The highest partnership in T20 World Cup cricket belongs to the English pair of Alex Hales and Jos Buttler who added a mammoth 170-run stand for the opening wicket in the Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 semi-final against India in Adelaide. They had broken the record set by the South African pair of Rilee Rossouw against Bangladesh a few matches earlier in the tournament.
Partnerships in any form of cricket are critical in the overall result going in favour of the team. When two batters craft a strong partnership, it benefits the entire team, not just the two players. And, this is especially crucial in a T20 World Cup game where the stakes are high. It is always said in cricket that the batters who are in should try and see out the game for their side, and in the T20 format, where it is not always easy to start, this becomes even more crucial.
Over the years, there have been many partnerships in cricket which have become iconic. SR Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly broke many records during their day. Then RG Sharma and KL Rahul, RG Sharma and S Dhawan have also had crucial stands for India in the T20 World Cup and beyond.
In this article, we will take a look at the players who hold the record for the highest partnership in the T20 World Cup, not just overall but also wicket-wise.
Highest partnership in T20 World Cup history (Overall)
| Position | Partners | Runs | Wicket | Team | Opposition | Year |
| 1 | Alex Hales, Jos Buttler | 170 | 1st | England | India | 2022 |
| 2 | Rilee Rossouw, Quinton de Kock | 168 | 2nd | South Africa | Bangladesh | 2022 |
| 3 | Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene | 166 | 2nd | Sri Lanka | West Indies | 2010 |
| 4 | Rahmanullah Gubaz, Ibrahim Zadran | 154 | 1st | Afghanistan | Uganda | 2024 |
| 5 | Mohammad Rizwan, Babar Azam | 152 | 1st | Pakistan | India | 2021 |
| 6 | Eoin Morgan, Alex Hales | 152 | 3rd | England | Sri Lanka | 2014 |
| 7 | Dwayne Smith, Chris Gayle | 145 | 1st | West Indies | South Africa | 2007 |
| 8 | Tillakaratne Dilshan, Mahela Jayawardene | 145 | 2nd | Sri Lanka | England | 2014 |
| 9 | Salman Butt, Kamran Akmal | 142 | 1st | Pakistan | Bangladesh | 2010 |
| 10 | Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul | 120 | 1st | India | Afghanistan | 2021 |
Alex Hales and Jos Buttler – 170, England vs India, 2022
Alex Hales and Jos Buttler ran riot in the semi-final game of the T20 World Cup 2022 against India in Adelaide. Having sent India to bat, England restricted them to 168 runs for the loss of 6 wickets, with India’s intent coming under the scanner. That they managed to score that much was down to Hardik Pandya’s cameo. In reply, Buttler and Hales did not give them a chance. While Buttler scored 80* off just 49 balls with nine fours and three sixes, Hales slammed 86* off 47 balls. The duo helped England win the game without even losing a single wicket. The English team chased down the target in just 16 overs. This remains the highest stand in the history of T20 World Cup cricket.
Rilee Rossouw and Quinton de Kock – 168, South Africa vs Bangladesh, 2022
While AB de Villiers is undoubtedly the most prolific player to have ever worn a South African jersey, he does not feature on this list. Next on the list for the highest partnerships in T20 World Cup cricket are Q de Kock and R Rossouw. They put up a mammoth 168-run stand for the second wicket during South Africa’s group stage game against Bangladesh at the T20 World Cup 2022. Batting first on a glorious day in Sydney, South Africa lost their captain Temba Bavuma early. But both de Kock and Rossouw sent Bangladesh on a leather hunt after that. Rossouw smashed 109 off just 56 balls, while de Kock scored 63 off 38 as South Africa amassed 202 for 5 in their 20 overs. Bangladesh were bundled out for a mere 101 in the chase.
Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene – 166, Sri Lanka vs West Indies, 2010
They are the two most prolific names in the history of Sri Lankan cricket. Jayawardene and Sangakkara already hold the record for the highest stand in the history of Test cricket and are quite high up on this list as well. They held the record for the highest partnership in T20 World Cup history for 12 years. In the group game of the T20 World Cup 2010, they got together and added 166 runs for the second wicket to help Sri Lanka score a massive 195 for 3 against hosts West Indies. While Jayawardene remained unbeaten on 98 off 56 balls, Sangakkara scored 68 off 49 balls. West Indies could only manage 138 for 8 in the second innings.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran – 154, Afghanistan vs Uganda, 2024
This is the most recent entry on this list. Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim gave the Uganda bowlers a hard time at the T20 World Cup 2024. Sent into bat in a group game in Providence, they added 154 runs for the opening wicket in just 14.3 overs to set up a big total for Afghanistan. While Gurbaz finished unbeaten on 76 off 45 balls with four fours and four sixes, Zadran scored 70 off 46 with nine fours and a six. Afghanistan posted a massive 183 for 5 in their 20 overs and then bundled out Uganda for 58.
Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam – 152, India vs Pakistan, 2021
Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam’s epic 152-run stand will be etched in every Indian fan’s mind. It was a heartbreaking moment for a lot of them. Batting first at the T20 World Cup 2021, India were restricted to 151 for 7 in their 20 overs. In reply, Babar and Rizwan did not drop guard and chased down the target without even losing a single wicket. Such was the force of their onslaught that India could never recover and was out of the tournament after the group stage itself. This was the first time in the history of Pakistan cricket that they had beaten India in any World Cup fixture.
Eoin Morgan and Alex Hales – 152, England vs Sri Lanka, 2014
The next name on the list is the English pair of Eoin Morgan and Alex Hales. It was a truly memorable innings for any England fan with Hales, in particular, hitting the ball to corners of the Chattogram venue at the T20 World Cup 2014. Chasing a huge 190 in a group stage game, England were reduced to 0 for 2 in the first over. But Hales and Morgan did not give Sri Lanka a chance after that. Hales smashed 116* off just 64 balls, with his innings including 11 fours and six sixes. He added 152 runs for the third wicket with Morgan and it was their stand that paved the way for an England win. They chased won 190 in 19.2 overs.
Dwayne Smith and Chris Gayle – 145, West Indies vs South Africa, 2007
This one came in the first match ever at a T20 World Cup back in 2007 in Johannesburg. Dwayne Smith and Chris Gayle lit up the tournament with a 145-run stand for the opening wicket against hosts South Africa. Smith was more the silent partner as he scored 35 off 34 balls, but Gayle hammered 117 just off just 57 balls, with his innings inclusive of seven fours and ten massive sixes. West Indies posted 205 for 6 in their 20 overs and for the longest time it felt they would coast home. But, Graeme Smith and Herschelle Gibbs came out all guns firing and took South Africa to a eight-wicket win.
Mahela Jayawardene and Tillakaratne Dilshan – 145, Sri Lanka vs England, 2014
Jayawardene’s name features again on this list, this time against England at the T20 World Cup 2014. He added 145 runs with Tillakaratne Dilshan for the second wicket in a group stage game in Chattogram. Batting first, Sri Lanka posted 189 for 4 in their 20 overs, with Jayawardene unbeaten on 89 off 51 balls, his innings including 11 fours and three sixes. But Alex Hales’ stunning knock took England home in the chase. It didn’t matter though has Sri Lanka went on to lift the T20 World Cup title in the final by beating India.
Salman Butt and Kamran Akmal – 142, Pakistan vs Bangladesh, 2010
The Bangladesh bowlers were once again in the firing line, this time against Pakistan. In the group stage game of the T20 World Cup in 2010, Salman Butt and Kamran Akmal added 142 runs for the opening wicket in Gros Islet. They both scored 73 runs each, Butt off 46 balls, Akmal off 55 balls. It was a huge stand in those days as Pakistan went on to score a big 172 for 3 in their 20 overs. In reply, Bangladesh were restricted to 151 for 7. Pakistan went on to qualify for the semi-final of the T20 World Cup that year after having won the previous year in 2009.
Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul – 140, India vs Afghanistan, 2021
The tenth and last pair on this list is KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma. They added 140 runs in a group game against Afghanistan at the T20 World Cup 2021. Rahul scored 69 off 48 balls with six fours and two sixes, while Rohit smashed 74 off 47 balls with eight fours and three sixes in Abu Dhabi. Their knocks helped India amass 210 for 2 in their 20 overs. In reply, Afghanistan could only manage 144 for 7 as India won the game by 66 runs.
Highest partnership in T20 World Cup history (Wicket-wise)
FAQs
What is the highest partnership in the T20 World Cup?
The highest partnership in T20 World Cup history belongs to England’s Alex Hales and Jos Buttler who added 170 runs for the opening wicket against India in the semi-final of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 in Adelaide.
What is the highest partnership in T20 history?
The Afghanistan duo of Hazratullah Zazai and Usman Ghani hold the record for the highest partnership in T20 cricket history. They added 236 runs for the opening wicket in a T20 game against Ireland in Dehradun in 2019.
Who scored the most partnership runs in T20 World Cup?
Gayle’s contribution of 98 in his partnership of 145 with Dwayne Smith against South Africa in 2007 remains the highest any batter has scored in a partnership at the T20 World Cup.
Who has the highest opening partnership in World Cup?
The highest opening partnership in the T20 World Cup belongs to Alex Hales and Jos Buttler who put up 170 runs against India in 2022. In the ODI World that record belongs to Sri Lanka’s Upul Tharanga and Tillakaratne Dilshan who added 282 for the opening wicket against Zimbabwe in the ODI World Cup.
