Top 5 Maximum Runs Opening Partnership Records for Rajasthan Royals in the history of IPL
The world’s biggest cricketing extravaganza, the Indian Premier League, has just begun and in the few matches that we have seen till now, it is clear that this season is going to be the biggest of all as all the matches have been so close and all teams look like equal on paper.
Going back into the history a little bit, this article will tell you about the top-5 opening partnerships for the Rajasthan Royals franchise in the league’s history.
Rajasthan Royals is the team who won the inaugural season of the IPL but has been a very underperforming team since then. Let us have a look at some stats related to this franchise.
- Devdutt Padikkal and Jos Buttler
In the last edition of the IPL, Devdutt Padikkal and Jos Buttler stitched a 155-run partnership, which is the highest opening partnership by RR batters in IPL to date. They made it against the Delhi Capitals team at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on 22nd April 2022.
- Shane Watson and Ajinkya Rahane
Back in the year 2015, Shane Watson and Ajinkya Rahane decided to take on the CSK bowlers and did that beautifully as they made an opening stand of 144 runs at the Motera Stadium in Ahmedabad (now Narendra Modi Stadium). The partnership came under pressure as RR was chasing the score.
- Graeme Smith and Naman Ojha
Playing in his home country, Graeme Smith took on the Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) bowlers along with Naman Ojha and accounted for a 135-run opening partnership between these two batters in the 2009 season of the IPL.
- Shane Watson and Rahul Dravid
While chasing 134 against MI in the 2011 season, Shane Watson and Rahul Dravid ensured there were no hiccups in the chase and made an opening stand of 134* runs that won RR the game by 10 wickets in just 13.1 overs.
- Swapnil Asnodkar and Graeme Smith
In the inaugural season of the IPL, Swapnil Asnodkar and Graeme Smith batted really well in the match against CSK and made an opening stand of 127 runs. The match was played in May 2008 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
