19 May,2023 08:34 AM IST | Hyderabad | N Jagannath Das
SRH batter Heinrich Klaasen celebrates his century v RCB in Hyderabad yesterday. Pic/PTI
South African Heinrich Klaasen was all class and blazed away to a 51-ball 104 (8x4, 6x6) to help beleaguered Sunrisers Hyderabad post a challenging 186-5 against Royal Challengers Bangalore on Thursday.
The ambience was electric. The Orange hue was however drowned by RCB and Virat Kohli chants that reverberated at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium which had 39,000-plus spectators in attendance.
SRH fielded another opening pair as Rahul Tripathi came out to bat with Abhishek Sharma. But the left-handed Sharma and Tripathi departed in the space of one run in the fifth over. Sharma played a loose shot to off-spinner Michael Bracewell's first ball. Two balls later, Tripathi followed his opening partner.
Finally promoted in the batting order, the in-form Klaasen gave much-needed impetus to the shaky SRH batting. The South African batted with his usual aggressive style. Runs flowed as Klaasen punished the short balls with panache. He raced to 50 off just 24 balls.
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Although skipper Aiden Markram was out for 18, he added a 50-ball 76 runs to revive the SRH innings before making a hash of a reverse sweep shot and was bowled.
However, in the company of Harry Brook (27 not out), Klaasen completed his well-deserved century with a huge six off Harshal Patel in the 19th over. He became the second centurion for SRH this season after Brook's 100 against KKR in Kolkata last month.
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