Bangladesh’s top two batsmen, Soumya Sarkar and Saif Hassan, placed their names among the legends by posting a wonderful partnership of 176 runs against West Indies in Mirpur.
The pair took Bangladesh to a superb start in the third ODI, showing no fear, great timing, and a lot of aggression.
Not only their partnership, but also the opening pairs that have formed in ODIs became one of the records held by the elite. On that note, below are the top 5 highest opening partnerships for Bangladesh in ODIs.
Highest Opening Partnerships for Bangladesh In ODIs
5. 154 – Soumya Sarkar & Tamim Iqbal vs South Africa, 2015
In 2015, Bangladesh reached one of their greatest ODI victories, and this 154-run opening partnership against South Africa was the key to that success. They were chasing 169.
And Soumya Sarkar was spectacularly demolishing that day, scoring 90 runs from 75 balls, while Tamim was contributing 61, keeping the South Africans always at the back foot. Their attacking style shocked the South Africans and led Bangladesh to a historic 9-wicket win.
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4. 158 – Anamul Haque & Tamim Iqbal vs Zimbabwe, 2014
Against Zimbabwe, Anamul Haque and Tamim Iqbal formed the largest partnership of the series, a huge 158-run opening partnership in the 2nd ODI at Chattogram. Batting first, Anamul went through the innings with poise and scored 80, meanwhile Tamim who was playing with good flow scored 76.
Their partnership enabled Bangladesh to score a commanding total of 251 runs, thus facilitating a smooth 68-run victory. It was one of the innings that built confidence in Anamul as a reliable top-order batter for the Tigers.
3. 170 – Mehrab Hossain & Shahriar Hossain vs Zimbabwe, Dhaka, 1999
Looking back at 1999, Bangladesh had not yet received Test status, however, Mehrab Hossain and Shahriar Hossain made the team feel the power of a good opening pair. Their 170-run partnership with Zimbabwe in the Meril tournament became a landmark for the Tigers.
In the match against Zimbabwe, Mehrab became the first ever ODI centurion of Bangladesh and he made a score of 101 while Shahriar played the perfect second fiddle with a tough 68. Although Zimbabwe lost the match by 3 wickets, this partnership was the main factor in the rise of Bangladesh’s confidence on the international stage.
2. 176 – Soumya Sarkar & Saif Hassan vs West Indies, 2025
The latest partnership belongs to the third ODI against West Indies in 2025, where the duo of Soumya Sarkar and Saif Hassan took down the opposing bowlers in an attacking and defensing mode at the same time with their total score of 176 runs. This partnership was a great combination of aggression and control.
Soumya started in an aggressive way with 91 runs, cutting gaps easily, while Saif was the anchor, rotating the strike wisely and making 90 runs. The two players were perfectly in tune with each other, both taking from the other’s tempo and having a healthy run rate. This partnership was instrumental for Bangladesh’s winning as it laid the foundation of their strong position in the match.
1. 292 – Litton Das & Tamim Iqbal vs Zimbabwe, 2020
This cooperation is nothing less than a legend. On a lovely day at Sylhet, Litton Das and Tamim Iqbal brought the Zimbabwean bowlers to their knees and broke records with a magnificent 292-run opening partnership, which is the highest ever for Bangladesh in ODIs.
Though Tamim kept the innings on track with his 128 off 109 balls, Litton was just phenomenal scoring 176 runs from just 143 balls. Not only did their partnership make a record total of 322 runs, but also made a strong mark in the cricket history of Bangladesh.
