The best IPL opening pair ever is David Warner and Shikhar Dhawan, with 2220 partnership runs for Sunrisers Hyderabad across 48 innings.
They sit ahead of Faf du Plessis and Virat Kohli (1890 runs for RCB) and Rohit Sharma-Ishan Kishan (1547 runs for MI). This article breaks down the top 10 IPL best opening pairs by career partnership runs, with data verified from ESPNcricinfo and updated to the ongoing IPL 2026 season.
Top 10 IPL Best Opening Pairs (Career Partnership Runs)
Here is the complete leaderboard of the top 10 highest-scoring opening pairs in IPL history.
| Rank | Opening Pair | Team | Innings | Total Runs | 100+ Stands | 50+ Stands | Highest Partnership |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | David Warner & Shikhar Dhawan | SRH | 48 | 2220 | 6 | 12 | 139 |
| 2 | Faf du Plessis & Virat Kohli | RCB | 37 | 1890 | 5 | 9 | 172 |
| 3 | Rohit Sharma & Ishan Kishan | MI | 43 | 1547 | 1 | 14 | 101 |
| 4 | Gautam Gambhir & Robin Uthappa | KKR | 39 | 1478 | 3 | 9 | 121 |
| 5 | Shikhar Dhawan & Prithvi Shaw | DC | 44 | 1461 | 2 | 9 | 138 |
| 6 | Jonny Bairstow & David Warner | SRH | 24 | 1401 | 5 | 7 | 185 |
| 7 | Mayank Agarwal & KL Rahul | PBKS | 24 | 1363 | 4 | 7 | 183 |
| 8 | Brendon McCullum & Dwayne Smith | CSK/GL | 38 | 1363 | 3 | 7 | 123 |
| 9 | Michael Hussey & Murali Vijay | CSK | 34 | 1360 | 2 | 11 | 159 |
| 10 | Sai Sudharsan & Shubman Gill | GT | 21 | 1341 | 6 | 4 | 210 |
Note: Rankings are based on aggregate career runs scored by an opening pair for the listed franchise. Data updated through IPL 2026.
Top 5 IPL Best Opening Pairs: Detailed Breakdown
Below is the breakdown of each of the top 5 IPL opening pairs, covering their numbers, seasons, and why they dominated.
1. David Warner and Shikhar Dhawan (SRH) – 2220 Runs
Warner and Dhawan are the undisputed kings of IPL opening pairs, with 2220 runs in 48 innings at an average of 48.10 for Sunrisers Hyderabad.
The Australian-Indian duo opened together from 2013 to 2017. They are the first opening pair in IPL history to cross 2000 partnership runs.
What makes them special is three straight seasons of 600+ partnership runs: 622 in 2015, 731 in 2016, and 646 in 2017.
No other IPL opening pair has done that. They also hold the record for most century opening stands with six, ahead of du Plessis-Kohli (5).
Their highest stand is 139 runs. Warner won three Orange Caps (2015, 2017, 2019) during this stretch
For context: their combined left-hand approach forced bowlers to change lines every over. That is why SRH powerplays were so hard to contain in that period.
- Key Stats: 48 innings, 2220 runs, 6 x 100+ stands, 12 x 50+ stands, HS 139, Avg 48.10
2. Faf du Plessis and Virat Kohli (RCB) – 1890 Runs
Du Plessis and Kohli are the second-best opening pair in IPL history, with 1890 runs in 37 innings for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
Kohli switched to opening full-time in 2022 after du Plessis joined RCB. The pair clicked instantly and dominated in IPL 2023.
In the 2023 season alone, they scored 939 partnership runs, which is the joint-most by any pair in a single IPL edition, matching Kohli-de Villiers (2016).
Their highest stand is 172 runs against Sunrisers Hyderabad on May 18, 2023, at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru.
Kohli hit 100 off 63 balls and du Plessis 62 off 39. That partnership came close to the old-man jokes against two batters past 35.
Overall, they have 5 century partnerships and 9 fifty-plus stands as openers. Kohli has retired from international cricket but will continue in the IPL with RCB in 2026.
- Key Stats: 37 innings, 1890 runs, 5 x 100+ stands, 9 x 50+ stands, HS 172, Avg 51.08
3. Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan (MI) – 1547 Runs
Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan are the best all-Indian opening pair in IPL history, with 1547 runs in 43 innings for the Mumbai Indians.
Their highest stand is 101 runs, the lowest peak among the top 5. But they got to this tally through consistent, low-fuss contributions.
What they lack in big-score theatrics, they make up for in volume. They have 14 fifty-plus opening partnerships for MI.
Worth noting: this is the only all-Indian opening pair in the top 5. Every other entry has at least one overseas player.
Mumbai Indians won the IPL in 2019 and 2020 during this pair’s peak years. Good starts at the top mattered for MI’s title runs.
Rohit has since moved down the order for MI in 2026, with Suryakumar Yadav sometimes promoted. Kishan moved to Sunrisers Hyderabad ahead of IPL 2025.
- Key Stats: 43 innings, 1547 runs, 1 x 100+ stand, 14 x 50+ stands, HS 101
4. Gautam Gambhir and Robin Uthappa (KKR) – 1478 Runs
Gambhir and Uthappa scored 1478 runs as KKR’s opening pair in 39 innings, with a highest stand of 121 and an average of 39.70.
