• Heinrich Klaasen revealed his batting idols.
• He was first inspired by Chris Gayle.
• He enjoys playing at Hyderabad and Mumbai.

Heinrich Klaasen, a middle-order batter from South Africa who is currently representing Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, disclosed his batting idol.

Klaasen, who has accumulated 253 runs in IPL 2024 with a remarkable strike rate of 199.21, is recognized as one of the most powerful hitters in the shorter format. He continues to excel for SRH in IPL 2024.

He once again showcased his skills for SRH during the match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on Monday, scoring 67 runs off just 31 balls, including two fours and seven sixes.

In a conversation with Cricbuzz, the South African shared that Chris Gayle was his batting idol initially. Klaasen also mentioned that he chose the number 45 because it was worn by the West Indies legend.

“I haven’t really had one specific guy that I looked up to. I’ve always gone through stages. At the start, it was Chris Gayle. I just loved how he dominated any kind of bowler. That’s why I’ve got Number 45 on my back, he was the reason behind it,” Klaasen stated, as quoted by Cricbuzz.

He also discussed Australian legends Mathew Hayden, Michael Clarke, and former New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum, noting that he used to watch them during his childhood.

“I went through a stage where I watched a lot of Matthew Hayden. The way he played his game. Then Brendon McCullum, when he went through the phase of teeing off against everyone, and then I went through a phase where I looked at how Michael Clarke played spin. I tried to copy a little bit of his technique into my spin play. I went through a lot of phases where I liked certain types of batters and how they played,” he added.

The South African then disclosed his favourite venues, admitting that he would be biased as he would name SuperSport Park Cricket Stadium of Centurion and Boland Park Stadium of Paarl as his preferred stadiums to bat in.

“I am going to be very biased. It’s two in South Africa. SuperSport Park – I don’t think there’s any better place in the world to play cricket at, especially on a Friday night. And Boland Park (Paarl) has always been my favourite,” he said.

“The mountains in the backdrop and the sun set looks just unbelievable. In the IPL, I obviously enjoy Hyderabad. The wicket has been fantastic there. But probably one of the loudest places I’ve been to is Mumbai. It’s a nice wicket too, as well and a great atmosphere.”

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