Chandigarh, April 11
Heinrich Klaasen has seen a notable decline in his strike rate during the initial phase of his innings in T20 cricket over the last four years, according to CricViz.
Once among the most destructive middle-order hitters in the shortest format, Klaasen's scoring rate in his first 10 balls at the crease has progressively dipped year-on-year since 2023, highlighting a shift in his early-innings approach.
The drop from a peak of 153 in 2023 to 105 in 2026 reflects a significant reduction in his early momentum, a phase where Klaasen was once known for immediate acceleration and boundary-heavy intent.
According to CricViz, Klaasen struck at a dominant 153 in his first 10 balls in 2023; however, his early scoring rate has gradually dipped each year, falling to 135 in 2024, 115 in 2025, and further down to 105 in 2026.
The trend highlights a significant reduction in his early-innings explosiveness, a phase where he was once known for immediate acceleration and boundary-heavy impact.
During the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 match against Punjab Kings (PBKS) on Saturday, Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) batter Klaasen took 28 balls to hit a six, which is the second-longest time taken to hit a maximum in an IPL innings.
Earlier, he took 29 balls to hit a six against three-time champions Kolkat knight Riders in the 2026 season. Of Klaasen's 16 IPL innings of min. 20 balls, this had the lowest strike-rate (118.18). The combined strike rate for the other 15 of those is 181.53.
Coming to the match, SRH produced a commanding batting performance to post a massive total against PBKS in their clash at Mullanpur, riding on an explosive start from their top order before finishing at 219/6 in 20 overs.
The opening pair of Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head once again set the tone with fearless strokeplay, dismantling the PBKS bowling attack from the outset.
The duo's aggressive intent ensured SRH raced past 100 runs inside the powerplay, with Abhishek Sharma leading the charge. He brought up a rapid half-century in just 18 deliveries, while Travis Head provided strong support with an attacking 38 off 23 balls.
Arshdeep Singh endured a difficult spell early on, conceding 24 runs in the third over as SRH surged to 44 quickly. The partnership continued to dominate, with SRH hammering 105/0 in the first six overs -- marking one of the highest powerplay totals in IPL history and underlining their ultra-aggressive batting approach.
PBKS eventually found breakthroughs in the ninth over through Shashank Singh, who dismissed Travis Head and then removed Abhishek Sharma in quick succession. Abhishek's stunning knock of 74 off 28 balls, decorated with five fours and eight sixes, had already put SRH in a dominant position.
Despite the double strike, SRH maintained momentum and reached 132/2 at the halfway stage. Captain Ishan Kishan added 27 off 17 balls before being dismissed by Arshdeep Singh in the 14th over, with SRH progressing to 176/3 after 15 overs and still in full control.
However, Punjab Kings managed to pull things back slightly in the final phase as SRH lost wickets at regular intervals. Aniket Verma (18), Salil Arora (9), and Heinrich Klaasen (39) failed to convert their starts into bigger contributions, slowing the finish somewhat.
Even so, the damage had already been done in the powerplay and middle overs, allowing SRH to close out their innings at a formidable 219/6. For PBKS, Arshdeep Singh (2/50), Xavier Bartlett (1/42), and Shashank Singh (2/20) were the key wicket-takers in an otherwise challenging outing with the ball.
- ANI
Reader Comments
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.