New Delhi: Heinrich Klassen has clearly assessed what is going wrong for Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL 2026, pointing to flaws in the batting process and poor fielding as the main reasons behind their inconsistent start.Despite registering just one win from three matches, Klaasen believes it is “just early days” and believes the 2016 champions will bounce back. “Our batting has been good so far, but we have lost almost 40 runs in three matches, we need to bat better,” he said. In the two matches we struggled, we didn’t work with the bat.
Go beyond limits with our YouTube channel. Subscribe now!SRH’s defeats against Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Lucknow Supergiants exposed their shortcomings in the crunch stages, which Claeson openly admitted.“Our fielding has been poor and that’s what’s affecting us. I’d give us 6 out of 10 so far. We’ve played some brilliant cricket in phases but lost at key moments.”While the bowlers – especially the fast bowlers – have largely stuck to their plans, Klaasen stressed the need for collective improvement. “The bowlers are hanging on to plan, the rest of the batting is doing well. I’ll give it 80 per cent, but our fielding needs to improve. We need to hold our catches.”He also emphasized the importance of the grand total. “We need to reach 220-230 to give our bowlers a chance to defend.”Klaasen is finding form amid the team’s struggles.Individually, Klaasen has been one of SRH’s bright spots, scoring back-to-back half-centuries. “Unfortunately we lost two matches but it was a good start for me,” he said. I would like to continue this form.Batting at number 4, the South African relishes his role of adapting to different match conditions. “It’s a role I’ve played throughout my career. My job is to continue even if Ishan Kishan, Abhishek Sharma or Travis Head go. Every game brings a different situation.”With the next clash against Punjab Kings, SRH will look to iron out their shortcomings and turn promising phases into full-fledged performances.
