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SRH retained Heinrich Klaasen for Rs 23 crore ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auctions. In eight matches played so far, Klaasen has scored 281 runs for the Pat Cummins-led side.
Heinrich Klaasen has scored 281 runs so far in IPL 2025 for SRH. (Picture Credit: AP)
Sunrisers Hyderabad retained South African wicketkeeper-batter Heinrich Klaasen for Rs 23 crore ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction last year, and in the ongoing season of the world’s richest franchise cricket league, he has been SRH’s best batter. In eight matches played so far, Klaasen has scored 281 runs for the Pat Cummins-led side, and he currently sits at 11th position in the list of leading run-getters in the IPL this year.
In SRH’s eighth league match on Wednesday (April 23), which was played against the Mumbai Indians at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, Klaasen came out to bat at No. 5 and with the help of nine fours and two sixes, scored 71 runs from 44 balls. His first fifty of the ongoing season helped the Orange Army bounce back from 35 for 5 in 8.3 overs and post a total of 143 runs on the board. However, it didn’t prove enough in the end, as riding on Rohit Sharma’s second fifty in a row, MI chased it down in 15.4 overs for the loss of three wickets.
In IPL 2025, Klaasen has batted majorly at No. 5 for SRH despite being in red-hot form, and according to former England batter Nick Knight, he is batting too low for the Hyderabad-based franchise.
“Those of us who’ve seen him play over the years and those who are watching (know) that’s what he is capable of and more,” Knight said on ESPNcricinfo’s Time Out show.
“He just needs an opportunity to do it more often. I think he is batting far too low in that side. Six overs (or) a tick over, get him out there.
Former Indian fast bowler Varun Aaron was also part of the same show, and he also agreed with Knight.
“Just how still he is (at the crease); he just doesn’t give the bowler anything before the bowler can bowl,” Aaron said. “Just still, hands through the ball, and it almost looks like he isn’t trying to overhit anything.”
In the ongoing season of the IPL, Klaasen has batted at No. 3 only once for SRH, and in that he remained unbeaten on 21 runs from 14 balls.
