'Just doing my job': Klaasen on IPL strike rate criticism
What's the story
Sunrisers Hyderabad's Heinrich Klaasen, the current holder of the orange cap in IPL 2026, has responded to criticism over his strike rate. Despite scoring a whopping 283 runs in six matches, Klaasen has faced scrutiny for his batting pace. However, he remains unfazed and focused on his role in the team. "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," he said after Saturday's game against Chennai Super Kings (CSK).
Player responsibility
Been in difficult situations, have to take responsibility: Klaasen
Klaasen stressed that he has been putting his team in good positions with his performance. "I've been in difficult situations, and then you have to take responsibility and be mature about it," he said. The South African batsman also spoke about the importance of scoring runs consistently to ensure a good total on the board. He emphasized that this is all part of doing their job as professional cricketers. Notably Klaasen's strike rate this season is a healthy 144.39.
Training regimen
My off-season training at an 'eye gym' has helped me
Klaasen revealed that his off-season training at an "eye gym" in Cape Town has improved his reflexes. He described it as a personal program to help make decisions under pressure. "It's about a 10-minute session a day, and you make about four to five hundred decisions in that 10 minutes under pressure under a certain amount of time and reaction work," he explained. This has helped him keep pace with the game and maintain his form throughout the season.
Match analysis
Klaasen felt SRH could have scored more runs
In the match against CSK, Klaasen scored a quick 59 off 39 balls, helping SRH post a match-winning total of 194 runs. However, he felt that a score of around 220-230 would have been more appropriate for the wicket. "I still think 220-230 was a good score on this wicket," he said. The batsman also explained how they planned their innings to keep everyone calm and ensure they had some game plan going into the last phase of their innings.