Heinrich Klaasen IPL 2026 (Source: AFP)
Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) on Friday locked horns with defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in an all-important match, aiming to finish in the top two ahead of the IPL 2026 playoffs.
As usual, the SRH batters toppled over the RCB bowling line-up with a high-flying start, batting first. However, the openers fell in quick succession. Nonetheless, the Heinrich Klaasen soon joined the party with his fiery knock.
Heinrich Klaasen surpasses Rishabh Pant in major IPL record
Coming in to bat at number 4, the South African southpaw took no time to set and smashed RCB bowlers all around the park. In a short interval, Heinrich Klaasen completed his half-century in just 23 balls. Klaasen’s innings of 51 from 24 balls came to an end at the hands of spinner Krunal Pandya.
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On a length, flatter and outside the off stump. Klaasen looked to play his trademark stand-and-deliver stroke. He tried for a big heave without moving his feet, but ended up dragging it off the inside half of the bat to deep mid-wicket.
Venkatesh Iyer settled underneath it and took a good catch in the deep. However, during the knock, Heinrich Klaasen surpassed the likes of Indian batting star Rishabh Pant, for the record of most runs in an IPL season while batting at number 4.
List of batters with the most runs in a season batting at No. 4
- 580 -Heinrich Klaasen (2026)*
- 579 - Rishabh Pant (2018)
- 573 - Riyan Parag (2024)
- 538 - Rohit Sharma (2013)
- 513 - Glenn Maxwell (2021)
- 498 - Dinesh Karthik (2018)
- 488 - Rishabh Pant (2019)
SRH vs RCB: The fight to finish top two ahead of IPL 2026 playoffs
A top-two finish in the IPL often proves to be one of the biggest advantages in the race for the title. Teams finishing in the top two not only get two chances to reach the final but also avoid the sudden-death pressure of the Elimination.
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Even though both teams have already secured playoff spots, this clash is of massive significance because a place in the top two is on the line. Securing a top-two finish provides a major advantage in the IPL playoffs, as it gives teams two opportunities to qualify for the final through Qualifier 1 and Qualifier 2.
For the defending champions, RCB, who are sitting at the top of the table with 18 points and a healthy net run rate, a win today will guarantee them a top-two finish and confirm their place in Qualifier 1 alongside Gujarat Titans.
Meanwhile, for the Pat Cummins side, they must not only beat RCB but do so convincingly to overturn the net run rate gap. To leapfrog Bengaluru and enter the top two, SRH need to win by at least 87 runs if they bat first.
If they chase, they must hunt down the target within 11 overs, with even 11.3 overs potentially enough under specific circumstances.
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