New Delhi: Stars of Sunrisers Hyderabad Heinrich Klassen Delivered both with the bat and in the press conference, making it clear that he is unfazed by the criticism surrounding his scoring tempo in IPL 2026. Klaasen’s 39-ball 59 proved decisive as SRH posted 194/9 and cruised past. Chennai Super Kings By 10 runs in a tight contest.Despite topping the run charts this season, Klaasen’s strike rate has dipped from last year, drawing scrutiny. But the South African batsman dismissed the noise, insisting that match awareness is more important than numbers. “I’ve been in tough situations, and you have to take responsibility and be smart about it. You can’t just hang around – that’s not how the game works. We get paid to do the job, and I don’t care about the strike rate,” Klaasen said, indicating his approach to adapting to situations and making meaningful innings.‘You can’t just tee off’: Classen explains his approach.Klaasen explained that his role often requires stability rather than outright aggression, especially when early wickets fall. “I know a lot has been said about my strike rate this season, but I’m putting the team in a good position. I’m just doing my job,” he said. Highlighting the challenges, he added that situations like losing multiple wickets forced him to rein in his natural attacking instincts. “It’s not like I can just tee off. If you lose one more wicket, you’re five down. So, it’s about finding different ways to score 10 runs in an over and still get a good score on the board.”His innings came at a slower pace, where SRH were just 30 at the end of the Powerplay, further illustrating the measured approach. Classen’s knock, with 59 off 22 balls Abhishek Sharmalaid the foundation for a competitive total, even as bowlers like Jamie Overton and Anshul Kamboj kept CSK in the contest.In reply, CSK threatened through contributions from Ayush Mahatre, Matthew Short and Sarfraz Khan, but SRH’s bowlers, led by Ishan Malinga and Nitish Kumar Reddy, held their nerve at the death.The win lifted SRH to fourth place in the table, reinforcing Klaasen’s view – impact matters more than optics.
