Klaasen smacks maiden IPL ton, Sachin Tendulkar hails footwork: ‘One of the best I’ve seen in recent times’
Heinrich Klaasen demonstrated his batting talent by hitting his maiden IPL ton during Thursday’s exciting match between Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).
The second-fastest century for SRH after David Warner’s 43-ball blitz against Kolkata Knight Riders in 2017 came off just 49 balls thanks to Klaasen’s performance. Throughout the competition, the South African cricketer has been in outstanding form and has regularly provided critical runs for SRH.
After openers Abhishek Sharma and Rahul Tripathi were dismissed early in a match that was critical for RCB, Klaasen rose to the occasion. The departure of captain Aiden Markram for 18 off 20 balls increased the pressure on SRH. Klaasen, though, was unfazed and played a magnificent inning while taking the team by the reins.
“Pretty special feeling, fantastic crowd, glad I got it at home. Wicket’s slower than it has been in the season so far. I’m trying to keep my head and hands dead still, sometimes I search the ball with my hands and miss it. I’d love to say we are above par but they’ve got a great lineup. We need to get the big wickets upfront and we’ll be through,” Klaasen told the broadcaster in the mid-innings interview.
Sachin Tendulkar hails footwork: ‘One of the best I’ve seen in recent times’ as Klaasen smacks maiden IPL ton
The 31-year-old received high praise on his footwork from Sachin Tendulkar on Twitter, “IPL is a mix of creative and traditional batting. Today has been a Klaas-ic display of traditional batting. Klaasen’s footwork has been simple and uncomplicated, one of the best I’ve seen in the recent past. Treat to watch!”
In addition to Klaasen, Sunrisers Hyderabad was able to achieve 186/5 in their 20 overs thanks to Harry Brook’s late-game explosion (27 off 19).
Also read: IPL 2023: Here’s how Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) can qualify for playoffs
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