Arya and Prabhsimran are among the pairs to have delivered strong starts for their teams this season
Omkar Mankame30-Apr-20255:32
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Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan (GT)Last year, in Wriddhiman Saha’s absence, GT briefly tried out Sai Sudharsan to open with Gill, and it worked. The pair crossed fifty in all three innings they opened together. Building on that, GT have stuck with the same opening combination this season and it’s paid off.A standout feature of their campaign has been the ability of the openers to bat deep. Only once this season have both fallen inside the first ten overs. While the duo may not be ultra-aggressive in their approach, their consistency has been key to GT’s success in IPL 2025.Phil Salt and Virat Kohli have been consistent this season•Getty ImagesVirat Kohli and Phil Salt (RCB)Ahead of the IPL 2025 auction, RCB released their captain and opener Faf du Plessis and invested INR 11.5 crore in bagging Salt. The move paid immediate dividends. In the season opener, Salt and Kohli stitched together a 95-run stand off just 51 balls, taking the sting out of Kolkata Knight Riders’ (KKR) 175-run target. While they’ve occasionally been separated early, the duo has consistently provided rapid starts, often putting RCB in commanding positions within the powerplay.Prabhsimran Singh and Priyansh Arya, the uncapped PBKS wunderkinds•AFP/Getty ImagesPriyansh Arya and Prabhsimran Singh (PBKS)Two uncapped Indians walking out to open an IPL innings is usually the result of an emergency – injuries, loss of form, or last-minute reshuffles. But PBKS placed their trust in Prabhsimran, a retained player, and Arya, an IPL debutant, and they have been vindicated. Though their aggressive style has often led to brisk but brief partnerships, they did demonstrate impressive composure in a rain-affected clash against KKR. On a slow Eden Gardens wicket, the duo stitched a 120-run stand off 72 balls, pacing their innings smartly and choosing their moments to attack.Mitchell Marsh and Aiden Markram have been dominant up top•Associated PressAiden Markram and Mitchell Marsh (LSG)LSG went into IPL 2025 with an overseas-heavy top order. Marsh, despite having limited experience as an IPL opener, was up and running as he scored more fifties in his first five outings this season than he did in his previous eight campaigns combined. Markram took a few matches to find his rhythm but has since added four fifties to his name. While their scoring rate has been modest, the duo has brought a measure of reliability to LSG’s top order.Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma haven’t found their golden touch from last season•AFP/Getty ImagesAbhishek Sharma and Travis Head (Sunrisers Hyderabad)It was the ‘Travishek’ pair that transformed SRH’s fortunes in IPL 2024. They picked up from where they left off with a 45-run blitz in just 19 balls in their season opener this year. But over the next four games, oppositions have found early breakthroughs, dismissing one of them inside the first three overs. A glimpse of their last year’s form came against PBKS at home, where they put on a 171-run stand off just 75 balls during a chase of 246. Outside of such flashes, they’ve struggled to produce consistent partnerships this season.
