Sunrisers Hyderabad star wicketkeeper-batter Heinrich Klaasen has spoken strongly about criticism over his strike rate in IPL 2026.
There has been a lot of talk about Heinrich Klaasen’s batting approach this season. In the post-match press conference, he said that he is trying to put the team in good positions and that in difficult situations, a player has to take responsibility and stay mature.
In most matches, SRH have lost wickets in quick intervals and needed someone to play the anchor role. Klaasen has stepped up in many games and scored runs for them, even if his strike rate is not always at his usual level.
In the recent match against Chennai Super Kings, after a strong powerplay they lost three quick wickets, but Klaasen scored 59 off 39 balls and helped SRH reach 194 in 20 overs. In the end, they won the match by 10 runs.
“I know there’s been a lot said about my strike rate this season, but I’ve been putting the team in good positions, and I’m just doing my job,” Heinrich Klaasen said.
“I’ve been in difficult situations, and then you have to take responsibility and be mature about it. You can’t just deal with it, and that’s not how the game works. We get paid to do the job, and I don’t care about strike rate.You just have to be mature about it and find different ways of scoring ten runs an over and making sure that you still get a good score on the board,” he added.
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Heinrich Klaasen is currently the Orange Cap holder in IPL 2026. He has played six matches so far and scored 283 runs at an average of 47.16, at a strike rate of 144.38, including three fifties. Out of these, two of his 50 plus scores helped Sunrisers Hyderabad win matches. He also has two scores in the 30s and one 40, making him a consistent contributor in every game.
Even though there has been some criticism about his strike rate, the good thing about his form is that he is not throwing away his wicket. He is playing according to what the team needs in each situation, and that is helping SRH a lot.
Speaking about Sunrisers Hyderabad, they have now won two matches in a row. Out of six matches so far, they have won three and lost three. SRH have also got a big boost as their skipper Pat Cummins has joined the squad and could be available for the match against Rajasthan Royals on April 25, which will strengthen the team further.
Their young pacers, who were stars in their debut match with four-wicket hauls, have again done a decent job. Sakib Husain took 1/32 in his four overs against Chennai Super Kings. Meanwhile, Praful Hinge went for 1/64 in his four overs, but when they needed to defend 18 runs in the last over, he gave away only eight runs and helped the team win the match.
Before facing RR, SRH will play against Delhi Capitals on April 21 in Hyderabad.
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