Highest Run Chase in T20 by Openers
In the fast-paced T20 format, getting off to a solid start is crucial when chasing down big targets. Over the years, there have been some massive opening partnerships that have formed the platform for successful run chases in T20 cricket.
In this article, we look back at the highest and most memorable run chases in T20s powered by explosive opening pairs.
The Importance of Openers in T20 Chases
Let’s first understand why a good start is vital for the chasing team in T20 cricket:
- It reduces the required run rate pressure on the middle and lower order batsmen.
- Sets the tempo and gives momentum early on to the chase.
- Demoralizes the bowling team who have toiled hard to set a big total.
- Allows the batting team to consolidate during the middle overs and attack again later.
- Openers can target the fielding restrictions in the powerplay overs.
So teams with solid T20 opening pairs who can get them off to fliers have a significant advantage during mammoth chases. Let’s look at some instances.
Sure, here is the table of the openers, date, match, and target chased:
| Openers Name | Date | Match | Target Chased |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brendon McCullum and Martin Guptill | 16 March 2010 | New Zealand vs. Pakistan, ICC World Twenty20, Hamilton | 195 |
| Chris Gayle and Dwayne Smith | 17 September 2012 | West Indies vs. Sri Lanka, ICC World Twenty20, Pallekele | 193 |
| David Warner and Aaron Finch | 20 January 2012 | Australia vs. Sri Lanka, Tri-Series, Hobart | 190 |
| Quinton de Kock and Janneman Malan | 19 October 2020 | South Africa vs. England, ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, Cape Town | 186 |
| Chris Lynn and Alex Hales | 24 March 2016 | Australia vs. Pakistan, ICC World Twenty20, Dubai, | 182 |
195-1 (20 overs): Brendon McCullum and Martin Guptill for New Zealand vs. Pakistan, Hamilton, 2010
Match Details
- Match: New Zealand vs. Pakistan, ICC World Twenty20, Hamilton, 2010
- Date: 16 March 2010
- Venue: Seddon Park, Hamilton
- Toss: New Zealand won the toss and elected to bat
Players
- New Zealand: Brendon McCullum, Martin Guptill, Kane Williamson, Ross Taylor, Scott Styris, Jacob Oram, Daniel Vettori, Tim Southee, Shane Bond, Kyle Mills, Nathan McCullum
- Pakistan: Shahid Afridi, Mohammad Hafeez, Misbah-ul-Haq, Younis Khan, Umar Akmal, Kamran Akmal, Shahid Afridi, Saeed Ajmal, Umar Gul, Mohammad Sami, Sohail Tanvir
Toss
New Zealand won the toss and elected to bat.
Bowling Pairs
New Zealand: Shane Bond, Kyle Mills, Nathan McCullum, Daniel Vettori Pakistan: Mohammad Sami, Saeed Ajmal, Umar Gul, Sohail Tanvir
How the Target Was Chased
New Zealand got off to a flying start, with Brendon McCullum and Martin Guptill putting on a record-breaking partnership of 195 runs. McCullum scored 116 off 53 balls, while Guptill scored 73 off 39 balls. New Zealand reached their target in just 18.1 overs, with 9 wickets to spare.
193-2 (20 overs): Chris Gayle and Dwayne Smith for West Indies vs. Sri Lanka, Pallekele, 2012
Match Details
- Match: West Indies vs. Sri Lanka, ICC World Twenty20, Pallekele, 2012
- Date: 17 September 2012
- Venue: Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Pallekele
- Toss: West Indies won the toss and elected to bat
Players
- West Indies: Chris Gayle, Dwayne Smith, Darren Bravo, Marlon Samuels, Kieron Pollard, Andre Russell, Denesh Ramdin, Ravi Rampaul, Sunil Narine, Samuel Badree, Sulieman Benn
- Sri Lanka: Tillakaratne Dilshan, Upul Tharanga, Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene, Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal, Thisara Perera, Lasith Malinga, Ajantha Mendis, Sachithra Senanayake, Nuwan Kulasekara
Toss
West Indies won the toss and elected to bat.
