Top 5 cricket teams with the best opening pairs in limited overs cricket history

#4 Sri Lanka

Jayasuriya formed a potent opening partnership with Atapattu

The meteoric rise of Sri Lanka in limited overs cricket has been largely achieved through the free-flowing style of batting adopted by their openers all through the 90s.

Sri Lanka created a distinct style of their own after skipper Arjuna Ranatunga introduced the concept of pinch-hitting in the mid-90s.

Sanath Jayasuriya became one of the most fearsome openers in ODIs with his power-packed hitting. Jayasuriya mauled bowling attacks with his diminutive opening partner Romesh Kaluwitharana.

Both Jayasuriya and ‘Little Kalu’ got the Sri Lankans to some breezy starts with their destructive strokeplay and destroyed the morale of the opposition. In the mid-90s, the combo became the most feared opening pair in limited overs cricket.

In the first half of the next decade, Jayasuriya formed a potent opening pair with the technically sound Marvan Atapattu. While Jayasuriya was the aggressor, Atapattu steadied the innings with his conventional style of batting.

With the turn of the century, Tillakaratne Dilshan came onto the scene and threaded the same path as his counterparts.

Dilshan was an attacking opener who tore apart attacks with his wide array of shots. Dilshan formed handy opening partnerships with seasoned openers like Upul Tharanga and Mahela Jayawardene which served Lankan cricket well in the last two decades.