Partnerships are an essential component of a successful total or chase in One Day International (ODI) cricket. A successful partnership can add runs to the scoreboard and, very importantly, put pressure on the bowling side. Many batting partnerships have historically changed the outcome by the nature of the adjustment to the scoreboard. This article is going to look at the highest partnerships in ODI. Details about the players, runs, matches, and many others are also given.
What is a Partnership in ODI cricket?
A partnership in cricket is the total runs that two batters bat together, getting out by one of the two. A partnership is a critical part of ODIs (One-Day internationals) where each team is limited to 50 overs. A big stand helps the team to reach a strong total or chase large targets successfully. If you follow cricket regularly on the 96in com app, you’ll often see alerts when partnerships cross major milestones.
Why Do Big Partnerships Matter in ODIs?
Big partnerships bring stability and confidence to the batting side. They:
- Set a strong platform for a big total.
- Demoralise the bowling team.
- Help in chasing down tough targets with ease.
- Boost the overall team performance and morale.
Top 5 Highest Partnerships in ODI History
Here are the top 5 highest partnerships ever recorded in ODI cricket:
| Rank | Players | Runs | Team | Opponent | Venue | Year |
| 1 | Chris Gayle & Marlon Samuels | 372 | West Indies | Zimbabwe | Canberra | 2015 |
| 2 | John Campbell & Shai Hope | 365 | West Indies | Ireland | Dublin | 2019 |
| 3 | Sachin Tendulkar & Rahul Dravid | 331 | India | New Zealand | Hyderabad | 1999 |
| 4 | Sourav Ganguly & Rahul Dravid | 318 | India | Sri Lanka | Taunton | 1999 |
| 5 | Imam-ul-Haq & Fakhar Zaman | 304 | Pakistan | Zimbabwe | Bulawayo | 2018 |
Chris Gayle & Marlon Samuels: 372 Runs
- Match: West Indies v Zimbabwe: World Cup 2015
- Venue: Canberra Australia
- Chris Gayle scored a double century (215), while Samuels contributed 133*.
- This partnership reset the previous record and is now the highest ODI partnership ever.
John Campbell & Shai Hope: 365 Runs
- Match: West Indies v Ireland 2019
- Venue: Dublin, Ireland
- Both batters scored hundreds, Campbell scored 179, and Hope scored 170.
- This partnership helped the West Indies post a total of 381 and win the game convincingly.
Sachin Tendulkar & Rahul Dravid: 331 Runs
- Match: India vs New Zealand, 1999
- Venue: Hyderabad, India
- Sachin scored 186*, Dravid scored 153.
- This was the highest partnership at that time and remained an Indian record for years.
Sourav Ganguly & Rahul Dravid: 318 Runs
- Match: India vs Sri Lanka, 1999 World Cup
- Venue: Taunton, England
- Ganguly scored 183, and Dravid contributed 145.
- Their partnership helped India post a mammoth score of 373.
Imam-ul-Haq & Fakhar Zaman: 304 Runs
- Match: Pakistan vs Zimbabwe, 2018
- Venue: Bulawayo, Zimbabwe
- Fakhar Zaman became the first Pakistani to score a double century (210*).
- Imam-ul-Haq supported well with 113.
Top Partnerships in ODIs – Indian Players
Indian cricket has given us several legendary partnerships over the years. Here is a selection of them:
- Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid: 331 Runs (vs. NZ, 1999)
- Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid: 318 Runs (vs. SL, 1999)
- Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma: 246 Runs (vs. West Indies, 2018)
These partnerships demonstrate that Indian players have frequently been the first movers in significant matches.
Highest Partnerships by Wickets
Partnerships are also recorded by the wicket number. Here are a few notable ones:
- 1st wicket: 304, Imam & Fakhar (Pakistan)
- 2nd wicket: 372, Gayle & Samuels (West Indies)
- 3rd wicket: 258, Babar Azam & Mohammad Rizwan (Pakistan)
- 4th wicket and below: There are many records still held by players like MS Dhoni, AB de Villiers and many others, on rescuing their teams after collapses.
Conclusion
Partnerships are the foundation of any solid ODI performance. Partnerships have created the legacy of getting an innings off to an impressive start or successfully chasing down big totals. ODI is evolving, and we may see even bigger partnerships, as teams and players are more focused on batting with intent and no fear. A Platform like 96in makes it easy for fans to track these records in real-time and enjoy the live stats of the upcoming game with detailed analysis and stats.
