In the third ODI between South Africa and West Indies in Potchefstroom, wicketkeeper-batsman Heinrich Klaasen hammered a 54-ball century to help his side chase down a target of 261 in less than 30 overs.
Klaasen ended up scoring 119 runs off 61 deliveries, smashing five sixes and 15 boundaries in the process.
Klassen's knock will give the Sunrisers Hyderabad and their fans a lot of joy as he will soon be seen playing for the franchise in the upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Sunrisers Hyderabad signed the 31-year-old at the auction back in December for a sum of Rs 5.25 crore.
Here, we look at three reasons why Heinrich Klaasen could enjoy a good IPL 2023 campaign for SRH.
3 reasons why Heinrich Klaasen could enjoy a good IPL 2023 campaign for SRH
#1 Form
Heinrich Klaasen's knock against the West Indies is proof that he is in good touch at the moment and that will hold him in good stead going into the 15th season of the cash-rich tournament.
He was also superb in the recently-concluded SA20 League, in which he scored 353 runs in 10 innings at a strike-rate of 147.60 and finished as the fourth highest run scorer in the tournament. Klaasen also scored a century over the course of the tournament.
#2 Experience
At 31, Klaasen is an experienced campaigner, having featured in 141 T20s. He has scored 2,852 runs in his T20 career and his strike rate of close to 140 is phenomenal. He has also represented his country in 38 T20 internationals, 34 ODIs and four Tests, which will be an important factor as he has had a taste of cricket at the highest level. SRH will hope that he can use the experience to perform well during the upcoming season.
#3 Learnings from past IPL seasons
Heinrich Klaasen is not a newcomer to the IPL, having represented the Royal Challengers Bangalore and the Rajasthan Royals in the past. His previous stints in the tournament were not very successful, but that means that he will be better equipped and prepared for the challenges this time around.
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