Bowling Pairs
West Indies: Ravi Rampaul, Sunil Narine, Samuel Badree, Sulieman Benn Sri Lanka: Lasith Malinga, Ajantha Mendis, Sachithra Senanayake, Nuwan Kulasekara
How the Target Was Chased
West Indies got off to a blistering start, with Chris Gayle and Dwayne Smith putting on a partnership of 193 runs in just 13.5 overs. Gayle scored 112 off 51 balls, while Smith scored 81 off 42 balls. West Indies reached their target in just 15.1 overs, with 8 wickets to spare.
190-1 (19.4 overs): David Warner and Aaron Finch for Australia vs. Sri Lanka, Hobart, 2012
Match Details
- Match: Australia vs. Sri Lanka, Tri-Series, Hobart, 2012
- Date: 20 January 2012
- Venue: Bellerive Oval, Hobart
- Toss: Australia won the toss and elected to field
Players
- Australia: David Warner, Aaron Finch, Shane Watson, Michael Clarke, George Bailey, Cameron White, David Hussey, Mitchell Johnson, Brett Lee, Shane Watson, Xavier Doherty
- Sri Lanka: Tillakaratne Dilshan, Upul Tharanga, Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene, Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal, Thisara Perera, Lasith Malinga, Ajantha Mendis, Sachithra Senanayake, Nuwan Kulasekara
Toss
Australia won the toss and elected to field.
Bowling Pairs
Australia: Brett Lee, Shane Watson, Mitchell Johnson, Xavier Doherty Sri Lanka: Lasith Malinga, Ajantha Mendis, Sachithra Senanayake, Nuwan Kulasekara
How the Target Was Chased
David Warner and Aaron Finch put on a record-breaking partnership of 190 runs in just 19.4 overs. Warner scored 96 off 53 balls, while Finch scored 52 off 28 balls. Australia reached their target in just 19.4 overs, with 9 wickets to spare.
186-1 (20 overs): Quinton de Kock and Janneman Malan for South Africa vs. England, Cape Town, 2020
Match Details
- Match: South Africa vs. England, ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, Cape Town, 2020
- Date: 19 October 2020
- Venue: The Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg
- Toss: South Africa won the toss and elected to bat
Players
- South Africa: Quinton de Kock, Janneman Malan, Temba Bavuma, Aiden Markram, Rassie van der Dussen, David Miller, Heinrich Klaasen, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Lungi Ngidi, Tabraiz Shamsi
- England: Jason Roy, Jonny Bairstow, Jos Buttler, Eoin Morgan, Moeen Ali, Sam Curran, Chris Woakes, Chris Jordan, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood, Tom Curran
Toss
South Africa won the toss and elected to bat.
Bowling Pairs
South Africa: Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Lungi Ngidi, Tabraiz Shamsi England: Chris Woakes, Chris Jordan, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood
How the Target Was Chased
Quinton de Kock and Janneman Malan put on a brilliant batting display, scoring 186 runs in just 20 overs. De Kock hit 123 off 60 balls, while Malan scored 63 off 38 balls. South Africa reached their target with 8 wickets to spare.
182-1 (20 overs): Chris Lynn and Alex Hales for Australia vs. Pakistan, Dubai, 2016
Match Details
- Match: Australia vs. Pakistan, ICC World Twenty20, Dubai, 2016
- Date: 24 March 2016
- Venue: Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai
- Toss: Australia won the toss and elected to field
Players
- Australia: Chris Lynn, Aaron Finch, Shane Watson, David Warner, Steven Smith, Glenn Maxwell, James Faulkner, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins, Adam Zampa
- Pakistan: Ahmed Shehzad, Sharjeel Khan, Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, Umar Akmal, Sarfraz Ahmed, Shahid Afridi, Mohammad Amir, Wahab Riaz, Sohail Khan, Yasir Shah
Toss
Australia won the toss and elected to field.
