Heinrich Klaasen

Cricket happened to Heinrich Klaasen when he was picked in his college team while studying for his bachelors' degree at the University of Pretoria. Klaasen too would have been unaware of his talent until he rose through the ranks in domestic cricket and made his first-class debut for the Northerns in the 2012/13 season.

In domestic cricket he raked up runs and by the end of the third season Klaasen's average was an impressive 65. In one of the crucial first-class matches he missed out on a double hundred by a few runs but not before helping Titans beat Dolphins. Klaasen is a perfect match to white-ball cricket who can strike the ball big in the middle overs, a gun fielder and can keep wickets when needed. A great domestic season earned Klaasen a maiden callup to the South African national side on their tour to New Zealand, as a reserve wicketkeeper. The Test debut never happened on that trip as he missed out to make the playing XI.

Klaasen emerged as a significant player during India's 2018 tour of South Africa. Stepping in for the injured de Kock in the ODI series, Klaasen became the shining light for South Africa, clinching the Man of the Match award in the two games they won. His composed performances under pressure continued in the T20I series against India, where he scored a blistering 69 off just 30 balls. Although his Test debut didn't come until 2019 against India, Klaasen had already established himself as a reliable middle-order batsman and an exceptional fielder in the other two formats.

His talent didn't go unnoticed in the T20 circuit, attracting attention from franchises globally. Klaasen's IPL journey commenced unexpectedly when he joined the Rajasthan Royals in 2018 as a late replacement for Steve Smith. Despite limited opportunities, he showcased his skills and was subsequently picked up by the Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2019.

However, it was in 2023 that Klaasen truly came into his own. He enjoyed a breakthrough year with remarkable performances across various leagues. From scoring centuries in the SA20 and IPL for Sunrisers Hyderabad to becoming the first player to notch up a century in the Major League Cricket (MLC), Klaasen's batting prowess was on full display. His success extended to The Hundred, where he represented the Oval Invincibles, amassing 189 runs in seven games.

The performances didn't go unnoticed, as Klaasen earned a spot as a reserve wicketkeeper for the 2023 ODI World Cup. He too had a great IPL 2024 with the Sunrisers where his strike-rate was above 180, and was included in South Africa's squad for the T20 World Cup 2024, to be played in the USA and the West Indies.

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