IPL 2026: Klaasen revels in role clarity, admits SRH batters need improvement

HYDERABAD: Sunrisers Hyderabad’s campaign has been a mixed bag so far with one win and two losses and their middle-order batter from South Africa Heinrich Klaasen opined that their batting group is yet to deliver.

The explosive batter, however, is confident of a turnaround in the team’s fortunes. “We've missed out on about 40 runs over three games. There is still a lot of work to do for our batters. We need to get to that 220-230 mark and give our bowlers a chance of defending," said the SRH No. 4.

Failure to get good starts resulted in two losses, he said. “I will rate us 6/10 at this moment. We've played some brilliant cricket, but we're just losing that crucial phase of the game. Against RCB, we lost three wickets in the powerplay. Same against Lucknow. And our fielding in the first two games hasn't been up to standard at all,” he elaborated.

The 34-year-old also reckoned that Pat Cummins’s absence is being felt, but praised stand-in skipper Ishan Kishan for handling the side well.

“A guy with his experience and leadership role is a big miss in any team. It doesn't help the situation, but Ishan (Kishan) has been doing a great job and the team responds to him. Especially the Indian players. He is luckily not arrogant, which makes it easier, and he's really enjoyable captain to play under,” he said.

Klaasen is in fine nick, having scored back-to-back half-centuries and is second in the run-getters' list with 145 runs from three games. That despite the different roles he had to play. Against RCB and LSG, where SRH lost early wickets, he came in and had to build the innings.

“It's a role that I've played my whole life and my whole career. We need to adapt to those situations and be able to play different roles in the team. My role in the team is to either to keep going if Travis (Head) and Abhishek come good at the top. But the days that they don't come off, I need to make sure that we get into a position to defend the total. I have to play four or five different roles. But that's just what is required to be a professional cricketer at this moment,” he explained.

Klaasen also lauded Nitish Kumar Reddy, with whom he formed good partnerships in the middle. “It helps when you play for a couple of years together. You understand each other. Our communication this season has been incredible. He's been taking a lot of pressure off me at the start of my innings. He reminds me of playing with David Miller.”

Klaasen, who retired from international cricket and travels across continents playing in different leagues, picked Yuzvendra Chahal as a tough bowler to face and rated IPL as the toughest league in the world with a lot of Indian talent coming through each year.

(The player spoke at JioStar Press Room ahead of IPL Rivalry Week from April 12 to 18).