3 reasons why Heinrich Klaasen should be SRH's first choice of retention for IPL 2025

Touted as one of the most feared white ball cricketers going around, Heinrich Klaasen could end up being the first-choice retention for the Sunrisers Hyderabad in the upcoming mega auction for IPL 2025. Klaasen has been an integral part of the SRH batting line-up and will look to continue his legacy in the Orange jersey.

Sunrisers finished as the runners-up in the previous edition of the IPL and it was their fearless approach which made them achieve some extraordinary heights in the tournament. They ended up scoring three of the top five highest scores in IPL history in 2024 itself.

The opening duo of Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma set the stage on fire while players like Nitish Kumar Reddy made a mark for them in the middle order. However, as per ESPNcricinfo, Heinrich Klaasen is set to SRH’s top retention for a whopping sum of Rs 23 crores.

Klaasen ended IPL 2024 with 479 runs, finishing as the second-highest run scorer for the Sunrisers at a staggering strike rate of 171.07. Klaasen took his time when needed but once set, he absolutely tormented the opposition bowlers with his exceptional power-hitting abilities.

Having said that, let us have a look at three possible reasons why Heinrich Klaasen should be the top retention for SRH in IPL 2025.

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#1 Consistency

While batters like Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head provided fiery starts in most matches, Klaasen took the team to a strong position in the middle overs. It was his sheer consistency in the middle and the death overs which might have prompted the SRH management to have him on the top priority list for retention.

Klaasen hardly gets bogged down and among players who can be natural power hitters, he is very consistent with his scores and rarely lets his team down. While many would consider Klassen as an out-and-out power hitter, there is certainly a method to his madness.

If SRH loses early wickets, Klaasen can mould his game and play according to the situation without quite going hammers and tongs. What sets him apart is despite taking his time, his strike rate hardly goes below 150.

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#2 Power-hitting abilities

Not many can argue the fact that Klaasen is one of the finest modern-day batters in both ODI and T20 formats. He is a sensational striker and has the ability to decimate any top-class bowling attack.

With the pitch in Hyderabad expected to be a belter, Klaasen automatically becomes the first choice for retention due to his huge range of shots.

He can hit any good ball for a boundary and can get on a roll once he has found his range. While the likes of Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma had a better strike rate in IPL 2024, they scored the majority of their runs in the powerplay.

Klaasen hardly bats in the powerplay but still boasts of an incredible strike rate. Hence, it's a no-brainer why SRH are thinking of retaining him as the top pick.

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#3 Proficiency against both pace and spin

There is hardly a chink in his armor when it comes to batting in the white ball formats. Klassen is someone who is at ease against both pacers and spinners. On spicy decks, he has the ability to counter the lengths of the pacers while on turning tracks, he uses the depth of the crease to perfection.

While there are superstars and power hitters loaded in the SRH team, not many are like Heinrich Klaasen. He can take apart any world-class pacer like he did against Mitchell Starc in the previous IPL.

Klassen is perhaps the most gifted batter against spin in the modern generation and can literally blast sixes from any lengths.