5 Highest Partnerships In T20 World Cup History till February 5, 2026

Alex Hales, Jos Buttler (L) and Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan (R) (Source: X)

The T20 World Cup has a rich history of sensational batting performances since the tournament’s first edition 19 years ago in 2007. In the nine editions across this time period, a lot of batters have displayed their prowess at the highest level in the game’s shortest format. 

Apart from the individual batting heroics, partnerships have also been major highlights in the tournament’s history. Here in this article, we look at the five highest partnerships in World T20 history, ranked by the number of runs scored in each stand. 

5 Highest partnerships in T20 World Cup history

Alex Hales and Jos Buttler - 170* runs, T20 World Cup 2022 

For India, it was one of their most horrible World T20 memories in the entire history of the tournament when they lost to England in the semi-final of the 2022 edition. The then-England skipper Jos Buttler won the toss and asked India to bat first. 

The Men in Blue posted 168 runs for the loss of six wickets in the allotted 20 overs. While chasing the target, England’s opening pair of skipper Jos Buttler (80) and Alex Hales (86) stitched a historic partnership. 

The duo added an unbeaten stand of 170 runs for the first wicket in just 16 overs, winning the game by a huge margin of 10 wickets. It is the highest-ever partnership in the T20 World Cup history. 

Rilee Rossouw and Quinton de Kock - 168 runs, T20 World Cup 2022 

South Africa batted first after winning the toss against Bangladesh in the 22nd match of the tournament’s 2022 edition. The Proteas lost the skipper and opener, Temba Bavuma, at the team’s score of just two runs in the first over. 

However, Bavuma’s dismissal was followed by an iconic second-wicket partnership between wicketkeeper-batter Quinton de Kock (63) and Rilee Rossouw (109). The duo added 168 runs and helped their side score 205 runs for the loss of five wickets in the first innings. 

South Africa won this game by a huge margin of 104 runs. Amla-De Kock’s 168-run stand is the second-highest partnership of all-time in the tournament’s 19-year span. 

Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene - 166 runs, T20 World Cup 2010 

Apart from showcasing their legendary batting in the Tests and ODIs, the former Sri Lankan batting greats, Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene, also shone in the T20Is. In the T20 World Cup 2010’s 16th match, the Islanders took on the West Indies at the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown. 

Sri Lankan skipper, Kumara Sangakkara, won the toss and elected to bat first. They lost Sanath Jayasuriya (6) early at the score of just seven runs in the third over. But then came a mammoth partnership of 166 runs for the second wicket between Kumar Sangakkara and former skipper Mahela Jayawardene. 

Sangakkara was dismissed at 68 runs off 49 balls, followed by Jayawardene’s unbeaten 98 runs off just 56 balls, with nine fours and four sixes. These contributions helped the Islanders post 195 runs for the loss of three wickets. 

Later in the second innings, the Sri Lankan bowlers restricted the Caribbean side to the score of 138 runs for the loss of eight wickets in the entire 20 overs. This 166-run partnership between Sangakkara and Jayawardene is the fourth-highest partnership of all time in the T20 World Cup history. 

Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran - 154 runs, T20 World Cup 2024 

Afghanistan and Uganda faced off in the fifth match of the T20 World Cup 2024 at the Providence Stadium in Guyana. Uganda skipper Brian Masaba won the toss and decided to bowl first. However, the Afghanistan openers, Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran, made Masaba regret his decision. 

The Gurbaz-Zadran duo stitched an outstanding opening partnership of 154 runs in just 14.3 overs. Rahmanullah Gurbaz scored 76 runs off just 45 balls, alongside Ibrahim Zadran’s 70 runs off 46 balls, with nine fours and a six. This partnership helped Afghanistan post 183 runs for the loss of five wickets in 20 overs. 

Later in the second innings, Afghanistan bundled out Uganda at just 58 runs in 16 overs, with Fazalhaq Farooqi’s astonishing bowling figures of ‘five wickets for just nine runs in four overs’. 

The opening partnership of 154 runs between Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran is the fourth-highest partnership of all time in the tournament’s history. 

Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam - 152* runs, T20 World Cup 2021

The high-octane group-stage clash between the arch-rivals, India and Pakistan, was a contest which the former will always want to forget. The Men in Blue took on the Babar Azam-led side in the 16th match of the 2021 edition in Dubai. Pakistan won the toss and asked India to bat first. 

Most of the Indian batters, except for Virat Kohli (57) and Rishabh Pant (39), struggled against Pakistan’s bowling attack. Eventually, India were restricted to the score of 151 runs for the loss of seven wickets in the allotted 20 overs. 

While chasing the target, Pakistan’s opening pair of Mohammad Rizwan (79 runs off 55 balls) and skipper Babar Azam (68 runs off 52 balls) completely dominated the Indian bowlers. 

They stitched an unbeaten and match-winning partnership of 152 runs in just 17.5 overs, helping the Men in Green win the game by a huge margin of 10 wickets. The Babar-Rizwan partnership stands fifth in the list of the five highest partnerships in World T20 history.