Suryakumar Yadav vs Heinrich Klaasen - who is the best T20 batter in the world at present?
Suryakumar Yadav and Heinrich Klaasen are two of the most destructive batters in T20 cricket at present. Both can single-handedly win matches in the T20 format. They have some amazing strokes in their repertoire and, on their day, can force bowlers to pull their hair out.
Suryakumar, 33, who is currently out of action due to an ankle injury and even underwent groin surgery in Germany last month, has played 60 T20Is so far, smashing 2,141 runs at an average of 45.55 and a strike rate of 171.55, with four hundreds and 17 fifties. In his overall T20 career, he has featured in 270 matches, hammering 6,969 runs at an average of 35.55 and a strike rate of 152.09.
Looking at Klaasen’s numbers, the aggressive 32-year-old keeper-batter has represented South Africa in 43 T20Is, scoring 722 runs at an average of 22.56 and a strike rate of 147.64, with four half-centuries. Taking a glance at his overall T20 numbers, Klaasen has played 177 games, having scored 3,971 runs at an average of 32.54 and a strike rate of 150.47, with two tons and 24 fifties.
According to most critics and fans, Suryakumar and Klaasen are two of the best T20 batters on current form. But who among the two is better? We try and analyze.
Suryakumar vs Klaasen: Match-winning quotient in T20Is
Suryakumar has been part of 43 T20Is that India have won. In these matches, he has smashed 1,530 runs at an average of 51 and a stupendous average of 181.06.
Three of his four T20I tons have come in winning causes. In T20I matches that India have lost, the right-handed batter has 598 runs in 16 matches at an average of 37.37, with one ton. The numbers prove that Team India tend to struggle when the Mumbai batter is not at his very best.
Klaasen has featured in 19 T20Is that South Africa have won. In these games, he has scored 353 runs at an average of 39.22 and a strike rate of 173.03, with two half-centuries to his credit.
The hard-hitting Proteas batter has a very poor record in matches that South Africa have lost. Klaasen has been part of 23 T20I games that South Africa have lost. In these matches, he has scored 369 runs at an average of 16.04 and a strike rate of 129.47, with two fifties.
Both Suryakumar and Klaasen are key to their team’s success in the T20I format. But when it comes to performances in winning causes, SKY is ahead of his South African counterpart.
Performances against top nations
Looking at Suryakumar’s T20I record against top nations, he has scored 259 runs in eight innings at an average of 32.37 and a strike rate of 170.39 against Australia. Against England, he has smashed 274 runs in six innings at an average of 45.66 and a strike rate of 191.60, with one hundred.
In T20I matches against New Zealand, the 33-year-old has 284 runs in eight innings, averaging 47.33 at a strike rate of 153.51, with one century. He has an impressive record against South Africa as well. In six innings, he has smashed 343 runs, averaging 68.60 at a strike rate of 177.72. Suryakumar has one hundred and four fifties in the format against the Proteas.
As for Klaasen, he doesn’t have a good T20I record against Australia. In three matches, he has scored 47 runs at an average of 15.66 and a strike rate of 127.02. Against England, he has 132 runs in five innings at a strike rate of 167.08, and versus India, 222 runs in eight innings at a strike rate of 163.23.
In comparison to Suryakumar, Klaasen bats much lower down the order. That explains why he hasn’t scored as many runs as the Indian batter. His strike rate is pretty impressive against most top nations, so one wonders if South Africa would benefit from sending Klaasen to bat higher up the order consistently.
Suryakumar in IPL vs Klaasen in IPL and SA20
Suryakumar has an excellent record in the Indian Premier League (IPL). In 139 games, he has 3,249 runs to his name, averaging 32.17 at a strike rate of 143.32, with one hundred and 21 fifties.
If we look at Klaasen’s numbers in the Indian T20 league, he has 514 runs in 19 games at an average of 36.71 and a strike rate of 165.81, with one hundred and two fifties. It’s a much shorter sample size than Suryakumar, but he has made a huge impact with his clean striking.
Speaking of Klaasen’s record in SA20, he has been fantastic in both editions. In the 2023 season, he hammered 363 runs in nine innings, averaging 60.50 at a strike rate of 164.25. In the ongoing edition, he has smashed 447 runs in 12 innings at an average of 44.70 and a strike rate of 208.88.
All said and done, Suryakumar has a much better record than Klaasen in international cricket, while the two are pretty much on par in franchise tournaments. Things could perhaps have been different had South Africa utilized the talent of Klaasen more judiciously.
As such, it would be fair to conclude, considering all permutations and combinations, that Suryakumar is the best T20 batter at the moment.