‘That’s the beauty of batting behind Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head’ – Heinrich Klaasen salutes SRH opening pair after win against KKR

Sunrisers Hyderabad’s power-packed batting unit once again delivered as they secured a comprehensive win over Kolkata Knight Riders in Match 6 of the ongoing Indian Premier League 2026, executing their plans to near perfection in a high-scoring encounter at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata. 

Reflecting on the advantage of walking in after an explosive opening pair of Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head, Heinrich Klaasen highlighted how the platform set by the top order allows the middle order to approach their innings with greater composure. Klaasen found his groove against KKR, scoring a valuable knock of 52 runs in 35 balls.

“That’s the beauty of batting behind Abhishek and Travis, when you walk in and the run rate is already at 14 or 15, you don’t feel the need to start swinging straight away. But we’ve learned from our mistakes over the last couple of years, and it allows you to settle in first and catch up later instead of forcing it from ball one,” Klaasen said while in conversation with JioStar.

It was a very well-rounded performance by the Hyderabad-based franchise in Kolkata. They eventually won the contest by a fine margin of 65 runs to open their account in IPL 2026. 

SRH ticked all the boxes: Harbhajan Singh

Meanwhile, former India off-spinner Harbhajan Singh praised SRH’s all-round performance, noting how they effectively followed their game plan with both bat and ball.  

“Winning is what matters, and Sunrisers Hyderabad executed their template really well. They batted with freedom, put a big total on the board, and then kept building pressure with the ball. The pitch slowed down, and their spinners used that really well,” he said while speaking with JioHotstar.

“There were a few moments, like the run-out during a good partnership, where the game could have shifted, but the turning point was Nitish Reddy getting Rinku Singh out. From there, chasing such a big total became very difficult. Overall, they ticked all the boxes – strong batting, timely wickets, and sustained pressure,” he concluded.

SRH will now be taking on Lucknow Super Giants in their next assignment at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad, on April 5.

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