Heinrich Klaasen is one of the most important players for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL. Even after retiring from international cricket, he continues to perform strongly in the league.
In IPL 2026, Klaasen has been batting in the middle order at number 4 or 5 and has already played several useful innings. His scores so far this season are 31, 52 and 62, showing his consistency for SRH.
Recently, Klaasen spoke about how he keeps his focus sharp while batting and also shared his honest opinion about MS Dhoni ahead of Sunrisers Hyderabad’s upcoming match against Chennai Super Kings.
Klaasen working with eye doctor to improve reaction time
Instead of focusing only on physical fitness, Klaasen is working on improving his reaction speed and decision making.
He revealed that he works with an eye specialist in Cape Town who helps him train his vision and reactions through a program called EyeGym. This training helps him process information faster while batting.
According to Klaasen, the exercises are designed to improve decision making in pressure situations, which is very important for T20 cricket.
“I’ve been working with a lady in Cape Town called Sherylle, who’s an eye doctor. We call it an EyeGym. It helps you make a lot of decisions under pressure and in a short amount of time. Over the last year it has helped improve my decision-making and reaction time,” Klaasen said.
He believes that this training has helped him stay consistent in T20 cricket.
Heinrich Klaasen IPL career overview
Klaasen has been one of the most dependable middle-order batters for Sunrisers Hyderabad in recent seasons.
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Matches | 52 |
| Runs | 1,625 |
| Batting Role | Middle order (No. 4 / No. 5) |
| Current IPL Team | Sunrisers Hyderabad |
He has been part of the SRH setup for four seasons and continues to play an important role in the team’s batting lineup.
Klaasen also retired from international cricket in June 2025 to focus more on franchise leagues around the world.
Also See : Ashwin Praises Vaibhav Sooryavanshi After Fearless Batting Against Bumrah in IPL 2026
Klaasen’s honest opinion on MS Dhoni
Sunrisers Hyderabad will face Chennai Super Kings on April 18 in IPL 2026. Before the match, Klaasen spoke about the influence of MS Dhoni in the CSK team.
Dhoni is currently recovering from a calf injury and might miss the match. Klaasen said that Dhoni’s biggest contribution to CSK in recent times has been his leadership.
He also mentioned that Dhoni usually comes to bat late in the innings and tries to make a quick impact.
“I think the crowd will be a little quieter. Normally when he walks onto the ground, you can’t hear anything around you. So that would be a nice change when playing them. I don’t think he has had a huge impact with the bat over the last year except for his leadership. Usually he faces around 10 balls and tries to make an impact,” Klaasen said.
Dhoni’s batting role in recent seasons
In recent IPL seasons, MS Dhoni has struggled with knee problems. Because of these issues, he has often batted lower in the order.
At times, he has come in as late as number 8 or number 9. This means he usually gets very few balls to face during an innings.
Both the Chennai Super Kings management and Dhoni himself have acknowledged that his current role is mostly focused on leadership and guiding the team rather than playing long batting innings.
SRH vs CSK clash expected to be exciting
The upcoming match between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Chennai Super Kings is expected to be an exciting contest.
SRH will rely on Klaasen’s form in the middle order, while CSK will depend on their experienced players and leadership.
With Klaasen continuing his strong run in IPL 2026 and working on unique training methods like EyeGym, SRH fans will hope he delivers another match-winning performance in the upcoming games.
