West Indies and South Africa locked horns today in the Super 8 round of the T20 World Cup at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Both teams came into this clash with five consecutive wins behind them but the Caribbean side soon found themselves reeling at 83/7 after being invited to bat first. At one stage, it seemed as if they would be blown away by South Africa. However, Romario Shepherd and Jason Holder had other ideas as they added 89 runs for the eighth wicket and created a world record in the shortest format of the game.
This is the highest partnership for the eighth wicket in the history of not only the T20 World Cup but also T20 Internationals. Namibia’s Ruben Trumpelmann and David Wiese held the record previously as they added 70 runs against the UAE in October 2022 during the T20 World Cup. Their partnership had helped Namibia recover from 69/7.
The West Indies also recovered from a precarious position to post a formidable total of 176 runs for the loss of eight wickets in their 20 overs. Holder scored 49 runs off 31 balls with four fours and three sixes, while Shepherd, batting at nine, remained unbeaten on 52 off 37 balls with three fours and four sixes to his name.
Highest partnerships for 8th wicket in T20Is
| Partners | Runs | Opposition | Year |
| Jason Holder, Romario Shepherd (West Indies) | 89 | South Africa | 2026 |
| Ruben Trumpelmann, David Wiese (Namibia) | 70 | UAE | 2022 |
| Moeen Ali, David Willey (England) | 57* | Afghanistan | 2016 |
What is the highest partnerships for 8th wicket or lower in T20Is?
The duo of Holder and Shepherd also registered the second highest partnership for 8th wicket or lower in T20Is after adding 89 runs at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Saber Zakhil and Saqlain Ali of Belgium hold this record, having added 132 runs against Austria back in 2021.
Highest partnerships for 8th wicket or lower in T20Is
132* – Saber Zakhil, Saqlain Ali (BEL) vs Austria, Waterloo, 2021
89 – Romario Shepherd, Jason Holder (WI) vs SA, Ahmedabad, 2026
88* – Chernoh Bah, Lansana Lamin (SLE) vs Eswatini, Abuja, 2024
80 – Preston Mommsen, Safyaan Sharif (SCOT) vs NED, Edinburgh, 2015
78 – Romario Shepherd, Shamar Springer (WI) vs NZ, Nelson, 2025
Also Read