Heinrich Klaasen: The hard-hitting batter offers perfect mix of carnage, consistency

The hard-hitting batter is possibly the best T20 batter out now. His six-hitting is simply unbelievable and comes at an unbelievable ratio. He has been hitting a six every 5.4 balls in 2024, behind West Indies and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) veteran Andre Russell, who has been clearing the ropes every 4.6 balls. Klaasen here emerges as a winner due to his unmatched consistency, both in unleashing carnage and playing match-winning knocks.

Since April 2023, Klaasen has had a balls-per-six ratio of 6.81, next to Russell's figure of 5.88. Again, Klaasen takes the award for consistency. In 16 T20s this year, Klaasen has made 599 runs at an average of 46.07 and a strike rate of 210.17, with six fifties. His best score is 85. These runs have come in various T20 leagues this year, including the IPL and second season of SA20, where he smashed 447 runs in 13 matches at an average of 40.63, with four fifties and a strike rate of 207.90.

In the IPL this year, Klaasen has scored 143 runs in two matches at an average of 143.00, with a strike rate of 226.98, with two fifties. His best score is 80*.

This year, Russell has smashed 474 runs in 18 T20s at an average of 67.71 and a strike rate of 226.79, with two fifties in 15 innings. His best score is 71. He has smashed 64 in 25 balls in one IPL inning so far this year.

Last year, Klaasen scored 1,035 runs at an average of 41.4 in 34 T20s and at a strike rate of over 172, with two centuries and six fifties. His best score was 104*. He was among the most reputed, productive and hard-hitting batters in T20 cricket leagues last year.

In the inaugural Major League Cricket (MLC) in the USA last year, he scored 235 runs at an average of 58.75 and a strike rate of over 197, with one century and one fifty. His best score was 110*. He ended up being the third-highest run-scorer in the tournament.

In the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023, he did a one-man carry job for an inconsistent Sunrisers Hyderabad line-up, scoring 448 runs in 12 matches at an average of 49.77 and a strike rate of 177.07, with one century and two fifties. He was his side's leading run-scorer.

In the Men's Hundred 2023 in UK, Klaasen scored 189 runs in seven matches at an average of 31.50, with a fifty and a strike rate of 178.30. His best score was 60. the fourth-highest run-scorer in the tournament.

In the inaugural SA20 in South Africa last year, he scored 363 runs in nine innings for Durban Super Giants (DSG) at an average of 60.50 and a strike rate of above 164. He scored a century and three fifties in the tournament, with 104* as his best score. He was the fourth-highest run-scorer in the tournament.

This form bodes well for Klaasen, who has scored 722 runs in 39 innings in South African colours at an average of 22.56, with four fifties and a strike rate of over 147. His best score is 81. A great IPL and T20 World Cup later in June can help him establish himself as the undisputed king of T20 cricket. (ANI)