World Cup 2023: Heinrich Klaasen rising through blocks to be future star in South African lineup

South Africa have enjoyed a prolific run in the ongoing World Cup so far except for the shocking defeat they suffered against the Netherlands. Heinrich Klaasen played a key role in their recent outing against England, which they won by a massive 229 runs.

Hyderabad: South Africa has been prolific in the ongoing ICC World Cup 2023 so far winning three out of their four fixtures. However, they suffered a shock defeat against the Netherlands in the middle of the campaign but bounced back to winning ways in the game against England. Till the England game, Quinton de Kock and Aiden Markram had been impressive with the bat but Heinrich Klaasen was yet to prove his mettle in the marquee tournament and he chose England to play a scintillating knock and showcase his ability to cause destruction with the bat.

Klaasen played a knock of 109 runs laced with 12 boundaries and four sixes at the iconic Wankhede Stadium and helped the team post a total of 399/7. The wicketkeeper-batter had also played a knock of 174 in the ODI series against Australia before the tournament and 2023 has been a brilliant year for him in terms of scoring runs at consistency.

The 32-year-old was averaging below 30 from 2018 to 2021 except for 2020 where he played only three ODIs. However, he amassed 183 runs in five innings with an average of 45.75 rising to the form. 2023 has turned out to be the most fruitful year for him as he has notched up 725 runs from 14 innings with an average of 55.76.

The South African batter has been going through a purple patch of some big knocks and raining sixes this year. His rise to the stupendous form commenced with franchise tournaments this year. He smashed a 43-ball hundred in the inaugural edition of the SA20 showcasing the ability to tear apart the opposition bowling units. Next, it was the Indian Premier League (IPL) where he scripted a plethora of runs on the Indian surfaces while tormenting opposition bowlers with an aggressive intent. He scored 448 runs from 12 innings with an average of 49.78 and a massive strike rate of 177.08 while playing for Sunrisers Hyderabad.

His ability to attack is highlighted by his strike rate of 148.22 which is 13 more than the legendary AB de Villiers, who used to demolish the opposition bowler with innovative big hits over fine leg and third man. As of now, Klaase's numbers in Tests and T20Is are not very excellent but he has shown glimpses of emerging as one of the leading batters in the South African lineup in recent times.

Also, Klaasen's statement after the game against England showcases his confidence and zeal to succeed in international cricket and the batter might rise through the ranks in the upcoming years if he continues his form.

"It is our time to really try to make a big statement for the world, that South Africans are very good under pressure. It ranks up to one of my better hundreds purely on the conditions that were out there. I really had to dig deep mentally. Physically, I was not in a good space, but mentally I had to dig very deep there," Klassen stated after the match against England.