Partnership is an important element in One Day International (ODI) cricket, as it sets the tone for the rest of the innings. Over the years, there have been some extraordinary partnerships in the history of the ODI World Cup, with some teams putting up remarkable scores. Here are the top 10 biggest partnerships in ODI World Cup history.
Chris Gayle and Marlon Samuels – 372 vs Zimbabwe, 2015
Batting first in their Pool B match of the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup against Zimbabwe in Canberra, the West Indies were the clear favourites. However, opener Dwayne Smith was dismissed for a duck in just the second ball and Chris Gayle had to join Marlon Samuels with the score reading 0/1.
West Indies batted full 50 overs. Chris Gayle scored 215 runs off only 147 balls, hitting 16 sixes, and was dismissed on the last ball of the innings, which would have been the record for most runs by a player in a match. Meanwhile, Marlon Samuels played a relatively flamboyant knock of 133 not out from 156 balls.
West Indies put on a massive partnership of 372/2 with Chris Gayle and Marlon Samuels, which is the highest partnership of 372 in ODIs. Windies won the match by 89 runs (D/L method).
Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly – 318 vs Sri Lanka, 1999
Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid’s mammoth 318-run partnership against Sri Lanka at Taunton in the 1999 World Cup second of the charts for the highest runs partnership in World Cup history. That stand helped India post 373 for 6 in 50 overs and the team eventually won the match by a huge margin of 157 runs.
Tillakaratne Dilshan and Upul Tharanga – 282vs Zimbabwe, 2011
The third highest partnership in the 26th match of the 2011 World Cup between Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe. Batting first after losing the toss, Sri Lanka made a dream start which they would never have imagined. Both openers Upul Tharanga and Tillakaratne Dilshan continued to score runs and added 282 runs for the first wicket. Both also scored their respective centuries during the innings.
Finally this partnership was broken in 44.2 overs. Tharanga scored 133 and Dilshan scored 144. Sri Lanka posted a mammoth score of 327/6 in their 50 overs. Chasing a big target, Zimbabwe got off to a good start as both the openers put on 116 runs for the first wicket. But as soon as the first wicket fell, Sri Lanka did not allow any other batsman to settle. In the end, Zimbabwe were bowled out for 188, losing the match by 139 runs.
Highest Partnerships In World Cup History
*Last Updated on 20th November 2023
| No. | Partners | Runs | Team | Opp Team | Venue | Match Date |
| 1 | Chris Gayle Marlon Samuels | 372 | West Indies | Zimbabwe | Canberra | 24-Feb-2015 |
| 2 | Rahul Dravid Sourav Ganguly | 318 | India | Srilanka | Taunton | 26-May-1999 |
| 3 | Tillakaratne Dilshan Upul Tharanga | 282 | Sri Lanka | Zimbabwe | Pallekele | 10-Mar-2011 |
| 4 | R Ravindra DP Conway | 273* | New Zealand | England | Ahmedabad | 05-Oct-2023 |
| 5 | Stive Smith David Warner | 260 | Australia | Afghanistan | Perth | 04-Mar-2015 |
| 6 | DA Warner MR Marsh | 259 | Australia | Pakistan | Bengaluru | 20-Oct-2023 |
| 7 | JP Duminy David Miller | 256* | South Africa | Zimbabwe | Hamilton | 15-Feb-2015 |
| 8 | Hashim Amla Faf Du Plessis | 247 | South Africa | Ireland | Canberra | 03-Mar-2015 |
| 9 | Sourav Ganguly Chachin Tendulkar | 244 | India | Namibia | Pietermaritzburg | 23-Feb-2003 |
| 10 | Rahul Dravid Sachin Tendulkar | 237* | India | Kenya | Bristol | 23-May-1999 |
| 11 | Damien Martyn Ricky Ponting | 234* | Australia | India | Johannesburg | 23-Mar-2003 |
| 12 | Tillakaratne Dilshan Upul Tharanga | 231* | Sri Lanka | England | Colombo (RPS) | 26-Mar-2011 |
