Opening batters are key to a successful T20 outing, in fact, in any format. For a league like PSL, where the fast bowlers are fearsome and world-class, it takes champion performances from the opening batters to give the team a perfect start to the game.
Sharjeel Khan and Babar Azam joining hands for Karachi Kings to score 176 runs for the first wicket in their game against Islamabad United in the 2021 season is the highest opening partnership ever recorded in Pakistan Super League history. Unfortunately, the Kings lost that game as the United batters bettered their score with five balls to spare.
This article will list the top ten highest-opening partnerships in PSL.
Highest Opening Partnerships in PSL
| THE PAIR | RUNS | TEAM | OPPONENT | VENUE | YEAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sharjeel Khan – Babar Azam | 176 | Karachi Kings | Islamabad United | Karachi | 2021 |
| Saim Ayub – Babar Azam | 162 | Peshawar Zalmi | Quetta Gladiators | Rawalpindi | 2023 |
| Liam Livingstone – Babar Azam | 157 | Karachi Kings | Multan Sultans | Dubai (DSC) | 2019 |
| Usman Khan – Mohammad Rizwan | 157 | Multan Sultans | Quetta Gladiators | Rawalpindi | 2023 |
| Saud Shakeel – Jason Roy | 157 | Quetta Gladiators | Peshawar Zalmi | Lahore | 2024 |
| Ahsan Ali – Will Smeed | 155 | Quetta Gladiators | Peshawar Zalmi | Karachi | 2022 |
| Shane Watson – Sharjeel Khan | 153 | Islamabad United | Lahore Qalandars | Sharjah | 2016 |
| Sharjeel Khan – Babar Azam | 151* | Karachi Kings | Lahore Qalandars | Karachi | 2020 |
| Shan Masood – Mohammad Rizwan | 150 | Multan Sultans | Lahore Qalandars | Karachi | 2022 |
| Usman Khawaja – Colin Munro | 137* | Islamabad United | Quetta Gladiators | Abu Dhabi | 2021 |
Key Stats
Babar Azam has been part of four partnerships in the table above, and Sharjeel Khan has three.
In fact, Babar has the most 100-partnerships in PSL – 14 in total, whereas Mohammad Rizwan has been part of 11 – the second best.
Considering the venue, Karachi has hosted five of the ten partnerships listed above.
Season-wise, 2019, 2021, 2022, and 2023 have been the venues for two instances of the partnerships mentioned above.
Also Read: Highest Individual Scores in PSL
