The current ODI opening combination hit it off from the get-go, batting together in tournaments like the ODI World Cup 2023 and the Champions Trophy 2025, and could be set for the ODI World Cup 2027 as well.
The right-handed pair, who are both placed in the top five of the ICC ODI batting rankings, have put on nine 100-run partnerships in just 47 innings. Their 3058 runs as a pair in 47 innings come at an average of 66.47, making them one of the most effective modern-day opening pairs.
The duo narrowly fell short of an all-time Indian record, but did a solid job of entering the history books during their onslaught in the second ODI against West Indies.
On that note, let us take a look at the top 5 opening partnerships for Indiain ODIs.
#1 Sachin Tendulkar - Sourav Ganguly (258 runs; IND vs KEN; Paarl, 2001)
The record for the highest opening partnership for India in ODIs still belongs to the iconic left-hand-right-hand pair of Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly. The duo put on a staggering 258 runs for the opening wicket in a tri-series clash against Kenya in Paarl, 25 years ago.
Sachin Tendulkar scored 146 runs off 132 deliveries with 17 boundaries to his name, while Sourav Ganguly complemented him with 111 runs off 124 deliveries. The pair batted together for 41.4 overs, and the foundation helped India put on 351-3 on the board, eventually winning by a massive 186-run margin.
The iconic 258-run opening partnership is the joint tenth-highest in history, level with the unbeaten 258-run stand between Aaron Finch and David Warner against India at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
#2 Shubman Gill - Rohit Sharma (255; IND vs WI 2026 2nd ODI, Guwahati)
The most recent addition to the list is the quickfire opening partnership between Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gillin India's record run chase of 406 runs in 43.3 overs against West Indies. The duo did the heavy work in terms of laying down the foundation and piling misery on West Indies bowlers as they put on 255 runs for the opening wicket in just 26.2 overs.
Rohit Sharma recorded his 35th ODI century while Shubman Gill went onto finish the game with an unbeaten 223. The skipper became only the second player to record a double hundred in a run chase after Glenn Maxwell.
The Indian duo's 255-run opening stand is the sixth-highest of the decade as well. It is also the highest opening partnership of all time for India when it comes to ODI run chases.
#3 Sachin Tendulkar-Sourav Ganguly (252; IND vs SL 1998, Colombo)
The iconic pair of Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly are the only Indian duo to record multiple 250-plus run opening stands in ODI cricket. Three years prior to their record-breaking effort against Kenya, the left-hand-right-hand pair had breached the 250-run mark for the first time together during a tri-series final against Sri Lanka in 1998.
On that occasion, the pair batted together for 44 overs as Sachin Tendulkar scored 128 while Sourav Ganguly contributed 109 runs. Their efforts helped India put on 307-6 in the first innings. The Men in Blue won the tri-series in the end after a tense six-run win, as Sachin Tendulkar was named player of the match.
#4 Ajinkya Rahane-Shikhar Dhawan (231; IND vs SL 1st ODI 2014, Cuttack)
One of the promising opening duos that only got sporadic opportunities due to intense competition was the left-hand-right-hand pair of Ajinkya Rahane and Shikhar Dhawan. They only opened in 20 matches together, but left a lasting impression, especially through their record partnership of 231 runs in the home series opener against Sri Lanka in 2014.
Both batters recorded hundreds to put on 231 runs in 35 overs, before the rest of the batting unit chipped in to help India post a mammoth score of 363-5. Sri Lanka were never in the run chase and were bowled out for 194 inside 40 overs to lose by 169 runs. The mammoth opening partnership remains the third-highest of all time against Sri Lanka.
#5 Rohit Sharma-KL Rahul (227; IND vs WI 2nd ODI 2019, Vizag)
Rohit Sharma features in the top five Indian opening partnerships for the second time with one of his underrated batting partners in the form of KL Rahul. Having opened together across all formats, the pair put on their best ODI partnership during the home series against West Indies in 2019.
In the second ODI against West Indies in Vizag, the duo punished the West Indies bowlers by putting on 227 runs in 37 overs. KL Rahul scored his first ODI hundred on home soil while Rohit Sharma went onto smash 159 runs as India posted 387-5 in the first innings.
West Indies could only reply with 280, losing by 107 runs as India leveled the three-match series 1-1.
Edited by Gokul Nair
