South African wicketkeeper-batter Heinrich Klaasen has announced his retirement from international cricket. The 32-year-old shared an emotional message through Instagram, confirming that he will no longer represent the Proteas on the international stage.
“It is a sad day for me as I announce that I have decided to step away from international cricket,” Klaasen wrote. “It took me a long time to decide what’s best for me and my family for the future. It was truly a very difficult decision but also one that I have absolute peace with.”
Klaasen expressed gratitude for the opportunity to represent South Africa, calling it his childhood dream and the biggest privilege of his career. He thanked coaches, teammates, and fans for their support throughout his journey and said he will forever cherish the relationships and memories made while playing for the national team.
“My road to wearing the Proteas shirt was different than most,” he noted, highlighting how a few key coaches believed in him during tough times.
Klaasen leaves behind a string of remarkable records that underline his aggressive style and impact on the game. He famously smashed 174 off just 83 balls in an ODI innings, a record for the most runs scored from a particular batting position. He was also the 11th South African to cross 2,000 ODI runs and did so at the 54th-fastest pace in the format’s history.
In the IPL, Klaasen’s fireworks continued. Playing for Sunrisers Hyderabad, he struck the fastest century of the 2025 season—an electrifying 105 off 37 balls against Kolkata Knight Riders in Delhi. This knock equalled Yusuf Pathan’s third-fastest IPL century record, only behind Chris Gayle (30 balls) and Vaibhav Suryavanshi (35 balls).
Known for his high strike rate of 117.05 in ODIs, Klaasen also holds records for most sixes in an innings (13), most runs from boundaries (130 in a single match), and impressive partnerships for the fifth (222 runs) and sixth wickets (151 runs).
