"Owners only care about guys that hit sixes" - Heinrich Klaasen divulges Faf du Plessis' words regarding IPL
South African wicketkeeper-batter Heinrich Klaasen has divulged Faf Du Plessis' words about how he maintains consistency in IPL. Klaasen remembered how the former South African captain told him that IPL team owners only care about batters who can hit sixes at will.
The last two IPL seasons have seen Klaasen become a serial six-hitter, having impressed in other franchise leagues as well for South Africa. The 2023 IPL edition saw Klaasen score his maiden century in the tournament before recording another 400-run season in 2024.
Speaking to ESPNcricinfo's Cricket Monthly, the South African reflected that he practices plenty of bat swing that has almost become a muscle memory for him.
"The funny thing is, I recently asked Faf [du Plessis] how he became so consistent and successful in the IPL. He said the owners only care about guys that hit sixes and can win you games. It has started getting more and more about the prep we do. I do a lot of [bat] swing drills to make sure your swing is good and understand what your swing requires. Sometimes it becomes a mental game more than anything else because people want to see you hit sixes, so you fight that urge to hit sixes from ball one," Klaasen said.
Klaasen was arguably one of the most destructive batters in the 2023 ODI World Cup in India. He accumulated 373 runs in 10 matches and struck 19 sixes in the tournament.
"In India, I feel like all the grounds are relatively short" - Heinrich Klaasen
Klaasen also claimed that Indian grounds are an exception due to their small boundaries and sarcastically hoped it would stay that way.
"These days the grounds are not really big unless you play in Australia. Some of the UK fields are a decent hit. In India, I feel like all the grounds are relatively short. The [boundaries] start at 60 metres and go to 75. So, yeah, the grounds are getting smaller. Hopefully, it stays like that, makes hitting sixes a little bit easier (smiles)," he said via the aforementioned source.
Klaasen will be in action when the Proteas face Sri Lanka in their T20 World Cup 2024 opener in New York on Monday, June 3.