Klaasen Rejects “Weak Bowling” Tag, Says SRH Batters Must Deliver in IPL 2026
Klaasen defends SRH bowlers but urges batters to cover 40-run shortfall in early IPL 2026 matches.
Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) have had a mixed start to the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL) season, with two defeats in three matches raising questions about the team’s performance. While pundits have highlighted the inexperience in the bowling unit, particularly with Pat Cummins unavailable and Brydon Carse sidelined due to injury, wicket-keeper batter Heinrich Klaasen says the responsibility also lies with the batting lineup.
Speaking to NDTV ahead of the Rivalry Week matches from April 12 to 18, Klaasen stressed that SRH batters have fallen about 40 runs short of their intended targets in the first three games. The South African emphasized that relying solely on the absence of Cummins to explain the team’s struggles is insufficient.
“With Pat Cummins out, obviously that’s a big loss for any team. Losing Brydon Carse after he got hit on the hand didn’t help our plans either. But the rest of the group, especially our pace department, is experienced,” Klaasen said. He noted that the wickets have been favorable in the matches where the team struggled, but the batters did not execute as desired.
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Klaasen further highlighted the team’s philosophy of consistently putting 220-230 runs on the board as a baseline for giving bowlers a proper chance to defend. “It’s easy to say our bowlers lack experience or are under pressure, but in the two games we lost, the batters left about 20 to 30 runs on the board,” he explained.
The SRH wicket-keeper stressed that calling the bowling unit “weak” is inaccurate, noting that the team is structured to let bowlers operate with enough runs in hand. “When we played KKR, we put up enough runs. That is our job, and the batters need to ensure we consistently hit the 220-230 mark,” Klaasen said.
With Rivalry Week approaching, Klaasen’s message is clear: while the absence of star bowlers has been felt, the batting unit must deliver consistently to give SRH the best chance at victories in the remainder of IPL 2026.
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