Partnerships are critical to a team’s success in T20 cricket. The openers are under pressure to score immediately and lay a good platform for the rest of the innings. However, scenarios may happen in which one of the openers is called out early and the No. 3 batter is called in early in the innings. This can occur during the first over or a power play. In these situations, it is critical for the second-wicket partnership to pick up the slack and keep the innings moving. In T20 cricket, a good second-wicket partnership is equally as essential as an opening partnership and can have a considerable impact on the outcome of the game.
If the openers get off to a good start, it helps to keep the momentum going. On the other hand, it helps to prevent more wickets from being lost and assists the team in setting a good target. It is even more extremely important in the high-pressure games of the T20 World Cup. However, there aren’t many instances in World Cup history where more than 100 runs have been added for the second wicket. Only six times in history has a second-wicket partnership surpassed 100 runs. So, in this article, we will look at the top ten highest second-wicket partnerships in T20 World Cup history.
Highest Second-Wicket Partnership in theT20 World Cup
1. Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara (166) vs. West Indies in the 2010 T20 World Cup
In the third edition of this ICC event, the highest-ever second-wicket partnership was added. Sri Lanka faced the West Indies in the 16th match of the tournament at Bridgetown. Sri Lanka’s captain, Kumar Sangakkara, won the toss and chose to bat first. Sanath Jayasuriya was bowled early by Sri Lanka, having scored only six runs. After that, the captain joined Mahela Jayawardene at the crease. Both stylish batters began to play their shots to all parts of the ground and continued to score runs.
In the process, both brought up their respective half-centuries. They put up the highest second-wicket partnership of 166 runs, which is still an ICC event record. Sangakkara was dismissed after 68 runs, but Jayawardene continued and finished unbeaten on 98 runs. The Lankan Lions set West Indies a target of 195, which they were unable to meet and lost by 57 runs.
2. T. Dilshan and Mahela Jayawardene (145) vs. England in the 2014 T20 World Cup
Two Sri Lankan batters are also featured in the second instance. However, it was Tillakaratne Dilshan and Mahela Jayawardene who faced England in the 2014 World Cup in Chattogram. Stuart Broad, England’s captain, won the toss and chose to bowl first. Sri Lanka lost their opener, Kusal Perera, early in the game, forcing Jayawardene to bat. Then he and Dilshan launch an attack on the English bowlers. Surprisingly, Jayawardene took an aggressive approach, and both batters reached half-centuries.
However, after 145 runs for the second wicket, Jayawardene was caught and the partnership was broken. In those innings, he scored 89 runs and Dilshan scored 55 runs, helping their team to a total of 189. However, they were defeated by an unbeaten century from English opener Alex Hales (116*). That partnership, however, remained the second-highest ever.
3. Mitchell Marsh and David Warner (124) vs. West Indies in the T20I World Cup 2021
The third and most recent occurred at the most recent ICC event in the UAE. The 38th match of the tournament was played between the West Indies and Australia. West Indies batted first and set the Men in Yellow a 158-run target to win. While chasing the target, Australia lost skipper Aaron Finch early. Mitchell Marsha and David Warner, on the other hand, played aggressive innings. Both batters appeared to be in full swing to end it early.
That’s exactly what they did in the end. Australia reached the target of 161 in 16.2 overs, thanks to a 124-run partnership between Warner and Marsh. They also each scored a half-century. Marsh was unfortunate to be thrown out after scoring 53 runs. Warner, on the other hand, was unbeaten on 89 and was named “Man of the Match.”
T20 World Cup’s Top Second Wicket Partnerships
| Batters | Partnership | Against | Venue | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara (Sri Lanka) |
166 | West Indies | Bridgetown | 2010 |
| T. Dilshan and Mahela Jayawardene (Sri Lanka) |
145 | England | Chittagong | 2014 |
| Mitchell Marsh and David Warner (Australia) |
124 | West Indies | Abu Dhabi | 2011 |
| Craig Kieswetter and Kevin Pietersen (England) |
111 | Australia | Bridgetown | 2010 |
| Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara (Sri Lanka) |
108* | West Indies | Pallekele | 2012 |
| Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma (India) | 106 | West Indies | Dhaka | 2014 |
| Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma (India) | 100 | Bangladesh | Dhaka | 2014 |
| Michael Hussey and Shane Watson (Australia) |
99 | South Africa | Colombo | 2012 |
| Jacques Kallis and Graeme Smith (South Africa) |
97 | India | Gross Islet | 2010 |
| Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Dwayne Smith (West Indies) |
97 | Bangladesh | Johannesburg | 2007 |
FAQS
What is the highest 2nd wicket partnership in T20?
The highest second-wicket partnership in T20I is 176 runs, which was achieved by Indian pair Sanju Samsun and Deepak Hooda against Ireland on June 28, 2022, in Ireland.
What is the highest partnership in T20 World Cup?
Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara (166) vs. West Indies in the T20 World Cup in 2010. This is the most powerful partnership in the T20 World Cup.
What is the highest 1st wicket partnership in T20?
Afghanistan’s first-wicket stand of 236 by Hazratullah Zazai and Usman Ghani is the highest partnership for any wicket in T20 cricket.
Who is the fastest century in T20 International?
David Miller of South Africa holds the record for the fastest T20 international century. He only needed 35 balls to get his century against Bangladesh in 2017.
Which is the highest run chase in T20?
India successfully completed the target in 19.1 overs and scored 211 runs, breaking the record for the highest T20I chase by India.