A strong opening pair can set the tone for an IPL season and with teams packing their sides with power-hitting top-order batters, there is tight competition when ranking the best opening pairs in the tournament for the upcoming season. From Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head adopting an attacking approach to KL Rahul and Jake Fraser-McGurk’s potential, here’s a ranking of the best opening pairs in IPL 2025 based on recent form, T20 credentials, and overall impact.
Sunrisers Hyderabad boast one of the most dangerous opening pairs in Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma. Both are aggressive left-handers who love taking the attack to the opposition. Head has been in top form in international cricket, playing a key role in Australia’s ICC tournament wins. Abhishek, on the other hand, has recently scored a T20I hundred in just 37 balls against England, proving his ability to destroy bowling attacks. Together, they complement each other well, making SRH’s top order one of the most feared in the league. Abhishek and Head have two of the best strike-rates for openers in T20I history and in Hyderabad, a high-scoring venue, the duo can be expected to be at their destructive best again.
Gujarat Titans have put together a solid combination with Jos Buttler and Shubman Gill. Buttler is one of the most consistent IPL batters, having won the Orange Cap in 2022 and delivering multiple match-winning knocks. Gill, the 2023 IPL Orange Cap winner, is technically sound and has improved his power game significantly. This pairing provides a mix of aggression and stability, making them one of the most reliable top-order partnerships in IPL 2025.
Rajasthan Royals have retained a successful pairing in Sanju Samson and Yashasvi Jaiswal. Jaiswal was one of IPL 2023’s breakout stars, scoring a century and several quickfire fifties. Samson, though primarily a middle-order batter, has been pushed to open in previous seasons with good results. This pair can be highly effective if Jaiswal plays his natural attacking game while Samson provides support. Samson’s recent elevation to the top for India has returned mixed results, but at RR, where he is under less pressure, expect the Keralite to fire.
Royal Challengers Bangalore have a new opening combination in Virat Kohli and Phil Salt. Kohli, the leading run-scorer in IPL history, is known for anchoring the innings and shifting gears when needed. He was the top run-scorer in IPL 2024 and despite his woes in Tests, showed good adaptability in the last season in this format. Salt, on the other hand, is a pure power-hitter who can dominate the powerplay. The key for RCB will be whether this combination balances well—Salt’s aggression could allow Kohli to play freely without worrying about strike rate concerns.
Kolkata Knight Riders have an unusual but effective opening pair in Sunil Narine and Quinton de Kock. Narine has been a surprise success as an opener in franchise cricket, often giving KKR explosive starts. De Kock, a seasoned IPL opener, is consistent and plays pace well, making him an ideal partner. If Narine clicks, this could be one of the most unpredictable yet dangerous partnerships in IPL 2025. But if he doesn’t, this pair could move to the bottom of this list.
Mumbai Indians have paired their former captain Rohit Sharma with England’s Will Jacks. Rohit, despite his inconsistent IPL form in recent seasons, remains a big-match player. Jacks, a hard-hitting all-rounder, is relatively new to the IPL but has a strong reputation in T20 leagues. This combination’s success will depend on how well Jacks adapts to IPL conditions and whether Rohit finds his rhythm early in the tournament. But at Wankhede, where they play their home games, these two can be destructive.
Punjab Kings’ opening pair of Prabhsimran Singh and Josh Inglis is an exciting but untested one. Prabhsimran has shown flashes of brilliance in previous seasons, including a 103-run knock in IPL 2023. His strike-rate has been over 150 in each of the last two seasons. Inglis, Australia’s limited-overs wicketkeeper, is making his IPL debut but has proven his abilities in international T20s. If not him, PBKS might try Marcus Stoinis at the top and both would be a decent bet. If they click, Punjab could have a dangerous top order, but their lack of consistency puts them slightly lower on the rankings.
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Chennai Super Kings have stuck with their tried-and-tested duo Ruturaj Gaikwad and Devon Conway. Gaikwad has been a consistent performer for CSK over the last few seasons, but Conway’s availability could be an issue due to international commitments. This pair has had success, but make no mistake that CSK will be relying on more consistency in terms of runs than explosive starts from these two, making them rank slightly lower than what might eventually happen.
Delhi Capitals have taken a calculated risk by pairing KL Rahul with Jake Fraser-McGurk. Rahul is one of IPL’s most consistent batters but has often been criticized for his slow strike rate in T20s. Fraser-McGurk is an explosive young batter from Australia but is relatively untested in the IPL and has been in a rut of form. This combination could either flourish or struggle, depending on how well Rahul adapts his game to play more aggressively.
Lucknow Super Giants have put together a makeshift opening pair with Aiden Markram and Mitchell Marsh. Both are quality players but have rarely opened in the IPL. The overseas recruits this season from LSG raise a lot of questions, but if these two walk out, it is unlikely the team would see consistent starts. Marsh is known for his explosive batting in the middle order, while Markram usually anchors at No.3 or 4. That said, both can open, but recent form and fitness concerns (Marsh has been ruled of Champions Trophy 2025) puts them at the bottom of the list. LSG could take a different route and pair Rishabh Pant with Markram to try and finish the season better.
In 13 matches in IPL 2024, Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head combined to make 599 runs in partnerships, scoring at a breakneck pace of 13.2 runs per over, including three century partnerships. Their top three stands were 167 unbeaten runs off 9.4 overs, 131 runs in 6.2 overs and 108 in 8.1 overs. The stats understate how ridiculous their combination was for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in IPL 2024.
Among pairs to put together 500 or more runs in a year in all T20s, Abhishek and Head top the run rate chart with their scoring rate of 13.2 runs per over with Sunil Narine and Phil Salt (in IPL 2024 as well) coming next up with 12.46 runs per over.
Abhishek and Head made best use of the favourable home conditions in Hyderabad to put on a batting display to savour in IPL 2024 and expect that to continue this season as well after SRH finished runners up in 2024.
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