Both Opening Batters Scoring Century in IPL: The Exclusive Club (2008–2026)

Both opening batters scoring century in IPL is the rarest batting feat in the history of the tournament. In T20 cricket, one century in an innings is a rare and special event. Two centuries in the same innings is almost unheard of. When both of those hundreds come from the two opening batters, it becomes one of the greatest batting displays in the history of the sport. The IPL has witnessed this miracle only twice.

This miracle has happened only twice in nearly two decades of IPL cricket. David Warner and Jonny Bairstow did it first for Hyderabad in 2019. Five years later, Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan repeated the feat for Gujarat in 2024. No other opening pair has ever managed it.

This article tells the full story of both historic twin-century opening stands, lists the near misses where one opener fell short, explains why this feat is so incredibly rare, and answers the most asked questions about it.

Have Both Openers Scored Centuries in the Same IPL Innings?

Yes, but only twice in IPL history. The first instance came in 2019, when David Warner (100 not out) and Jonny Bairstow (114) both smashed hundreds for Hyderabad against Bengaluru. The second came in 2024, when Shubman Gill (104) and Sai Sudharsan (103) both reached three figures for Gujarat against Chennai. These are the only two opening pairs to achieve this in the league.

To put this in perspective, thousands of IPL innings have been played since 2008. Only two have seen both openers reach a hundred. It is one of the rarest batting feats in all of T20 cricket.

Both Opening Batters Scoring Century in IPL – Full List

Only two opening pairs sit in this ultra-exclusive club. Both instances produced mammoth opening stands and crushing victories. The table below lists every twin-century opening performance in IPL history.

Both stands came while batting first and both led to massive wins. For more batting records, check the players with the most fifties in IPL and the highest batting averages in IPL.

1. Warner & Bairstow – Twin Tons vs RCB, 2019

The first-ever twin-century opening stand in IPL history came at Hyderabad in March 2019. Bairstow led the assault with a 56-ball 114 featuring 12 fours and 7 sixes. Warner played the perfect partner with an unbeaten 55-ball 100 containing 5 fours and 5 sixes. Their 185-run stand powered Hyderabad to 231 for 2.

Bengaluru were blown away in the chase and bowled out for 113, losing by 118 runs. The pair also became the first in IPL history to share three consecutive century partnerships, having added 118 and 110 in their two previous games. It remains one of the most dominant batting displays the league has seen.

The date was 31 March 2019, and the venue was the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad. The 118-run margin gave the league its first case of both opening batters scoring century in IPL. For Bairstow, it was a maiden IPL century in his debut season. For Warner, it was a statement of return after missing the 2018 season, and he finished the year with 692 runs and the Orange Cap.

The 185-run stand was the highest opening partnership in IPL history at the time. It set a benchmark that stood for three years, until Quinton de Kock and KL Rahul went past it in 2022 without both openers reaching hundreds.

2. Gill & Sudharsan – Twin Tons vs CSK, 2024

Five years later, the young openers of Gujarat matched the miracle at Ahmedabad in 2024. Captain Shubman Gill smashed 104 while Sai Sudharsan made 103 in a stunning 210-run opening stand against Chennai. They became only the second opening pair in IPL history with twin centuries in the same innings.

The 210-run stand is also one of the highest opening partnerships in league history. Chennai had no answers as the two youngsters batted through most of the innings. It announced the arrival of a new generation of Indian opening talent.

The date was 10 May 2024, and the venue was the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Gujarat Titans batted first, and the two openers raised 210 for the first wicket. Gujarat posted 231 for 3, Chennai finished on 196 for 8, and the 35-run win gave the league its second case of both opening batters scoring century in IPL.

It was Sudharsan’s maiden IPL century. For Gill, the 104 was a captain’s knock. He had taken over the Gujarat captaincy that season after Hardik Pandya moved to Mumbai Indians. The 210-run

stand became the second-highest opening partnership in IPL history, behind only the unbeaten 210 of de Kock and Rahul.

Which Pairs Came Close to Twin Centuries?

Several great opening pairs have come close to twin hundreds but fallen short. Quinton de Kock smashed 140 not out while KL Rahul made 68 not out in their record 210-run stand in 2022. Adam Gilchrist scored 106 while Shaun Marsh made 79 in their 206-run stand in 2011. Virat Kohli hit 100 while Faf du Plessis made 71 in their 172-run stand in 2023.

Devdutt Padikkal scored 101 not out while Kohli made 72 not out in 2021, and Mayank Agarwal hit 106 while Rahul made 69 in 2020. In each case, one opener reached three figures while the other stopped in the sixties or seventies. These near misses show how hard it is for both batters to go all the way together.

