Heinrich Klaasen gets there, just not like before

The first three balls of the 18th over were an engaging battle between Heinrich Klaasen and Kartik Tyagi. Klaasen premeditated a full ball. Tyagi delivered a low full toss, Klaasen attempted a wildly audacious reverse scoop, and missed narrowly.

Klaasen looked disgusted. He was on 34 off 28, with just two fours. Next ball, he stubbornly brought out the reverse scoop again, and it worked, flying over third man for six. He did a relieved head tilt.

On Thursday, that remained Klaasen's only six in Kolkata. It was the first time in his 10 IPL fifties that he has hit just one six. Against KKR, this was his third-lowest strike rate in an innings (148.57).

A glance at the scorecard suggests a usual middle-order counterpunch, carrying SRH to a winning total. He has an exceptional record against KKR, buoyed by past showings against their spinners. Out of his last 20 IPL innings, 18 have been in double-digits.

But this wasn't close to the best of Klaasen, pointing to cracks in his gold-standard T20 pedigree.

Firstly, Klaasen doesn't play as often. He retired from internationals after the 2024 T20 World Cup final. Since retirement, he has featured in the MLC, the Hundred, the CSA T20 Challenge, and the SA20. He had a two-month gap before this IPL opener.

That rustiness could be playing a part. The SA20 wasn't his finest: he struck at 128.97 from seven innings. At the Hundred, he struck at 112.68 from eight. In the MLC, he struck at 136.53 but had six single-digit scores in ten innings.

His role at SRH compounds it: the focus is on the Travis Head-Abhishek Sharma opening pair, with Klaasen often batting with the Indian domestic unit. In other leagues, he had established hitters around him. In the IPL, Klaasen is expected to be SRH's one-stop middle-order solution.

It reflects in his stature and finances. He was retained for INR 23 crore, a big investment in a 34-year-old retired international not operating at his optimal.

His peak was standout. Between 2023 and 2025, Klaasen hit the most T20 runs by anyone in the middle order (2137), striking at 164.13. Since then, it has dropped to 140.12. Since 2024, he still has the second-best strike rate against spin in the IPL (minimum 175 balls).

Best SR vs spin in the IPL since 2024 (min. 175 balls faced)

Against KKR, he got the job done but lacked fluency, crucially against spinners.

Klaasen, who has the second-best strike rate against Sunil Narine in the IPL, hit two fours in an over off him. But he was wound down by Anukul Roy, managing just eight off seven balls as the spinner targeted the wide channel. He faced only three balls from Varun Chakaravarthy. His famed backfoot pulls were absent.

One could argue the approach was necessitated by SRH's position: at 118/4 in 9.2 overs, with inexperienced players to follow.

Nitish Kumar Reddy, with whom Klaasen shared an 82-run stand, said the wicket was two-paced, with the ball rushing or sticking. Klaasen's experienced head helped navigate it.

"The two-paced nature probably played a part. In the final over, Klaasen didn't look fluid, even if effective. He dragged a slower one to long-on, smiling as if to say 'I'll take it'. A full-toss was pulled to square-leg. He fell trying to golf one to deep midwicket.

SRH's next game is in three days. The familiar home turf in Hyderabad, where he strikes at 182.73, could help him regain his groove. It's imperative for SRH's fortunes that he finds that verve soon. This season could also dictate his future with the franchise.