Bowling Pairs
Australia: Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins, Adam Zampa Pakistan: Wahab Riaz, Sohail Khan, Yasir Shah
How the Target Was Chased
Chris Lynn and Alex Hales put on a record-breaking partnership for Australia in this match, scoring 182 runs in just 20 overs. Lynn hit 109 off 52 balls, while Hales scored 73 off 42 balls. Australia reached their target in just 17.4 overs, with 7 wickets to spare.
What are the key factors that contribute to a successful opening partnership in T20 cricket?
There are a number of key factors that contribute to a successful opening partnership in T20 cricket. These include:
- Good communication: The openers need to be able to communicate effectively with each other, both verbally and non-verbally. This will help them to build trust and understanding, which is essential for a successful partnership.
- Good timing: The openers need to have good timing and be able to hit the ball cleanly. This will help them to score runs quickly and put the bowling team under pressure.
- Good running between the wickets: The openers need to be good at running between the wickets. This will help them to maximize their scoring opportunities and take advantage of any gaps in the field.
- Good mental toughness: The openers need to be mentally tough and be able to handle the pressure of batting at the top of the order. This is especially important in T20 cricket, where the game can change quickly.
What are some of the most successful opening partnerships in T20 cricket history?
- 195 runs – Brendon McCullum and Martin Guptill (New Zealand) vs. Pakistan, ICC World Twenty20, Hamilton, 2010.
- 193 runs – Chris Gayle and Dwayne Smith (West Indies) vs. Sri Lanka, ICC World Twenty20, Pallekele, 2012.
- 190 runs – David Warner and Aaron Finch (Australia) vs. Sri Lanka, Tri-Series, Hobart, 2012.
- 186 runs – Quinton de Kock and Janneman Malan (South Africa) vs. England, ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, Cape Town, 2020.
- 182 runs – Chris Lynn and Alex Hales (Australia) vs. Pakistan, Dubai, 2016.
- 180 runs – Hashim Amla and Quinton de Kock (South Africa) vs. Sri Lanka, T20I Series, Colombo, 2017.
- 178 runs – KL Rahul and Shikhar Dhawan (India) vs. West Indies, T20I Series, Kolkata, 2019.
- 177 runs – Aaron Finch and David Warner (Australia) vs. England, ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, Nottingham, 2022.
- 176 runs – Sanju Samson and Deepak Hooda (India) vs. Ireland, T20I Series, Dublin, 2022.
- 175 runs – KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma (India) vs. England, T20I Series, Ahmedabad, 2021.
These partnerships are all notable for their high scores, their impact on the outcome of the match, and the quality of the batting displayed. They are a testament to the skill and talent of the openers involved, and they have helped to make T20 cricket one of the most exciting formats of the game.
Records Broken or Set in Each Match
- New Zealand vs. Pakistan, ICC World Twenty20, Hamilton, 2010: This match saw the highest opening partnership in T20I history, with Brendon McCullum and Martin Guptill scoring 195 runs together. This record still stands today.
- West Indies vs. Sri Lanka, ICC World Twenty20, Pallekele, 2012: This match saw the second-highest opening partnership in T20I history, with Chris Gayle and Dwayne Smith scoring 193 runs together.
- Australia vs. Sri Lanka, Tri-Series, Hobart, 2012: This match saw the record for the fastest 190-run partnership in T20I history, with David Warner and Aaron Finch reaching their target in just 19.4 overs.
- South Africa vs. England, ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, Cape Town, 2020: This match saw the fifth-highest opening partnership in T20I history, with Quinton de Kock and Janneman Malan scoring 186 runs together.
Conclusion
These stunning opening stands in T20 chases demonstrate how dominating just the first 6 overs can make any mammoth target appear chaseable. With T20 cricket evolving rapidly, teams are unleashing their most aggressive and fearless openers to consistently provide blistering starts in hunts of 170+ totals.
And in today’s age of power hitters, small boundaries, and ever-improving bat technologies – we can expect opening pairs to conjure up more such record-breaking stands in T20I chases for years to come.
