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Pietersen Urges SA Cricket to Recall Klaasen for 2027 World Cup

Kevin Pietersen praised Heinrich Klaasen's 65-run innings for Sunrisers Hyderabad against Mumbai Indians. Pietersen urged the South African cricket board to recall Klaasen for the 2027 ODI World Cup. Klaasen's quickfire knock helped SRH chase down 244 with eight balls to spare. SRH secured their fifth consecutive win, moving to third place in the IPL standings.

Key Points: Pietersen: SA Should Ask Klaasen to Rejoin International Cricket

  • Kevin Pietersen urges SA to recall Klaasen for 2027 World Cup
  • Klaasen scores 65 off 30 balls for SRH against MI
  • SRH chases 244 with eight balls to spare
  • SRH moves to third spot with fifth straight win
2 min read

SA cricket should ask Klaasen if he can rejoin international cricket: Pietersen

Kevin Pietersen praises Heinrich Klaasen's 65-run IPL innings, urging South Africa to recall him for the 2027 ODI World Cup. Klaasen stars in SRH's chase of 244.

"There should be a phone call this morning from the South African cricket board to Heinrich Klaasen to ask him if he can rejoin international cricket - Kevin Pietersen"

New Delhi, April 30

Former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen reserved special praise for Heinrich Klaasen after the 34-year-old batter's 65-run innings, which helped Sunrisers Hyderabad's win over Mumbai Indians, saying the South Africa cricket board should ask Klassen to join the national team for the ODI World Cup in 2027.

After Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma gave SRH a flying start in their chase of 244, Klaasen, the highest run-scorer of the season from the batting position number four and onwards, contributed 65 off just 30, laced with seven boundaries and four maximums, as SRH raced to a finish with eight balls to spare.

"There should be a phone call this morning from the South African cricket board to Heinrich Klaasen to ask him if he can rejoin international cricket and be a central figure in their campaign to try and win their first ever World Cup, which will be in South Africa next year," Pietersen said in an X post.

Earlier, batting first, MI rode on to Ryan Rickelton's unbeaten 123 from just 55 deliveries, which featured ten fours and eight sixes, posted a 243/5 on the board. In response, SRH recorded the fourth highest run-chase in IPL, powered by blazing half-centuries from Travis Head and Klaasen.

After their fifth successive win of the season, SRH moved to the third spot on the points table. Speaking after the game, Klassen said, "It's nice to contribute to the team. It's a great win for us and hopefully we can repeat it at home. Like I said earlier, if they're going at 15, 16, it's going to make your life a little bit easier (on the openers). So when I got in, I think we needed just under 10s chasing 250, so that's an incredible job from them."

- IANS

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Reader Comments

V
Vinay O
Agree 100%. Klaasen is a beast in T20s, but let's not forget why he quit international cricket. The SA board needs to fix their issues if they want players like him back. Otherwise, it's just a phone call that'll go nowhere. Still, his IPL form is unmatched right now, no doubt.
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Priya S
As an Indian fan, of course I want Klaasen to keep playing IPL, but honestly, the World Cup in SA would be epic if he's there. Imagine the crowd going wild for a local hero! But SA cricket administration... hmm, they need to get their act together first. Klassen's talent is world-class.
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Nikhil C
KP has a point, but let's be real: Klaasen chose to leave international cricket for a reason. SA cricket's loss is definitely IPL's gain. Watching him bat is pure entertainment—those sixes are just effortless. Would love to see him in Proteas colors again though, for the World Cup. 🤞
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Riya H
Honestly, this whole thing is sad for SA cricket. They keep losing top players to T20 leagues around the world, and now even their best bat is only playing IPL. Pietersen is right to suggest that phone call, but it's going to take more than that to fix the system. Klaasen is just too good to waste.
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Karan T
I'll be honest: as an SRH fan, I want Klaasen to stay in the IPL forever! 😂 But for the sake of world cricket, yes, SA needs him back. The way he took

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