07 May,2026 06:42 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Heinrich Klaasen (Pic: File Pic)
In the IPL 2026 match against Punjab Kings (PBKS) on Wednesday, Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) emerged victorious by 33 runs at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Hyderabad.
During the match, SRH's explosive batsman Heinrich Klaasen played a knock of 69 runs off 43 balls, laced with three boundaries and four maximums.
The knock has helped him become the leading contender in the race for the "Orange Cap". So far, he has accumulated 494 runs in 11 matches for Hyderabad. The right-handed batsman has been enjoying his rich vein of form since the start of the tournament.
Earlier, following his performance, former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen shared a post on his official social media handle, which read, "South Africa have never won a cricket world cup! 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".
Speaking about whether he could come out of his retirement and don the South African colours ahead of the ODI World Cup 2027, Klaasen said that he has been enjoying his cricket without international commitments.
"No, I am not worried about that. I've made my peace with it. I've made the right decision and I'm looking forward to a new chapter in my career. I've been enjoying cricket without international commitments. It gives me a lot of family time and more time back home in South Africa. I would have loved to be in South Africa and finish at the World Cup in 2027, but unfortunately, life doesn't always work out the way you want it to," the 34-year-old cricketer told JioHotstar.
Meanwhile, Wednesday's victory also helped the Sunrisers secure the top spot on the points table. Currently, they have played 11 matches and registered seven wins and suffered four defeats. They have a net run rate (NRR) of +0.737 and 14 points.
Pat Cummins-led SRH will play their next fixture against Gujarat Titans (GT) on May 12 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