This pair anchored both of Kolkata Knight Riders’ title-winning seasons in 2012 and 2014. Uthappa also won the Orange Cap in 2014 with 660 runs.
Their style was rotation-heavy rather than six-hitting. Gambhir’s left-hand technique paired well with Uthappa’s quick hands and strong square cuts.
Combined, they hold the record for most runs in successful IPL chases by any pair, with 1048 of their 1314 chase-phase runs coming in wins.
Before the Andre Russell and Sunil Narine power-hitting wave at KKR, this was the franchise’s most productive top-order combination.
- Key Stats: 39 innings, 1478 runs, 3 x 100+ stands, 9 x 50+ stands, HS 121, Avg 39.70
5. Shikhar Dhawan and Prithvi Shaw (DC) – 1461 Runs
Dhawan and Shaw are the Delhi Capitals’ best opening pair, with 1461 runs in 44 innings.
Dhawan is the only player to feature twice in the top 5, doing so with two different partners and two different franchises. Quite a CV.
Their best stand is 138 runs on April 15, 2023, at Wankhede Stadium against the Mumbai Indians.
They managed 9 fifty-plus and 2 hundred-plus opening stands together. Shaw’s upfront aggression and Dhawan’s calm accumulation created a tactical balance.
Delhi Capitals reached their first (and still only) IPL final in 2020 with this duo opening the innings during most of that campaign.
Both have since moved on from DC, but the 2019-2022 opening pair record still stands.
- Key Stats: 44 innings, 1461 runs, 2 x 100+ stands, 9 x 50+ stands, HS 138
Honorable Mentions: Opening Pairs Ranked 6-10
The pairs ranked 6 through 10 on this list still sit inside an elite club. Only 15 opening pairs in IPL history have crossed 1000 partnership runs
- Jonny Bairstow & David Warner (SRH): 1401 runs in 24 innings, highest stand of 185 (IPL 2019 vs RCB). Their average of 58.37 is the best among 1000+ run opening pairs.
- Mayank Agarwal & KL Rahul (PBKS): 1363 runs in 24 innings. Their 183-run stand against the Rajasthan Royals on September 27, 2020, in Sharjah is among the top 10 opening partnerships.
- Brendon McCullum & Dwayne Smith (CSK/GL): 1363 runs in 38 innings across two franchises, Chennai Super Kings and Gujarat Lions.
- Michael Hussey & Murali Vijay (CSK): 1360 runs in 34 innings. Anchored the CSK title win in 2011, with their 159-run stand a franchise highlight.
- Sai Sudharsan & Shubman Gill (GT): 1341 runs in just 21 innings. They jointly hold the all-time IPL record for the highest opening partnership (210*), set in 2024 against Chennai Super Kings
IPL 2026: Active Opening Pairs to Watch
Several active IPL 2026 opening pairs are stacking runs fast and could push into the all-time list within a couple of seasons.
Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma (Sunrisers Hyderabad)
Known as ‘Travishek’, Head and Abhishek scored 1202 runs together in the last two IPL seasons at an average of 46.23
They have 4-century partnerships and 5 fifty-plus stands. Both are left-handers and both attack from ball one, a rare combo in T20 cricket.
Sai Sudharsan and Shubman Gill (Gujarat Titans)
Already at 1341 runs in just 21 innings, this pair is the fastest to 1000+ runs in terms of average (62.17 per dismissal).
If both stay fit and together, Sudharsan-Gill could threaten the Warner-Dhawan record of 2220 runs within the next three IPL seasons.
Key Insights and IPL Opening Pair Records
Beyond the rankings, here are the most important IPL opening partnership records you need to know.
- Highest single opening stand in IPL: 210* twice, by KL Rahul-Quinton de Kock (LSG vs KKR, IPL 2022) and Shubman Gill-Sai Sudharsan (GT vs CSK, IPL 2024)
- First opening pair to 2000+ career runs: Warner-Dhawan (SRH)
- Most century-opening stands: Warner-Dhawan with 6, as per CricIndeed’s opening pair database.
- Most runs in an IPL season by an opening pair: Warner-Bairstow (SRH), 791 runs in 2019, later beaten by Kohli-du Plessis (RCB), 939 runs in IPL 2023
- Best opening pair batting average (1000+ runs): Jonny Bairstow and David Warner (SRH), with an average of 58.37 per dismissal.
- All-time 200+ IPL opening stands: Only 3, Two are 210* (tied), one is 205 (Gill-Sudharsan in IPL 2025).
- Opening pairs with 1000+ runs: Just 15 pairs in IPL history, including CSK’s Devon Conway-Ruturaj Gaikwad and RR’s Jos Buttler-Yashasvi Jaiswal.
Also Read:
David Warner and Shikhar Dhawan are the Best Opening Pair in IPL!
Opening pairs set the tempo in T20 cricket. David Warner and Shikhar Dhawan still sit at the top with 2220 IPL partnership runs, comfortably ahead of the field.
Faf du Plessis-Virat Kohli, and Rohit & Kishan round out the podium. Pairs like Travis Head-Abhishek Sharma and Sudharsan-Gill are climbing fast and could change these rankings within a couple of seasons.
For now, the 2220-run mark remains the benchmark. Cricket being cricket, though, records are made to be broken.
