortest format of the game.

In many ways, he is the perfect T20 batsman, who can get going from the get-go and win you matches all on his own.

Along with Kohli, he has been involved in plenty of match-defining partnerships for India and has been responsible for several moments of reckoning down the years.

In 19 innings together, Kohli and Raina have scored 645 runs at an average of 37.94 and with a run rate of 8.16.

They have remained unbeaten on a couple of occasions and their highest partnership is 134.

#3 Virat Kohli-Rohit Sharma

Arguably two of the greatest limited-overs batsmen currently, Rohit and Kohli have enjoyed each other's company over the years across all the three formats, more so in T20Is.

While Rohit opens the batting, Kohli walks in at number three and together they have not only set the tone of the innings but also put their feet on the accelerator towards the end.

They have batted together since 2010 and so far have accumulated 678 runs at an average of 37.66 and with a run rate of 8.35.

Apart from this, their highest partnership is worth 138 runs. They have also been involved in three 50 and two century stands!

These numbers underline the impact the duo has had on Indian cricket over the last five years.

#2 MS Dhoni-Yuvraj Singh

If Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have become stalwarts for India in the recent past, back in the day, MS Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh paved the way for the next generation as they set the benchmark for the rest.

Yuvraj at four and Dhoni at five have been brilliant for India over the years as they have won plenty of matches from a position of no hope, etching their names in memory forever.

In 23 innings, the flamboyant duo has scored 730 runs at an average of 38.42 and with a run rate of 9.69.

Together, they have been involved in five 50 and a solitary century stand and their highest partnership is worth an unbeaten 102.

#1 Shikhar Dhawan-Rohit Sharma

The Indian openers against the white ball have been instrumental for the recent success of the team.

They have come together perfectly for the team and have become one of the most prolific run-scoring pairs in the recent past.

Hence, it is no surprise that they occupy the top position in this list and if their form continues, they will only consolidate their position as the number one pair.

From 2013 till date, they have played together in 25 innings and have scored 762 runs at an average of 30.48 and with a run rate of 7.81.

Moreover, they have been involved in three 50 and one century stand together and their highest partnership is 158.