Cricket

List of IPL Winning Teams' Opening Partnerships

A list of the most impactful opening partnerships from IPL champion teams, highlighting how explosive starts at the top of the order helped teams win the title.

5 itemsUpdated Mar 23, 2026

Strong opening partnerships have been a key ingredient in most IPL title wins. A destructive start at the top of the order sets the tone for a high total or a confident chase, putting opponents under immediate pressure. Chennai Super Kings under MS Dhoni typically relied on Murali Vijay, Matthew Hayden, and later Ruturaj Gaikwad as opening pillars. Mumbai Indians' best partnerships came from Sachin Tendulkar and various partners, later replaced by Rohit Sharma and Quinton de Kock. Sunrisers Hyderabad's 2016 title was powered by David Warner and Shikhar Dhawan's famous opening combination. Every champion team has had a reliable opening formula.

#	Name	Team	Year	Impact	Openers
1	David Warner & Shikhar Dhawan — SRH 2016 Most Celebrated Opening Pair in IPL Champion History David Warner and Shikhar Dhawan formed one of the most destructive opening combinations in IPL history for SRH in 2016. Their consistent partnerships at the top set the platform for SRH's maiden title win, with Warner finishing as Orange Cap holder.	Sunrisers Hyderabad	2016	Warner won Orange Cap; partnership was engine of SRH's ti...	David Warner & Shikhar Dhawan
2	Rohit Sharma & Quinton de Kock — MI 2019, 2020 Opening Partnership of MI's Back-to-Back Champions Rohit Sharma and Quinton de Kock formed Mumbai Indians' opening pair during their back-to-back title wins in 2019 and 2020. De Kock's aggressive left-hand batting complemented Rohit's anchoring presence, giving MI consistent starts throughout both campaigns.	Mumbai Indians	—	Consistently aggressive starts; set up MI's title-winning...	Rohit Sharma & Quinton de Kock
3	Shubman Gill & Wriddhiman Saha — GT 2022 Gujarat Titans' Debut-Season Opening Pair Shubman Gill's elegant stroke-play and Wriddhiman Saha's explosive hitting at the top made GT's opening combination one of the most productive in the 2022 season. Their partnerships laid the platform for GT's historic debut title win.	Gujarat Titans	2022	Key partnerships in GT's debut title campaign; Gill was o...	Shubman Gill & Wriddhiman Saha
4	Murali Vijay & Matthew Hayden — CSK 2010 CSK's First Title Opening Pair Murali Vijay and Matthew Hayden formed CSK's opening pair during their maiden 2010 title campaign. Vijay's elegant strokeplay and Hayden's aggressive power hitting gave CSK dominant starts throughout the tournament.	Chennai Super Kings	2010	Vijay scored 95 in the final; foundation for CSK's first ...	Murali Vijay & Matthew Hayden
5	Faf du Plessis & Rituraj Gaikwad — CSK 2021, 2023 CSK's Modern Opening Pair Faf du Plessis and Ruturaj Gaikwad were CSK's opening pair for their 2021 UAE title win and the 2023 final title. Du Plessis scored 86 in the 2021 final and Gaikwad became Orange Cap holder in 2021, giving CSK one of the most productive opening combinations in recent IPL history.	Chennai Super Kings	—	Gaikwad won Orange Cap 2021; du Plessis won MOM in 2021 f...	Faf du Plessis & Ruturaj Gaikwad

This list is compiled from verified public records and reference sources. Last verified: March 23, 2026.

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