Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers hold the record for most 100+ partnerships in IPL history, with 10 century stands for the Royal Challengers Bangalore. Chris Gayle and Virat Kohli sit second with 9 century partnerships, while Gujarat Titans openers B Sai Sudharsan and Shubman Gill rank third with 7 century stands.
This article covers every major IPL pair with multiple 100-plus partnerships, team-wise breakdowns, Virat Kohli’s unmatched record, and key context heading into IPL 2026.
Complete List of IPL Pairs With Most 100+ Partnerships (Updated to IPL 2026)
Below is the full ranked table of batting pairs with the most 100-plus partnerships in IPL history. The data is sourced from askcricinfo, which pulls from ESPNcricinfo Statsguru.
| Rank | Pair | Team | 100+ Partnerships |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | AB de Villiers & V Kohli | Royal Challengers Bangalore | 10 |
| 2 | CH Gayle & V Kohli | Royal Challengers Bangalore | 9 |
| 3 | B Sai Sudharsan & Shubman Gill | Gujarat Titans | 7 |
| 4 | S Dhawan & DA Warner | Sunrisers Hyderabad | 6 |
| 4 | F du Plessis & V Kohli | Royal Challengers Bangalore/Bengaluru | 6 |
| 6 | Abhishek Sharma & TM Head | Sunrisers Hyderabad | 5 |
| 6 | MA Agarwal & KL Rahul | Kings XI Punjab / Punjab Kings | 5 |
| 6 | JM Bairstow & DA Warner | Sunrisers Hyderabad | 5 |
| 6 | G Gambhir & RV Uthappa | Kolkata Knight Riders | 5 |
| 10 | DP Conway & RD Gaikwad | Chennai Super Kings | 4 |
| 10 | S Dhawan & KS Williamson | Sunrisers Hyderabad | 4 |
| 10 | F du Plessis & GJ Maxwell | Royal Challengers Bangalore | 4 |
| 10 | CH Gayle & KL Rahul | Kings XI Punjab | 4 |
| 10 | V Kohli & D Padikkal | Royal Challengers Bangalore/Bengaluru | 4 |
| 15 | JC Buttler & SV Samson | Rajasthan Royals | 3 |
Top 5 IPL Duos With Most 100+ Partnerships: Detailed Breakdown
The top five pairs account for a disproportionate share of IPL’s century stands. Four of them belong to just two franchises, Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Sunrisers Hyderabad.
1. Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers: 10 Century Partnerships (RCB)
Kohli and AB de Villiers combined for 10 century partnerships in IPL history, the most by any pair. They played together at Royal Challengers Bangalore from 2011 to 2021.
Their 229-run stand against the Gujarat Lions on May 14, 2016, remains the highest partnership in IPL history. Both batters scored centuries that afternoon at Chinnaswamy.
They also registered an unbeaten 215-run partnership against the Mumbai Indians at Wankhede in 2015. That stand still ranks second on the all-time IPL partnership charts.
On some nights, Chris Gayle got out in single digits, and it somehow made no difference, because Kohli and ABD just did Gayle’s job for him, politely and with better running between the wickets.
2. Chris Gayle and Virat Kohli: 9 Century Partnerships (RCB)
Gayle and Kohli stitched together 9 century partnerships, all for Royal Challengers Bangalore between 2011 and 2017. Their most celebrated stand came on May 17, 2012.
They added an unbeaten 204 against the Delhi Daredevils in Delhi. Gayle smashed 128* off 62 balls while Kohli made 73* off 53.
This combination defined RCB’s opening template for six seasons. Gayle handled the early six-hitting. Kohli absorbed pressure, rotated strike, and exploded in the back half.
3. B Sai Sudharsan and Shubman Gill: 7 Century Partnerships (GT)
Sai Sudharsan and Shubman Gill have produced 7-century partnerships for the Gujarat Titans, making them the most prolific opening pair of the post-2022 IPL era.
Their biggest stand was 210* against Chennai Super Kings on May 10, 2024, at Ahmedabad. Gill scored 104 and Sudharsan 103.
They repeated the trick with an unbeaten 205 against the Delhi Capitals in IPL 2025. That chase placed them among only two pairs in IPL with multiple 200+ stands.
Since the Gujarat Titans’ debut in 2022, Gill has been involved in 11 of the franchise’s 13 century partnerships.
4. Shikhar Dhawan and David Warner: 6 Century Partnerships (SRH)
Dhawan and Warner contributed 6 century stands for Sunrisers Hyderabad between 2013 and 2019. Their peak year was 2016, the season SRH won the title.
Their 137-run partnership against KKR in 2017 captured the pair at their best. Dhawan’s left-handed touch complemented Warner’s relentless aggression.
Warner shifted to the Delhi Capitals in 2020, and Dhawan followed a year later. The pair never reunited at the franchise level after SRH’s 2019 campaign.
5. Faf du Plessis and Virat Kohli: 6 Century Partnerships (RCB)
Kohli and du Plessis tied Dhawan-Warner with 6 century stands for RCB from 2022 to 2024. Their standout season was 2023, with multiple 100+ opening stands.
Du Plessis captained RCB during this stretch. Kohli finished 2022 and 2023 among the top run-scorers, and the pair’s consistency at the top was central to RCB’s playoff pushes.
IPL Pairs With 5 Century Partnerships
Four duos sit on the 5-partnership mark. Three opened the innings, one batted together lower down.
Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head (SRH)
Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head have registered 5 century partnerships for Sunrisers Hyderabad since 2024. Their explosive powerplay approach fundamentally reshaped SRH’s batting identity.
