Fevicol Ka Jod: 5 best batting pairs in IPL
The IPL has seen a lot of great partnerships over the last 10 years and the teams have their own set of batsmen who hunt in pairs and on whom they can rely on to get the job done with the bat.
With the auction happening annually, the IPL teams undergo regular overhauls, but there are some partnerships that have stood the test of time.
With the 11th edition set to get underway in just a month, let us take a look at the batting pairs who have formed a Fevicol-like bond on the pitch:
[Please note: The list comprises of the partnerships which have contributed to the most runs for one team when the 2 batsmen have batted together.]
#5 Murali Vijay and Mike Hussey (Chennai Super Kings)
After Matthew Hayden's departure, the burden of getting the Chennai Super Kings off to a great start while batting fell on the shoulders of his Aussie teammate Mike Hussey and his opening partner at CSK, Murali Vijay.
Vijay and Hussey did exactly that as the duo made sure that they set the platform at the start of the innings for their teammates to go after the bowling from then on. The Indo-Australian pair complemented each other well and scored 1367 runs in 35 innings at an average of just over 40 with 11 fifty-plus stands and two century stands.
Their contribution in the 2011 season is the main reason why MS Dhoni and his men won their second consecutive IPL crown.
#4 Robin Uthappa and Gautam Gambhir (Kolkata Knight Riders)
Kolkata Knight Riders let Brendon McCullum go in the 2014 IPL auction and decided that Indian wicketkeeper-batsman Robin Uthappa was an upgrade on the Kiwi. Since then, Uthappa has repaid their faith and how!
Uthappa and skipper Gautam Gambhir have formed a formidable opening combination and given their side a good start consistently. In the 48 innings they batted together, they have put on a total of 1906 runs at an average of 39.7 with 10 fifty-plus scored and their partnership reached the three-figure mark on five occasions.
Their success at the top of the order was the backbone on which KKR built their title-winning season in 2014.
#3 Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers (Royal Challengers Bangalore)
If you ask any bowler around the world to name the batsmen who give them nightmares, all of them will say either Virat Kohli or AB de Villiers. These two are on a completely different level altogether and are already on their way to greatness in the sport.
Bowling to any of them itself is a difficult task, but bowling when they both are on the crease is something even the devil wouldn’t wish on anyone.
With 2212 runs in 53 innings including seven fifty-plus stands and as many hundred-plus stands, the Kohli-de Villiers duo has stamped their authority as a batting pair in the tournament. Incidentally, they are the only pair to put on a 200-run partnership on 2 occasions in the IPL – vs Mumbai Indians in 2015 and vs Gujarat Lions in 2016.
#2 David Warner and Shikhar Dhawan (Sunrisers Hyderabad)
Sunrisers Hyderabad skipper David Warner and his opening partner Shikhar Dhawan have been the pillars of the Orange Army's batting for the past few years. Their success at the top of the order, along with Bhuvneshwar Kumar's bowling with some backing from Mustafizur Rahman and Rashid Khan, is the main reason for their team's success of late.
While Dhawan plays the role of anchor, something that is not associated generally with the southpaw, Warner goes after the bowling and sets the tone for his team.
They have put together a total of 2357 runs in 50 innings at an average of just over 48 with the help of 14 fifty-plus and six hundred-plus stands.
#1 Virat Kohli and Chris Gayle (Royal Challengers Bangalore)
While Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers score the bulk of Royal Challengers Bangalore's runs in the middle overs, one can not disregard, arguably, the best T20 batsman of all-time – Christopher Henry Gayle.
More often than not, Gayle has provided Bangalore with an explosive start and once he gets going, there’s nobody who can stop him. Now combine his explosive batting to Kohli’s masterclass and we have a winning combination right there.
In spite of that, the duo have amassed 2787 runs, the most by any batting pair in the IPL, in 59 innings at an extraordinary average of 52.5 with 21 fifty-plus stands out of which nine were over 100 runs.
Bowlers have found these partnerships unbreakable on many occasions, and the nightmare is set to continue for them with the IPL ready to get underway in a month!