Heinrich Klaasen has revealed the secret to his recent success in white-ball cricket.
Klaasen scored the fourth-most runs in the inaugural SA20 tournament, for Durban’s Super Giants – 363 in 10 matches at an average of 60.50 and a strike rate of 164.25.
He hit three fifties and a century – 104* off 44 balls against the Pretoria Capitals.
Klaasen carried that form into the Proteas’ white-ball matches against the West Indies – smashing 119* off 61 balls in the third ODI in Potchefstroom – and then into the IPL.
In six innings for a struggling Sunrisers Hyderabad team that is currently bottom of the log, Klaasen has scored 189 runs at an average of 47.25 and a strike rate of 181.73.
His highest score of 53 off 27 balls came in a nine-run win against the Delhi Capitals.
He is striking them clean and with some KLAAS ??
Heinrich Klaasen is unbeaten on 43*(22) as @SunRisers reach 179/6 ????
Follow the match ▶️ https://t.co/iOYYyw2zca #TATAIPL | #DCvSRH pic.twitter.com/unQAcMGxaP
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 29, 2023
“In the past, I may not have known my game as well as I do now, and was not as mature,” Klaasen told Rapport newspaper when asked about his recent success.
“Technically, I moved my head a lot when the ball was delivered, so Rob [Walter, Proteas white-ball coach] just said I should stay as static as possible. I also have to keep my hands as still as possible.”
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Former Proteas batsman Gerhardus Liebenberg told Rapport that Klaasen has looked “comfortable in his own skin” over the past 18 months.
“He knows he belongs and can thrive at international level. And he reached cricket maturity,” he added.
