Pairs with 400-plus partnership runs in a T20 WC edition
What's the story
The ICC T20 World Cup 2026 was a historic tournament, with India successfully defending their title for the first time. In the final match, the Men in Blue defeated New Zealand. Though the Kiwis finished as runners-up, their openers Finn Allen and Tim Seifert who stole the show with their incredible batting performances throughout the tournament. On this note, we look at the pairs to register 400-plus partnership runs in a T20 World Cup edition.
#1
Allen & Seifert - 494 in 2026
Allen and Seifert opened together eight times in 2026 event, amassing a whopping 494 runs at an average of 70.57. This is now the most runs by any pair in a single T20 World Cup edition, according to ESPNcricinfo. The NZ duo's tally also boasted an incredible run rate of 11.01 per over - the highest for a pair with 300-plus runs in an edition. Their 175-run stand against against UAE is the second-highest in the competition's history.
#2
Gurbaz & Zadran - 446 runs in 2024
Before the 2026 event, Afghanistan's Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran topped this elite list. The two openers had added 446 runs in the 2024 event, which was hosted by the West Indies and the USA. They averaged 63.71 across seven innings as Afhanistan registered their maiden semi-final appearance in ICC World Cups (also ODIs). However, South Africa beat them in the knock-out match. Notably, Gurbaz and Zadran are the only pairs with three 100-plus stands in a T20 WC edition.
#3
Babar & Rizwan - 411 runs in 2021
Pakistan's Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan were the first pair to record 400-plus runs in a T20 World Cup event. They added 411 runs across six innings in the 2021 event, which was held in the slow pitches of UAE. Despite the challenge, the two Pakistan stars averaged a stunning 82.2 as a pair, having recorded two century stands. Pakistan crashed out of the semi-finals of that event.