5 batsmen involved in most century partnerships in World Cup history

Across eight editions of the ODI World Cup thus far, massive match-turning partnerships by great batsmen have been witnessed by fans, with the record of the highest stand for any wicket being held by Chris Gayle and Marlon Samuels, who frustrated Zimbabwe with a 372-run association at Canberra in 2015. The only other three hundred-run partnership was that between Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly against Sri Lanka – 318 runs at Taunton in 1999 – which too was for the second wicket.

But Sportskeeda traces batsmen who have been involved in most century unions in cricket's biggest tournament, with all modern-day names featuring in the top 5.

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#5 Tillakaratne Dilshan – 8

Matches: 27, Runs: 1,112, Average: 52.95, Highest Score: 161*

An explosive opener who switched well from his role in the middle-order, Tillakaratne Dilshan took to his new position with ease. In total, he played in three World Cups, being a part of the sides which reached consecutive finals in 2007 and 2011. In 25 innings, Dilshan was engaged in 8 centuries stands, the biggest of those being 282 with Upul Tharanga against Zimbabwe at Pallekele in 2011, the highest for the opening wicket in the tournament's history. He cracked 2 hundreds in that edition and added 2 more in 2015, including his career-best in the format with 161* against Bangladesh at Melbourne.

Tharanga was also on the other side when the opening pair wiped out England in the quarter-final in 2011, chasing down 230 all by themselves. Dilshan's other partners with whom he stitched century partnerships in World Cups included Kumar Sangakkara and Lahiru Thirimanne, alongside whom he joined hands in four and two such partnerships, respectively.

#4 AB de Villiers – 8

In the 2015 World Cup, AB de Villiers whacked 162* off only 66 balls against West Indies at Sydney

Matches: 23, Runs: 1,207, Average: 63.53, Highest Score: 162*

AB de Villiers needs little introduction regarding his firepower abilities, something which he demonstrated ruthlessly in his third World Cup in 2015, where he was also his side's captain. One of the most memorable ODI innings was on display against West Indies at Sydney when de Villiers whacked 162* off merely 66 balls, an innings laced with 17 fours and 8 sixes. They were not spared even eight years earlier, when, while opening the innings, de Villiers had smashed 146 in a winning cause at Grenada.

The swashbuckling batsman also engaged in 8 century partnerships in World Cups, the highest of those coming alongside Hashim Amla, a 221-run stand against the Netherlands in 2011. Among other such big associations, thrice his partner was Graeme Smith – two times in 2007 and once in 2011 – while the remaining four century partnerships were shared in the company of Jacques Kallis, Rillie Rossouw, Faf du Plessis and David Miller.

#3 Kumar Sangakkara – 10

Kumar Sangakkara hit 4 consecutive centuries in the 2015 World Cup, an ODI record for most successive hundreds

Matches: 37, Runs: 1,532, Average: 56.74, Highest Score: 124

The pillar of Sri Lankan cricket throughout the decade-and-a-half for which he represented his country, Kumar Sangakkara peaked even further during the twilight of his career, soon after which he called it quits in 2015. The World Cup in the same year was his final ODI tournament, and he left with a feat never achieved before: centuries in four consecutive innings. Sangakkara featured in as many as 10 century partnerships across the four editions in which he played – from 2003 to 2015 – most prominently with Tillakaratne Dilshan, with whom he shared four century stands.

Next on the list is his old partner in crime Mahela Jayawardene with three while two came with Sanath Jayasuriya – one of those came in the final of the 2007 World Cup against Australia – and the other hundred partnership included Lahiru Thirimanne. Three partnerships each came in 2007 and 2011, while four were a part of the 2015 edition.

#2 Ricky Ponting – 10

In the final of the 2003 World Cup, Ricky Ponting added 234 unbeaten runs with Damien Martyn

Matches: 46, Runs: 1,743, Average: 45.87, Highest Score: 140*

Ricky Ponting, a modern-day great, will always be remembered for being a part of and then leading a dominating Australian team for eight years from 1999. That year, Ponting won his first World Cup as a player, a feat he repeated as captain in the following two editions in 2003 and 2007. In five World Cups, he too stitched together 10 century stands with seven different partners. Most definitely, the most impactful of those partnerships came in the 2003 World Cup final alongside Damien Martyn, with 234 unbeaten runs blowing India away.

Two century stands came in the company of Martyn, Steve Waugh and Michael Clarke, while one apiece was made together with Adam Gilchrist, Matthew Hayden, Andrew Symonds and Mark Taylor. Ponting hit five hundreds himself in all World Cups – four as captain – with three of those, in 2003 and 2007, coming in a winning cause.

#1 Sachin Tendulkar – 12

Sachin Tendulkar hit 482 runs in India's successful World Cup campaign at home in 2011

Matches: 45, Runs: 2,278, Average: 56.95, Highest Score: 152

The little master Sachin Tendulkar played in six World Cups – the most by an individual thus far – and racked up 2,278 runs, including being the Man of the Tournament in 2003, when India fell short in the final. Tendulkar strung together 12 hundred stands in all editions combined – also a world record – with eight partners, including Mohammad Azharuddin, Ajay Jadeja, Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly, Mohammad Kaif, Yuvraj Singh, Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir.

Against Kenya in 1999, Tendulkar and Dravid struck 237 unbeaten runs for the third wicket, still a World Cup record. Four out of 12 century partnerships came in 2003, with two of those having his captain Ganguly at the other end. Come 2011, when Tendulkar won his first World Cup, his stands of 134 and 125 with Gambhir against England and South Africa, respectively, and 142 with Sehwag, unfortunately, could not bring an Indian win, though Tendulkar scored 482 runs in a successful campaign at home.