IPL 2020: Top 3 opening combinations in IPL history
The Indian Premier League (IPL) is all set to enter its 13th edition in 2020. Since its introduction in 2008, the league has raised cricketing standards all around the globe, cementing its place as the premier T20 tournament in the world.
In the IPL, the openers play a pivotal role in deciding a team's fortunes. We all have seen teams having a good opening pair doing well in the tournament. While most teams try to go for a left hand-right hand combination up top, same-styled pairs have received considerable success as well.
Nonetheless, the importance of having two good openers in a team can never be undermined, especially when it comes to the IPL. Keeping that in mind, here are the top 3 opening pairs in the history of the biggest T20 league in the world:
#3 Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag
Delhi Capitals (previously known as Delhi Daredevils) had one of the most solid batting line-ups in the league's initial seasons. The side had the likes of AB de Villiers, Shoaib Malik, TMÂ Dilshan, and many more experienced stars in their squad. However, their opening duo of Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir was largely heralded as the team's X-factor.
The pair troubled the opposition bowling with their dynamic game and stitched together many great partnerships. While Sehwag focused on hitting the boundaries, Gambhir played the anchor’s role with aplomb. They smashed 732 runs as a pair in the first three editions of the IPL, teaming up for four half-century stands and one century stand (122).
Once the opening pair for India across all formats, the duo managed to replicate the chemistry in the IPL as well, forming a lethal combination at the top.