One of the first things you associate with Heinrich Klaasen is the explosiveness he brings with the bat every time he steps on the field. A key member of Sunrisers Hyderabad’s success in the last three seasons, the former South African wicketkeeper has been constantly trying to tear the opposition apart with his big shots.
SRH vs PBKS: MAIN | SCORECARD
From joining SRH in 2023, Klaasen had strike rates of 177.08, 171.07 and 172.7 until IPL 2025. However, the ongoing season has seen a marked change in his mindset. Klaasen’s strike-rate has dropped to 157.32, but he is currently enjoying his best IPL season in terms of runs. In 11 matches, Klaasen has scored 494 runs at an average of 54.89 and is the current Orange Cap holder.
So what brought about this change? After that we talk to JioStar SRH win over PBKSKlaasen said he has let go of the mentality of having to score at a rate of 300 every time he steps up to bat and tries to play out the situation in front of him.
Klaasen said with the arrival of Nitish Kumar Reddy as a middle-order striker, the pressure is off and he doesn’t need to take extra risks. This allows him to focus on putting Hyderabad in a strong position.
“I’ve given up the idea that I have to do everything and score at 300 every time I go to bat. I play the situation in front of me and try to bat as best as I can within the partnership, I’m in. I’m very lucky at the moment that a player like Nitish is hitting the ball so cleanly that it takes a lot of pressure and I make sure I have another risk on the team. I’m in a decent position so the bowlers have enough to defend,” Klaasen said.
‘RUNS MEAN NOTHING IF WE DON’T WIN’
Klaasen said the number of points scored will mean nothing if SRH don’t win and he feels the team is peaking at the right time.
Runs mean nothing if we don’t win the cricket. The team is playing great cricket at the moment. We peak at the right time. Hopefully we can secure a good spot in the playoffs and not take these wins for granted,” said Klaasen.
After an indifferent start, SRH moved to the top of the table with a win over PBKS.
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Published on:
07 May 2026 14:50 IST
