KLAASEN FINDING HIS MOJO JUST IN TIME FOR BETWAY SA20 SEASON 3

Durban’s Super Giants star Heinrich Klaasen feels he is starting to regain the form that has made him the world’s most feared white-ball batter the past two years ahead of Betway SA20 Season 3. 

After spending a lengthy period away from the game after the Proteas’ ICC T20 World Cup final defeat to India in Barbados back in July, Klaasen returned to international cricket at the start of the home summer. 

It was clearly evident that Klaasen was a bit ring-rusty, which he admitted to during the T2OI series against India. 

But having now played a string of white-ball matches in succession, Klaasen’s natural attacking game is once again coming to the fore. 

He certainly showed glimpses of a return to form with a controlled 86 off 97 balls (7x4, 2x6) that kept together the Proteas’ innings in the first ODI against Pakistan at Boland Park on Tuesday. 

A feature of Klaasen’s innings was his trademark punch of the back foot - one of which sailed high and handsome on the grass banks. 

“I felt like I was moving well. I hit the ball nicely today,” Klaasen said. 

“I think this innings or yesterday's nets, it was quite spicy. I needed that just to make sure my contact points are nice and light in innings like this, just to spend time in the middle of the crease. That's why I missed the red-ball game.

“That was always a game that I can go back to and just spend time finding a rhythm in the crease. I feel like the rhythm will be coming back soon.”

Klaasen will feature in the next two ODIs against Pakistan in Cape Town and Johannesburg respectively before switching his mindset to helping DSG go one better than their runners-up finish last season. 

Durban’s Super Giants open their Betway SA20 Season 3 campaign on January 10 against Pretoria Capitals at Kingsmead.