Quick Answer: Who Has the Highest Partnership in IPL History?
The highest partnership in IPL history is 229 runs by Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers, scored for Royal Challengers Bengaluru against Gujarat Lions on May 14, 2016, at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
This was a second-wicket stand. Kohli scored 109 off 55 balls, and AB de Villiers stayed unbeaten on 129 off 52 balls.RCB finished on 248/3 and won the match by 144 runs, one of the most dominant wins that also had a huge impact on team net run rate after bowling Gujarat Lions out for 104.
Almost 10 years later, no pair in the IPL has crossed this number. The closest anyone has come is the 220-run partnership between KL Rahul and Nitish Rana in IPL 2026, which fell nine runs short.
IPL Highest Partnership List: Top 10 Biggest Stands
Here is the verified top 10 highest partnerships in IPL, covering all seasons from 2008 to 2026.
|
Rank |
Partnership |
Runs |
Wicket |
Team |
Against |
Venue |
Date |
|
1 |
Virat Kohli & AB de Villiers |
229 |
2nd |
RCB |
Gujarat Lions |
Bengaluru |
14 May 2016 |
|
2 |
KL Rahul & Nitish Rana |
220 |
2nd |
DC |
Punjab Kings |
Delhi |
25 Apr 2026 |
|
3 |
Virat Kohli & AB de Villiers |
215* |
2nd |
RCB |
Mumbai Indians |
Mumbai |
10 May 2015 |
|
4 |
KL Rahul & Quinton de Kock |
210* |
1st |
LSG |
KKR |
Navi Mumbai |
18 May 2022 |
|
5 |
Shubman Gill & B Sai Sudharsan |
210 |
1st |
GT |
CSK |
Ahmedabad |
10 May 2024 |
|
6 |
Shaun Marsh & Adam Gilchrist |
206 |
2nd |
Kings XI Punjab |
RCB |
Dharamsala |
17 May 2011 |
|
7 |
Shubman Gill & B Sai Sudharsan |
205* |
1st |
GT |
DC |
Delhi |
18 May 2025 |
|
8 |
Virat Kohli & Chris Gayle |
204* |
2nd |
RCB |
Delhi Daredevils |
Delhi |
17 May 2012 |
|
9 |
David Warner & Naman Ojha |
189* |
2nd |
Delhi Daredevils |
Deccan Chargers |
Hyderabad |
10 May 2012 |
|
10 |
David Warner & Jonny Bairstow |
185 |
1st |
SRH |
RCB |
Hyderabad |
31 Mar 2019 |
The list shows a clear pattern. RCB appears four times, more than any other franchise. Gujarat Titans appear twice in just two years through Shubman Gill and B Sai Sudharsan. And the latest 2026 entry from Delhi Capitals proves the record list is still very much alive.
The Story Behind the Top 5 Highest IPL Partnerships
1. Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers – 229 Runs vs Gujarat Lions, 2016
This is the gold standard for IPL partnerships. RCB lost Chris Gayle early at 19/1, and what followed was one of the most brutal counter-attacks the league has ever seen. Kohli and AB de Villiers added 229 runs in just 16 overs at Chinnaswamy Stadium. Both reached centuries in the same innings, with Kohli going on to finish that season as the top run-scorer in IPL history.” , RCB posted 248/3, and Gujarat Lions were bowled out for 104.
No pair has gone past this number in the IPL since 2016, which is why this stand still sits at No. 1.
2. KL Rahul and Nitish Rana – 220 Runs vs Punjab Kings, 2026
This is the latest big entry on the list. On April 25, 2026, at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi, KL Rahul (152* off 67) and Nitish Rana (91 off 44) added 220 runs for the second wicket against an
unbeaten Punjab Kings. Delhi Capitals finished on 264/2, their highest team total in IPL history. Rahul’s knock also became the highest individual IPL score by an Indian batter, putting him among the biggest individual scorers the league has seen, going past Abhishek Sharma’s 141.
This stand pushed older partnerships down the list and brought a new pair into the top 3.
3. Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers – 215* vs Mumbai Indians, 2015
Less than a year before their record 229 stand, the same pair already had a 215-run unbeaten partnership against Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium. AB de Villiers smashed 133* off 59 balls, while Kohli supported him with 82* off 50. RCB scored 235/1 and won by 39 runs.
What makes this duo unique is simple: Kohli and de Villiers are the only pair in IPL history with two 200-plus partnerships together, and both came inside 13 months.
4. KL Rahul and Quinton de Kock – 210* vs KKR, 2022
This was a debut-season highlight for Lucknow Super Giants. KL Rahul and Quinton de Kock walked out together at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai and stayed unbeaten for the full 20 overs, adding 210 runs for the first wicket. de Kock scored 140* off 70, while Rahul made 68* off 51. LSG won by two runs in a tight finish.
This stand is also the highest opening partnership in IPL history, since it remains unbeaten while Gill-Sudharsan’s 210 in 2024 was a completed stand.
5. Shubman Gill and B Sai Sudharsan – 210 vs CSK, 2024
Gujarat Titans had been searching for a stable opening pair, and this match against Chennai Super Kings at the Narendra Modi Stadium showed what they had built. Gill (104) and Sudharsan (103) added 210 for the first wicket, and both reached centuries in the same innings, which is rare in the IPL. GT won by 35 runs.
The same pair also added 205* against Delhi Capitals in IPL 2025, making them the only opening pair with two 200-plus stands across back-to-back seasons.
Highest Opening Partnership in IPL History
The highest opening partnership in IPL history is the 210 unbeaten stand between KL Rahul and Quinton de Kock for Lucknow Super Giants against Kolkata Knight Riders in 2022.*
Here is the verified top 5 list of the highest opening stands in IPL.
|
Rank |
Opening Pair |
Runs |
Team |
Opponent |
Venue |
Year |
|
1 |
Quinton de Kock & KL Rahul |
210* |
LSG |
KKR |
Navi Mumbai |
2022 |
|
2 |
Shubman Gill & B Sai Sudharsan |
210 |
GT |
CSK |
Ahmedabad |
2024 |
|
3 |
Shubman Gill & B Sai Sudharsan |
205* |
GT |
DC |
Delhi |
2025 |
|
4 |
David Warner & Jonny Bairstow |
185 |
SRH |
RCB |
Hyderabad |
2019 |
|
5 |
Gautam Gambhir & Chris Lynn |
184* |
KKR |
GL |
Rajkot |
2017 |
Rahul-de Kock and Gill-Sudharsan both ended on 210, but Rahul-de Kock’s stand ranks above because it stayed unbeaten through the full 20 overs, while Gill-Sudharsan’s was a broken stand. In partnership records, an unbeaten total is given priority over a completed total when the runs are equal.
Highest Partnership in IPL by Wicket
If you split the records by wicket, two stands stand out clearly:
- Highest first wicket partnership in IPL: KL Rahul and Quinton de Kock, 210* (LSG vs KKR, 2022)
- Highest second wicket partnership in IPL: Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers, 229 (RCB vs Gujarat Lions, 2016)
Most of the biggest IPL stands have come for either the first or the second wicket. The reason is simple: opening pairs and No. 3 batters get the most overs to bat together. By the time a fourth or fifth wicket pair comes in, fewer balls remain, so even great hitting rarely produces 180-plus run stands.