Image Credit- Getty
Heinrich Klaasen of
Sunrisers Hyderabad has become one of T20 cricket’s most formidable batters
over the past few years. With 448 runs at a strike rate of 177 in the IPL 2023,
he was their highest scorer. He started 2024 at Eden Gardens with a fierce performance,
almost overshadowing Andre Russell with his 63 off 29 balls. Klaasen was the
only reason the SRH kept in the race for a prolonged period of time, even
though all of the other SRH batters received starts against the Kolkata Knight
Riders.
The Mumbai Indians
in Hyderabad on Wednesday can present Klaasen with a fresh test. Almost,
anyway. He has only faced one ball in his head-to-head match against Jasprit
Bumrah, and he has already scored one run. He has faced 20 deliveries from
Bumrah in ODIs and has 18 runs for one wicket conceded. A fresh match-up
between two elite players is rare in the overabundance of franchise and
international cricket.
Given the
significance of Klaasen to Sunrisers, Mumbai may decide to save most of
Bumrah’s overs for when he is in the thick of the bat. They will undoubtedly
limit the amount of spin bowled to Klaasen, who has a strike rate of 193 and an
average of 148.5 against spin in Twenty20 cricket since the beginning of 2023.
But Klaasen is also no pushover when it comes to pace. With a career strike
rate of 148.45 against the quicks, he easily defeated Mitchell Starc on
Saturday, hitting three sixes in one over.
However, Bumrah is typically a class apart. He returned to the league with a
spell of 3 for 14 in Mumbai’s season opener against Gujarat Titans, despite two
of his overs coming at the end of the innings, after missing IPL 2023 due to a
back ailment. All of which sets up the prospect of a tantalising battle with
Klaasen, as both Mumbai and Sunrisers gun for their first points of IPL 2024.
The match is
especially significant for the Sunrisers, who lost six out of seven home games
last season, and would love a winning start in Hyderabad this year.