Watching from the non-striker's end

The match between Kings XI Punjab and Mumbai Indians in Mohali saw Lendl Simmons hit the first century of this IPL season. Simmons made 100 of the 159 runs that Mumbai Indians scored - a contribution of 62.9% to the team score. However, among the 29 centuries that have been scored in the IPL, Simmons' hundred ranks only eighth in terms of its contribution to the team score. Sanath Jayasuriya's innings for Mumbai Indians against Chennai Super Kings in 2008, in which he scored 114 out of a team total of 158, ranks at the top.

An individual hundred in a T20 game is rare enough and a single-handed contribution of more than 60% to the team score makes it even more special. But Simmons' innings saw another uncommon passage of play: Simmons scored 55 in his opening partnership of 68 with Michael Hussey. Hussey contributed just six runs.

This was only the seventh time in the IPL that one batsman had scored 50-plus in a partnership, while the other had managed only single digits. Simmons' contribution of 80.9% (55 out of 68), however, is not the highest by a batsman in such partnerships. Here are the other six instances in the order of the contribution by the dominant batsman.

Virender Sehwag - 56 (20), Travis Birt - 4 (8), Partnership - 61 (28), Sehwag's contribution - 91.8%
Delhi Daredevils v Deccan Chargers, IPL 2011

Daredevils were tottering at 25 for 3 chasing 176 when Birt joined Sehwag at the crease. Sehwag had scored 8 off 12 at that stage. Chargers were on top and Sehwag, true to his style, reacted to the situation by plundering 56 off his next 20 deliveries, including 23 off an over from the Punjab bowler Ishan Malhotra. Meanwhile, Birt had a torrid time facing Daniel Christian before being cleaned up by the bowler.

AB de Villiers - 51 (20), Mitchell Starc - 5 (8), Partnership - 57 (28), de Villiers' contribution - 89.5%
Royal Challengers Bangalore v Sunrisers Hyderabad, IPL 2014

AB de Villiers was already on 33 from 19 when Mitchell Starc joined him. Royal Challengers needed 59 off the last five overs with Dale Steyn still to bowl two overs. Starc's role was limited to taking singles and watching de Villiers decimate the opposition. De Villiers took 18 off a Darren Sammy over to bring down the equation to 40 off 24. What followed was a duel between arguably the world's best batsman and the best bowler. Steyn won the first over, conceding only two off four balls to de Villiers. The next Steyn over was overwhelmingly won by de Villiers, who hit three sixes and a four off the five balls he faced from the bowler. Royal Challengers required only four off the last five balls by the time Starc was run out.

AB de Villiers - 65 (22), Manoj Tiwary - 9 (13), Partnership - 74 (35), de Villiers' contribution - 87.8%
Delhi Daredevils v Chennai Super Kings, IPL 2009

Doing it once is hard enough; it takes a special batting effort. Doing it twice requires de Villiers. Manoj Tiwary took a lesson on how to score off international fast bowlers in this innings. While Tiwary struggled against them, de Villiers showed how it is done by taking 21 off five deliveries in an Andrew Flintoff over. By the time Tiwary got out on the penultimate ball of the last over, he had faced 13 deliveries for nine runs. The batsman at the other end had scored more than seven times as many runs from just nine more deliveries.

Shane Watson - 56 (20), Stuart Binny - 9 (10), Partnership - 65 (30), Watson's contribution - 86.2%
Rajasthan Royals v Sunrisers Hyderabad, IPL 2013

Royals needed 64 off 43 when Binny came in. Watson, who had scored 42 off 33 then, was going steady by T20 standards. That's when he decided to get it over with. Binny hardly needed to do anything other than tapping the ball to third man and giving Watson the strike. Royals won with 13 balls to spare, with Watson plundering eight fours and three sixes off the 20 deliveries he faced during the partnership.

Virat Kohli - 56 (25), Moises Henriques - 7 (9), Partnership - 66 (34), Kohli's contribution - 84.8%
Royal Challengers Bangalore v Sunrisers Hyderabad, IPL 2013

Royal Challengers against Sunrisers again, but a different batsman this time. Sixty-six required off 48, with two overs of Steyn still left. Kohli treated the fast bowler with due respect, taking eight off seven Steyn deliveries. Off the 18 balls he faced from the other bowlers, though, Kohli blitzed 48. Royal Challengers won with 14 deliveries remaining. Henriques hardly had to move a muscle.

Dwayne Smith - 63 (25), Dinesh Karthik - 9 (15), Partnership - 75 (40), Smith's contribution - 84.0%
Mumbai Indians v Chennai Super Kings, IPL 2013

This is the only such partnership to come in a losing cause. Mumbai Indians were chasing 193 for a place in the IPL 2013 final. They hadn't started well, having lost Aditya Tare with only 12 on the board. Karthik joined Smith but took seven deliveries to get off the mark. Even as Karthik limped to 9 from 15 in the partnership, Smith clouted five fours and five sixes from 24 deliveries before getting out. Mumbai Indians never recovered from Smith's wicket and lost by 48 runs.