50-over format ODI cricket has always been dominated by the willow-wielders. Batsmen have taken full advantage of the rules to score big and quick runs. While many batsmen have made huge scores individually, there have been certain players who have hunted in pairs.
Here is a look at five pairs with the most century partnerships in ODI cricket.
#1 Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly – 26
The left-hand / right-hand batting combination did wonders for Team India in the late 90s and early 2000s. The Prince of Kolkata and the Master blaster batted together in as many as 176 innings. They went on to score 8227 runs at an average of 47.55 batting together for India, which is again a record for most runs by any pair in the history of ODI cricket. The Ganguly-Tendulkar combination was involved in 26 hundred-run partnerships.
#2 Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma – 16
Both Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma were involved in a 127-run stand in the very first match they opened together. They haven’t looked back since. The Delhi-Mumbai duo has been India’s first-choice openers in ODIs for the last six years and has scored 4753 runs together. Dhawan and Rohit have opened together in 107 innings where they have had 16 hundred-run partnerships.
#3 Adam Gilchrist, Matthew Hayden – 16
Together Adam Gilchrist and Matthew Hayden were involved in 16 hundred-run partnerships for the Kangaroos. They also have 29 half-century partnerships to their name. Batting together in 117 innings, Gilchrist and Hayden scored 5409 runs at an average of 47.44. Gilchrist and Hayden opened the innings for the Aussies in the 2003 and 2007 World Cups and they are among the few cricketers who have won every World Cup they have played in.
#4 Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli – 17
Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s on-field partnership is beyond imagination. Kohli and Rohit have batted in 77 innings together where they have scored 4732 runs at a staggering average of 65.72. Kohli and Rohit have been involved in 17 hundred-run partnerships. With a lot of cricket still left in both the legends, these numbers are only going to get better.
#5 Kumar Sangakkara, Tillakaratne Dilshan – 20
Kumar Sangakkara and Tillakaratne Dilshan are two of the greatest Sri Lankan cricketers ever. Both Dilshan and Sangakkara have scored more than 10,000 runs in ODI cricket. Dilshan and Sangakkara batted together in as many as 108 innings where they accumulated 5475 runs at an impressive average of 53.67. They stitched together 20 hundred-run and 19 fifty-run partnerships.