The de Kock-Rahul stand deserves a closer look. At the DY Patil Stadium in 2022, de Kock faced 70 balls for his 140 not out, while Rahul took 51 balls for 68 not out. Rahul finished 32 runs short of a hundred. The 210-run unbeaten stand remains the highest opening partnership in IPL history, yet it is not a case of both opening batters scoring century in IPL.

The Gilchrist-Marsh stand from 2011 shows how long the wait for twin hundreds has been. Adam Gilchrist smashed 106 and Shaun Marsh made 79 in a 206-run opening stand for Kings XI Punjab. That 206 was the highest opening partnership in IPL history for 11 years, until de Kock and Rahul broke it. Yet even that giant stand did not produce twin hundreds.

Why Is It So Rare for Both Openers to Score Centuries?

Twin centuries by openers are rare because a T20 innings has only 120 balls to share. For both batters to reach 100, they must bat together for at least 15 overs while scoring at nearly 10 runs per over. One wicket, one quiet over, or one brilliant bowling spell ends the dream. The maths of T20 cricket fights against this feat.

It also needs two batters in the form of their lives on the same day. Both must be middling everything while the bowlers have no answers. That perfect storm has happened only twice in 18 IPL seasons, which tells its own story.

The numbers show how steep the climb is. For both openers to reach hundreds, they must bat together for at least 15 overs at 10 runs an over, and both must survive. One wicket or one quiet over can end the dream. In nearly two decades, only two pairs have held their nerve long enough for both opening batters scoring century in IPL.

The first IPL hundred came in the very first match of the league in 2008, when Brendon McCullum smashed 158 not out for Kolkata Knight Riders. But two hundreds in one innings, both by openers, needed another 11 years. The long wait shows how special the feat is.

The 231 Coincidence: Same Total, Five Years Apart

Both twin-century stands produced team totals of 231. Sunrisers Hyderabad made 231 for 2 in 2019, and Gujarat Titans made 231 for 3 in 2024. The identical totals, five years apart, are one of the great coincidences in IPL history. Both teams batted first, both won, and in both games the two openers reached three figures. It is fitting that the only two cases of both opening batters scoring

century in IPL share the same team score.

The Four Centurions and Their IPL Legacies

David Warner is the most decorated overseas batter in IPL history, with three Orange Caps in 2015, 2017 and 2019. No other player has won the award three times. His twin-century stand with Bairstow came in the middle of that golden run.

Shubman Gill’s twin-century stand came a year after his own Orange Cap season. In 2023, he scored 890 runs for Gujarat, the second-highest tally in a single IPL season after Virat Kohli’s 973 in 2016.

Jonny Bairstow finished the 2019 season with 445 runs from 10 innings before leaving for international duty. Sai Sudharsan, the Tamil Nadu left-hander, used his 103 to announce himself as

a batting star for the future. Both hundreds were career-defining knocks.

Conclusion

Twin centuries by both openers remain the rarest batting feat in IPL history, achieved only twice in 18 seasons. Warner and Bairstow set the standard in 2019, and Gill and Sudharsan matched it in 2024. It takes a perfect storm of form, pitch and courage for lightning to strike twice in one innings. The third instance will be worth the wait.

Suggested Read

• Most Fifties in IPL
• Highest Batting Averages in IPL
• Most Ducks in IPL
• IPL Orange Cap Winners List
• Most Man of the Match in IPL
• Rahul Dravid Biography

Twin Centuries Opening Pair IPL: The Two Stands Side by Side

The two twin-century stands share a clear pattern. Both pairs batted first. Both pairs built a stand above 180. Both teams won by a huge margin. The 2019 stand of 185 set the benchmark. The 2024 stand of 210 went 25 runs further and now sits as the higher of the two.

The contrast is just as striking. Warner and Bairstow were seasoned internationals at the peak of their powers. Gill and Sudharsan were young Indians announcing the future. Five years separate the two miracles, yet both followed the same script of dominance from ball one.

How Many Opening Pairs Scored Centuries Together in IPL

The answer is two. Only two opening pairs have scored centuries together in the same IPL innings. David Warner and Jonny Bairstow did it in 2019. Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan did it in 2024. No other pair has joined the club.

The table above carries the complete list. Two rows. Two years. Two pairs. In nearly two decades of IPL cricket, with thousands of innings played, the list has not grown beyond two. That is what makes this the rarest batting feat in the league.

FAQ