“It would be a combination of the scoop of AB de Villiers & Suryakumar Yadav” – Heinrich Klaasen wishes to add Supla shot to his batting prowess
South African batter Heinrich Klaasen has expressed his desire to borrow the popular scoop shot from AB de Villiers and Suryakumar Yadav. While explaining the challenges of playing the 'Supla' shot, he picked Yadav as the GOAT T20 player of the current era. Known for his aggressive game, Klaasen also chose the pull as his favorite shot in T20 cricket.
The reaction comes weeks after Klaasen became the costliest player in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 retentions. The SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) splurged a whopping INR 23 core to retain the Proteas batter. He amassed 448 and 479 runs in the last two seasons, respectively, with a stunning strike rate of 170-plus.
Heinrich Klaasen told Jio Cinema:
“It would be a combination of the scoop of AB de Villiers and Suryakumar Yadav. They both have this technique to hit fine leg off straight balls, which is phenomenal. The one that Suryakumar Yadav plays over fine leg – Supla Shot. I don't like getting into line too much.”
“I would say... Suryakumar Yadav probably [GOAT T20 player],” he added.
The 33-year-old picked India ace pacer Jasprit Bumrah as the toughest bowler to face in T20 cricket:
“Jasprit Bumrah is the toughest bowler to hit out in T20s.”
Klassen picked his 81 in 2022 and 69 in 2018 among his best performances against India in the T20 format. He said during the same interaction:
“Probably the 81. That was the better one in tougher conditions,” he remarked.
Heinrich Klaasen picks Nicholas Pooran as one batter who can potentially score a double century in T20s
Heinrich Klaasen picked West Indies wicketkeeper-batter Nicholas Pooran as the only batter who could score a double century in T20s. While choosing legendary South African player Hashim Amla as one batter he would trust for his life, he replied:
“Probably Hashim Amla.”
On a lighter note, Klaasen named Yuzvendra Chahal “the funniest non-South African player” he’s played with. He also shared his love for butter chicken as his favorite Indian dish.
For inspiration from other sports, Klaasen named former Formula 1 champion Lewis Hamilton, saying:
“I wish I had the ability to drive cars like him.”
Heinrich Klaasen is currently playing the four-match T20I series against India. The wicketkeeper-batter returned with poor scores of 25 and 2 in the first two matches, getting dismissed by Varun Chakaravarthy on both occasions. He will now look to make amends in the third T20I in Centurion on Wednesday, November 13.