Sunrisers Hyderabad star announces unexpected retirement from cricket

Cricketing world were rocked with the news that Glenn Maxwell had called time on his career. On Monday yet another player called time on his international career. South African wicketkeeper and batter Heinrich Klaasen has decided to hang up his boots. The 33-year-old played 60 ODI matches as well as 58 T20I games and four Test matches. 

Klaasen has been a key player in the white-ball set up for South Africa. The right-handed batter had played the finals of T20 World Cup in 2024 and scored a half-century. Klaasen was part of Sunrisers Hyderabad and scored a century in the final game of the season against Kolkata Knight Riders. 

In the 60 ODI matches played by Klaasen the 33-year-old has scored 2141 runs with four centuries and 11 fifties. In 58 T20I games, Klaasen has scored 1000 runs with a strike rate of 141. The 33-year-old has also played four Test matches and scored just 35 runs so far. 

Heinrich Klaasen comments on his retirement 

The 33-year-old South African took to his Instagram handle and wrote “It is a sad day for me as I announce that I have decided to step away from international cricket. It took me a long time to decide what’s best for me and my family for the future. It was truly a very difficult decision but also one that I have absolute peace with,"

Klaasen also went onto add “From the first day, it was the biggest privilege representing my country and it was everything that I have worked for and dreamed about as a young boy.”. The SRH star’s post garnered lots of likes with many fans getting gutted at the announcement being made. 

The veteran star ended by saying “I have made great friendships and relationships that I will treasure for life. Playing for the Proteas gave me the opportunity to meet great people that changed my life, and to those people I can’t say thank you enough. My road to wearing the Proteas shirt was different than most and there were certain coaches in my career that kept believing in me - to them I will always be grateful”