Ahead of Sunrisers Hyderabad’s highly anticipated derby against five-time champions Chennai Super Kings, wicketkeeper-batter Heinrich Klaasen played down concerns over his past struggles versus Chennai’s bowling, saying his approach against their spin has simply not clicked so far. The two sides are set to meet on April 18 as part of Rivalry Week, which begins on April 12.
Key takeaways
- Klaasen expects the April 18 clash with CSK to be a key moment of Rivalry Week for SRH.
- Against Chennai, he has managed only 61 runs in five innings, averaging 15.25, with a top score of 20.
- His strike rate versus CSK stands at 96.82, while his record at both venues has been limited.
- At Hyderabad, he has a lone unbeaten contribution of 10* in the season’s first head-to-head.
- At Chepauk, Klaasen has scored 44 runs across three innings.
- Despite the CSK record, he began the season strongly with 145 runs in his first three matches and is SRH’s leading run-scorer so far.
Chennai struggles and venue-by-venue numbers
The South African batter admitted he is not overly concerned about his poor output against CSK. He said the risk-taking he has tried against their spinners has not produced the results he would have wanted in earlier meetings.
In IPL matchups against Chennai, Klaasen’s production has been modest: he has collected 61 runs across five innings, striking at 96.82. His average reads 15.25, and the highest score he has managed in that stretch is 20.
His numbers at home and away have mirrored that trend. In Hyderabad—where the first of SRH’s two fixtures this season will be played—Klaasen has made 10* in his only innings so far. At CSK’s celebrated Chepauk ground, he has totaled 44 runs in three innings.
“Jadeja wicket” and adjusting the mindset
When asked in the JioStar Press Room ahead of Rivalry Week, Klaasen suggested that Chennai can be difficult for batters, particularly when conditions favour spin. He referenced how the “Jadeja wicket” typically behaves, noting that bowlers can operate from around the 100 kph mark while the ball still spins or stays in the surface.
However, he also pointed out that the Chennai side he faces this season is not the same in key respects, adding that the team’s composition is different after a trade. Klaasen said that makes the matchup feel distinct compared to previous seasons and should influence how batters approach the innings.
For Klaasen, the focus remains on staying in the contest for longer and finding ways to clear the boundary when possible. He added that the challenge is often tied to how many spinners a team may offer in conditions where spin can dominate, which forces batters to take chances—and that those chances have not always worked out against CSK.
Still, he insisted he is not too worried about the head-to-head figures. In his view, the priority is getting into form, and once it arrives, he wants to sustain it and keep building from there.
Strong season start keeps pressure low
Klaasen, though, has plenty of confidence going into Rivalry Week. He has started the campaign with 145 runs in the first three matches, averaging 48.33 and striking at 147.95. His early return includes two fifties, with a best score of 62.
So far, he is SRH’s leading run-scorer and sits as the third-highest overall in the tournament standings at this point in the season, giving him form that can offset the earlier CSK numbers.
