Hyderabad, May 6 (IANS) Heinrich Klaasen praised Sunrisers Hyderabad’s strong opening pair for giving the ideal start after his impressive innings of 69 helped the team score a huge 235/4 against the Punjab Kings at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Wednesday. He said it’s “fantastic” to see how openers Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head handle their game.

"Once again, a fantastic start from Travishek. They make it look so easy. We lost wickets at crucial stages again. It started stopping a little bit. There's not a lot of bounce. It's a fantastic wicket to bat on. The bowling unit just needs to do what they've been doing," Klaasen said during the mid-innings break.

Klaasen, who has been in great form this season, once again stepped up under pressure, building on the early success set by the openers. Abhishek and Head maintained their powerful play, reaching 79/1 in the first six overs, with Abhishek leading the charge by dismantling the PBKS opening bowlers.

Reflecting on the pitch, Klaasen mentioned that it was not completely easy to bat on despite the high score. “The ball got soft and started to stop a little in the middle overs. It is a medium-paced wicket, but still great to bat on,” he said, pointing out the need for both aggression and flexibility throughout the innings.

After the openers’ explosive start and Head’s dismissal, Ishan Kishan made sure the momentum stayed strong. He took full advantage of a few chances, scoring 55 off 32 balls, including three straight sixes to reach his fifty. His performance kept the scoring rate high and put extra pressure on a struggling PBKS bowling attack.

Klaasen then took control in the second half, maintaining his impressive consistency this season. He was dropped early but made the most of the opportunity, bringing up his fifty off just 32 balls and building momentum as the innings approached its end. With help from Nitish Kumar Reddy, who added flair late in the innings, SRH passed the 200 mark in the 18th over and kept pushing forward.

On the bowling approach, Klaasen kept it straightforward: “No more game plans. Just do what you normally do on this wicket.” With high confidence and momentum on their side, SRH once again proved why they are one of the most dangerous batting teams in IPL 2026.

--IANS

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