Former South African wicket-keeper Mark Boucher praised Heinrich Klaasen after Sunrisers Hyderabad registered a comprehensive five-wicket win against Chennai Super Kings at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai on Monday. 

Klaasen scored 47 runs off 26 balls with the help of six fours and two sixes. The South African scored his runs at a strike rate of 180.77 and played a key role in getting his team over the line in the run chase of 181.

Klaasen had the rub of the green on his side as he was dropped on 18 by Spencer Johnson at deep fine leg. The right-hander added 75 runs off 41 balls with Ishan Kishan and he was the dominant partner.

Boucher said Klaasen forced CSK captain Ruturaj Gaikwad to change his tactics with his match-changing innings.

Mark Boucher said on Star Sports, “I just like the intent that he came with. I mean at that stage, it looked like the game was just going a little bit dead. And he came in and he added a little bit of impetus. He gave the whole Sunrisers team a little bit of momentum. He actually forced Ruturaj to change the whole tactic. He got rid of the spinners and then the seamers came on. And that opened up scoring for Ishan as well. So it was a masterclass on how to basically put the pressure back onto the bowling side.”

Boucher, the former MI head coach, hailed the South African batter for playing square of the wicket, which he thinks was the right approach on the Chepauk wicket.

He concluded, “I mean it was a masterclass. You know, on a wicket that was stopping and turning, he decided he was going to come in and first of all show his stumps. So it opens up both sides of the wicket to score off. And he also wanted to play a little bit squarer, which is the right way to go about it. Did a couple of reverse sweeps.”

Sunrisers Hyderabad were able to qualify for the playoffs with this win over CSK.