In a dazzling display of clean hitting and fearless cricket, Heinrich Klaasen powered Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) to a thumping 110-run win over Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in their final IPL 2025 match in Delhi. His unbeaten 105 off just 39 balls, the joint-third fastest century in IPL history, anchored SRH’s monstrous 278/3 – the third-highest team total ever recorded in the league.
KKR, in reply, crumbled under pressure and folded for just 168 runs, bringing their campaign to a forgettable end.
Klaasen’s Carnage: 105 in 39 Balls*
From the moment Klaasen walked in, it felt like something special was about to unfold. He reached his half-century in just 17 balls with brute power and surgical placement – a jaw-dropping strike rate of 300. Nine sixes. Seven fours. No mercy. He was calculated, ruthless, and relentless.
What made it even more remarkable? Klaasen brought up his century off the final ball of the 19th over, ensuring SRH ended their innings with a bang. His partnership with Ishan Kishan (40 off 29) added 63 quick runs and ensured the momentum never dipped.
“I owed it to the franchise to step up,” Klaasen had said before the game. He did more than that — he lit the stage on fire.
Head & Abhishek Set the Tone
Earlier, Travis Head laid the perfect foundation with a breezy 76 off 40 balls, showing no signs of hesitation even against KKR’s best bowlers. He and Abhishek Sharma (32 off 16) hammered 92 runs in under seven overs, making full use of the powerplay and pushing KKR on the back foot early. SRH were 79/0 in just six overs – a dream start.
KKR’s Bowling Nightmare
Nothing worked for KKR’s bowlers. Anrich Nortje was taken for 60 runs in 4 overs, Varun Chakravarthy for 54 in 3, and even Sunil Narine, the most economical of the lot, couldn’t stop Klaasen in his final over. Narine had earlier dismissed Head and bowled the only over without a boundary since the first – but Klaasen wiped that out with back-to-back sixes.
SRH crossed 200 by the 15th over, and the carnage only grew worse.
KKR’s Reply: Collapse Under Pressure
Chasing 279 was always going to be a herculean task. Sunil Narine did give them a fiery start, smashing three sixes off Pat Cummins. But once Jaydev Unadkat cleaned him up with a slower ball, it all unraveled.
Unadkat (3/24), Harsh Dubey (3/34), and Eshan Malinga (3/31) worked in tandem to rip through KKR’s line-up. Harsh Dubey even struck twice in two balls to send back Rinku Singh and Andre Russell, the latter so dejected he didn’t wait for the umpire’s decision after getting trapped lbw first ball.
Only Sparks, No Fire
There were flickers of resistance. Manish Pandey (37 off 25) and Harshit Rana (34 off 21) showed some fight towards the end, even taking 21 off the 16th over. But it was too little, too late. Klaasen had already done the damage.
SRH’s bowlers kept their composure, Malinga wrapped things up with a sharp caught-and-bowled, and KKR were all out for 168 — losing by a massive 110 runs, their biggest defeat in IPL history.
A Sweet Finish for SRH
With this win, SRH snapped a five-match losing streak against KKR and temporarily moved to sixth on the table. KKR, meanwhile, finished eighth, unable to find momentum throughout the season.
And while team standings may shift, one thing is certain: Heinrich Klaasen’s knock will be remembered as one of the finest in IPL history.
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