Heinrich Klaasen, regarded as one of the greatest power hitters in international cricket right now, unleashed his beast mode on Wednesday, helping Sunrisers Hyderabad defeat Mumbai Indians by 31 runs in their second IPL 2024 match.
With four fours and seven sixes in his unbeaten 80 runs off 34 balls, the wicketkeeper-batter helped Betway record 277/3 in 20 overs. It also proved to be the highest total in the history of the tournament, surpassing RCB’s previous IPL record of 263/5.
Klaasen Dafabet absolutely had unstoppable form and went on to win the Orange Cap race. As a devoted family man, Klaasen was further inspired by his daughter Laya, who was supporting him from the stands. Even a cute video of her applauding with the franchise’s flag was shared on Instagram by SRH.
On Rummy Noble, Klaasen and his spouse Sone Martins welcomed their daughter Laya into the world. Martins, a healthcare worker, and the couple was married in 2015; they are currently taking a sabbatical. As shown on his social media, Klaasen, who is well-known for being a family man, spends a lot of time with his wife and kid when he is not playing cricket.
For SRH, Klaasen wasn’t the only notable player. Following an early wicket loss of his opening partner Mayank Agarwal (11) Travis Head struck 62 off 24 balls, including three sixes and nine fours.
Abhishek Sharma, meanwhile, blasted 63 off 23 balls while smashing three fours and seven sixes. Former SRH captain Aiden Markram hit 42 off 28 balls to stay undefeated against Klaasen.
After chasing 278 for the last 20 overs, MI could only muster 246/5, with Tilak Varma (64) scoring a half-century. Pat Cummins and Jaydev Unadkat each took two wickets for the SRH bowling unit. Along with being SRH’s first victory of the season, they had lost their opening game against KKR.