Highest ODI Partnerships: All-Time Records by Wicket
The complete guide to the highest partnerships in ODI cricket history, wicket by wicket — from opening stands to tail-end heroics, with the stories behind cricket's most famous batting pairs.
ODI cricket's highest partnerships combine individual brilliance with the unique chemistry of batting together. A great partnership absorbs pressure, rebuilds after a wicket cluster, or launches an innings into a match-winning position. The records below span 50 years of one-day international history.
Highest Overall ODI Partnership: Tendulkar and Ganguly
The highest ODI partnership in history is 331 runs, scored by Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid for India's 2nd wicket against Kenya in a 1999 World Cup match. Tendulkar made 140* and Dravid scored 104. However, some records list the 372-run partnership between Chris Gayle (133) and Marlon Samuels (126) for West Indies vs Zimbabwe in 2015 as the highest — note this was also for the 2nd wicket. Record sources vary on highest ODI partnership.
Highest Partnerships by Wicket
| Wicket | Runs | Partners | Match | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 304* | Sehwag & Tendulkar (IND) | vs Sri Lanka | 1999 |
| 2nd | 372 | Gayle & Samuels (WI) | vs Zimbabwe | 2015 |
| 3rd | 237* | Kallis & Dippenaar (SA) | vs Bangladesh | 2002 |
| 4th | 275* | Martyn & Bevan (AUS) | vs Pakistan | 2001 |
| 5th | 221 | Sanga & Jayawardene (SL) | vs India | 1998 |
| 6th | 196 | Dhoni & Jadeja (IND) | vs Sri Lanka | 2011 WC Final |
| 7th | 170 | O'Brien & Joyce (IRE) | vs England | 2011 |
| 8th | 138 | Dhoni & Ashwin (IND) | vs England | 2011 |
| 9th | 132 | Wasim Akram & Saqlain (PAK) | vs Zimbabwe | 1998 |
| 10th | 106* | Anderson & Bresnan (ENG) | vs India | 2011 |
The Dhoni-Jadeja 2011 WC Final Partnership
The most celebrated ODI partnership of recent decades is the 6th-wicket stand of 109 between MS Dhoni (91*) and Ravindra Jadeja (35) in the 2011 World Cup final against Sri Lanka at Wankhede Stadium. India were 114/5 chasing 275. Dhoni promoted himself above the specialist batters — a tactical masterstroke. His 91* off 79 balls, with the iconic last-ball six to win, turned a tense chase into a famous victory. The partnership rescued India when the match seemed lost.
Gayle and Samuels: The 2015 Record
Chris Gayle and Marlon Samuels shared the highest ODI partnership ever recorded: 372 for the 2nd wicket against Zimbabwe in January 2015. Gayle made 215* — his record ODI score — and Samuels scored 133. The pair batted together for 48.1 overs. West Indies made 372/2, easily the highest ODI score at the time. The partnership's importance was partly in demonstrating that T20 innovations (power hitting, aerial routes) could be deployed over a full 50-over innings.
Frequently asked questions
What is the highest ODI partnership ever?
The highest ODI partnership is 372 runs between Chris Gayle (215*) and Marlon Samuels (133) for West Indies against Zimbabwe in 2015 — for the 2nd wicket in an ODI at Canberra.
What is the most famous ODI partnership in cricket history?
The MS Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja 6th-wicket partnership of 109 in the 2011 World Cup final is cricket's most celebrated partnership — rescuing India from 114/5 chasing 275, culminating in Dhoni's winning six.