Kolkata: Heinrich Klaasen hit a strokeful fifty as Sunrisers Hyderabad defeated Kolkata Knight Riders by 65 runs in their IPL match here on Thursday.
Sent in to bat, Travis Head (46) and Abhishek Sharma (48) shared an opening stand of 82 runs off 34 balls to set up the platform, while Klaasen (52) and Nitish Kumar Reddy (39) provided the late charge as SRH posted a challenging 226 for 8.
In reply, KKR folded for 161 in 16 overs with Angkrish Raghuvanshi top-scoring with a 29-ball 52.
At one stage, SRH lose wickets quickly, and the innings looks shaky.
That’s when Klaasen steps in and steadies things. He plays smart cricket, rotating strike and keeping the scoreboard ticking even when boundaries dry up.
Alongside Nitish Kumar Reddy, he builds a crucial partnership that keeps SRH on track for a big total. The duo adds important runs in the middle overs, ensuring the early momentum doesn’t go to waste and helping SRH reach a competition.