SRH posted 287/3 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru on March 25, 2024, the highest total in IPL history at that point. The Abhishek-Head partnership was the foundation.
Mayank Agarwal and KL Rahul (Punjab Kings)
Agarwal and Rahul combined for 5 century partnerships at Kings XI Punjab and Punjab Kings between 2018 and 2021. Both were key Indian top-order batters in that window.
Their most memorable effort came against RCB in 2019, when they added a quickfire 100+ stand at Mohali. Agarwal matched Rahul run for run during their peak years.
Jonny Bairstow and David Warner (SRH)
Bairstow and Warner put up 5 century stands for SRH, primarily in the 2019 season. Their 185-run opening partnership against RCB on March 31, 2019, was the highest opening stand in IPL history at the time.
Warner made 100* off 55 balls, and Bairstow hit 114 off 56. That record stood until KL Rahul and Quinton de Kock broke it in 2022.
Gautam Gambhir and Robin Uthappa (KKR)
Gambhir and Uthappa accounted for 5 century stands for the Kolkata Knight Riders between 2014 and 2017. They anchored KKR’s 2014 title-winning middle-order stability.
Uthappa won the Orange Cap in 2014 with 660 runs. Gambhir captained the side through the entire run.
IPL Pairs With 4 Century Partnerships
Five pairs share the 4-partnership mark across CSK, SRH, RCB, and Punjab Kings.
- Devon Conway and Ruturaj Gaikwad (CSK): 4 century stands since 2022, with Gaikwad taking over CSK captaincy in 2024.
- Shikhar Dhawan and Kane Williamson (SRH): 4 century stands between 2015 and 2017. Williamson captained SRH to the 2018 final.
- Faf du Plessis and Glenn Maxwell (RCB): 4 century partnerships across 2022 and 2023, often batting in middle-over phases.
- Chris Gayle and KL Rahul (Kings XI Punjab): 4 century stands from 2018 to 2020. Rahul was the captain during the 2020 season.
- Virat Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal (RCB): 4 century partnerships, including a strong 2021 season when Padikkal opened alongside Kohli.
Rajasthan Royals: Buttler and Samson With 3 Century Partnerships
Jos Buttler and Sanju Samson have 3 century partnerships for the Rajasthan Royals. Their most productive phase came during the 2022 season when RR reached the final.
Buttler won the Orange Cap in IPL 2022 with 863 runs and four centuries. Samson continues to lead the Rajasthan Royals into IPL 2026.
Franchise Dominance: RCB and SRH Lead the Charts
Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Sunrisers Hyderabad each account for 4 pairs in the top 15. No other franchise comes close in the current list.
| Franchise | Pairs in Top 15 | Key Combinations |
|---|---|---|
| Royal Challengers Bengaluru | 5 | Kohli-ABD, Kohli-Gayle, Kohli-du Plessis, Kohli-Padikkal, du Plessis-Maxwell |
| Sunrisers Hyderabad | 4 | Dhawan-Warner, Bairstow-Warner, Abhishek-Head, Dhawan-Williamson |
| Kings XI Punjab / Punjab Kings | 2 | Agarwal-Rahul, Gayle-Rahul |
| Gujarat Titans | 1 | Sudharsan-Gill |
| Kolkata Knight Riders | 1 | Gambhir-Uthappa |
| Chennai Super Kings | 1 | Conway-Gaikwad |
| Rajasthan Royals | 1 | Buttler-Samson |
Royal Challengers Bengaluru won their maiden IPL title in 2025 under Rajat Patidar. The Kohli-centric top-order era across a decade laid the foundation for that breakthrough.
Virat Kohli: The Common Thread in 25 Century Partnerships
Virat Kohli has been part of 25 century partnerships across the IPL, more than any other batter.
He features in four separate pairs within the top 15, a feat unmatched. His combinations span from Chris Gayle in the early RCB years to Devdutt Padikkal in the 2021 rebuild.
Kohli has also scored 8 IPL centuries, the most by any batter. Jos Buttler sits second with 7 IPL hundreds.
Kohli’s ability to anchor an innings and allow big-hitting partners to attack is the structural reason behind his partnership tally. The statistical pattern is consistent across ABD, Gayle, du Plessis, and Padikkal.
Why Century Partnerships Matter in T20 Cricket
A 100-plus partnership typically accounts for 50 to 60 percent of a T20 team’s total. When a pair crosses 100, the side usually posts 180 or more.
Franchises that win IPL trophies tend to feature at least one regular 100+ pairing. Gujarat Titans built their 2022 title run around Hardik Pandya’s finishing stands.
RCB’s 2025 title win leaned on Virat Kohli’s anchor role at the top, with Phil Salt and Rajat Patidar providing the acceleration. The pattern repeats across champions.
IPL 2026: Pairs Most Likely to Add Century Stands
IPL 2026 started in late March 2026, and several existing pairs remain primed to climb this list.
Key duos to track this season:
- Sai Sudharsan and Shubman Gill for the Gujarat Titans are already at 7 and closing fast on the RCB pairs ahead.
- Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head for Sunrisers Hyderabad, the fastest-scoring opening pair in the league right now.
- Virat Kohli and Phil Salt for RCB, with Kohli moving to open the innings in 2026.
Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers remain the kings of IPL 100+ partnerships with 10 century stands!
and no pair has come close to matching that tally. Gujarat Titans’ Sai Sudharsan and Shubman Gill are the most serious challengers, having already reached 7 stands in less than four seasons. IPL 2026 offers the GT duo a clear runway to keep closing the gap.
Franchises like RCB and SRH continue to dominate this list, underlining how consistent opening pairs shape title runs in T20 cricket.
