Nick Knight not happy with Klassen’s batting position for SRH as he believes he is coming too low down the order.
Nick Knight believes Sunrisers Hyderabad are sending Heinrich Klassen too low in the batting order.
It’s well known that Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) hasn’t performed as well as many had anticipated in the 2025 Indian Premier League. Is it reasonable to rank Heinrich Klaasen higher than the No. 5 or 6 he typically bats at now that the wham-bam top three isn’t quite coming off? He has, after all, been their top run scorer thus far in the tournament and their only reliable batter.
Klaasen went out at No. 5 with SRH 13 for 3 in the fourth over on Wednesday night, during SRH’s sixth defeat of the season in their eighth game at home against the Mumbai Indians (MI). By the eighth, it was 35 for 5.
Klaasen brought some dignity to the innings, accompanied by Impact Player Abhinav Manohar. Klaasen collapsed off the final delivery of the 19th over for a 44-ball 71, ending the 99-run partnership with Manohar.
“Those of us who’ve seen him play over the years and those who are watching [know] that’s what he is capable of and more,” Nick Knight said on ESPNcricinfo’s Time Out show. “He just needs an opportunity to do it more often. I think he is batting far too low in that side. Six overs [or] a tick over, get him out there.
“It’s difficult to do [assess the par score and play accordingly] when you’re 24 for 4 after the powerplay,” SRH head coach Daniel Vettori said at the press conference. “[But] Klaasen and Abhinav had a wonderful partnership and took some responsibility to try to get a score, but it wasn’t enough.”
Varun Aaron, speaking on the same show, agreed with Knight and marvelled at how well Klaasen stuck to the basics while batting.
“Just how still he is [at the crease], he just doesn’t give the bowler anything before the bowler can bowl,” Aaron said. “Just still, hands through the ball, and it almost looks like he isn’t trying to overhit anything.”