Father: Paul Klaasen, Wife: Sone Martins, Daughter: Laya
Heinrich Klaasen is a explosive wicketkeeper-batter from South Africa who has become one of the most feared hitters of the cricket ball across all formats. The 34-year-old from Pretoria combines brutal power with exceptional skill against spin bowling, making him a nightmare for bowlers in the middle overs. Klaasen first made his mark in international cricket in 2018 and has since evolved into a genuine match-winner, highlighted by his breathtaking 174 off 83 balls against Australia in 2023, the second-highest individual score by a batter at No. 5 or lower in ODIs. His IPL journey began with Rajasthan Royals and Royal Challengers Bengaluru, but he truly flourished after joining Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2023, where he became a mainstay in the middle order. SRH recognized his immense value by retaining him for INR 23 crores ahead of the 2025 mega auction, and Klaasen repaid that faith with his best IPL season yet, smashing 487 runs at a strike rate of 172.69. His phenomenal numbers against spin striking at 191 and averaging 132 against slow bowling in the 2023 IPL, underscore his status as one of the most destructive batters in world cricket.
| Batting & Fielding | ||||||||||||||
| Format | Mat | Inns | NO | Runs | HS | Ave | BF | SR | 100s | 50s | 4s | 6s | Ct | St |
| Tests | 4 | 8 | 0 | 104 | 35 | 13.00 | 230 | 45.21 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 10 | 2 |
| ODIs | 60 | 56 | 7 | 2141 | 174 | 43.69 | 1829 | 117.05 | 4 | 11 | 200 | 71 | 51 | 7 |
| T20Is | 58 | 53 | 10 | 1000 | 81 | 23.25 | 705 | 141.84 | 0 | 5 | 72 | 52 | 33 | 5 |
| FC | 85 | 135 | 19 | 5347 | 292 | 46.09 | 8405 | 63.61 | 12 | 24 | 640 | 105 | 272 | 23 |
| List A | 131 | 123 | 18 | 4514 | 174 | 42.99 | 4166 | 108.35 | 8 | 25 | 374 | 145 | 136 | 19 |
| T20s | 287 | 264 | 57 | 6680 | 105* | 32.27 | 4442 | 150.38 | 3 | 42 | 437 | 364 | 141 | 34 |
| Bowling | ||||||||||||||
| Format | Mat | Inns | Balls | Runs | Wkts | BBI | BBM | Ave | Econ | SR | 4w | 5w | 10w | |
| Tests | 4 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| ODIs | 60 | 2 | 30 | 33 | 0 | - | - | - | 6.60 | - | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| T20Is | 58 | 1 | 6 | 14 | 0 | - | - | - | 14.00 | - | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| FC | 85 | 3 | 88 | 50 | 2 | 1/12 | 1/12 | 25.00 | 3.40 | 44.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| List A | 131 | 10 | 210 | 200 | 6 | 2/38 | 2/38 | 33.33 | 5.71 | 35.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| T20s | 287 | 5 | 42 | 68 | 1 | 1/12 | 1/12 | 68.00 | 9.71 | 42.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
He is a wicketkeeper-batter who bats right-handed, known for his explosive six-hitting ability and dominance against spin bowling.
He has represented four IPL franchises: Rajasthan Royals (2018), Royal Challengers Bengaluru (2019), and Sunrisers Hyderabad (2023-present).
He scored 174 off 83 balls against Australia in 2023, the second-highest individual score by a batter at No. 5 or lower in ODIs. He also hit an unbeaten 123 against Australia in Paarl in 2020.
SRH retained him ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction for INR 23 crores, reflecting his immense value to the franchise.
In IPL 2023 and 2024 combined, he smashed 51 sixes. His best IPL season came in 2025 when he scored 487 runs at a strike rate of 172.69.
In the 2023 IPL, he struck at 191 and averaged 132 against spin, making him one of the most destructive players of slow bowling in world cricket.
He made his T20I debut against India in Centurion in 2018, scoring 69 off 30 balls in just his second T20I match.
Yes, he made his Test debut in 2019, though opportunities in the format have been limited.
He was born on July 30, 1991, in Pretoria, South Africa, making him 34 years old.
He has played for Northerns and Titans in South African domestic cricket, as well as various franchise teams worldwide including Durban's Super Giants, Manchester Originals, Seattle Orcas, and Guyana Amazon Warriors.
