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Apollo Tyres VC and MD Neeraj Kanwar on the ‘Har Safar Mein Dum Hai’ campaign: It’s about the struggle to become a famous cricketer Earlier this year, Apollo Tyres — the new lead sponsor for Indian cricket — signalled a clear shift in tone with its ‘Har Safar Mein Dum Hai’ campaign, moving away from light-hearted advertising to a more reflective, story-driven narrative. Anchored by Sachin Tendulkar and the journeys of India’s leading cricketers, the campaign draws a parallel between sporting perseverance and the company’s own evolution, striking a chord with audiences through its emphasis on resilience, family support, and long-term ambition. In this conversation, Vice Chairman and Managing Director Neeraj Kanwar unpacks the thinking behind the campaign, its timing, and how Apollo views its growing association with Indian sport.[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_RJhCZNNT8[/embed]Could you walk us through the thought process behind the advertisement? Was releasing it close to the World Cup a strategic decision?Firstly, thank you. The idea was to release it before the World Cup, but as you can see, this is not a World Cup-specific ad. It’s something that will play out over the next two to three years. From my side, I can say that my wife actually wrote the entire story. She is the creative mind behind it.The ad is about the struggle one goes through to become one of the most famous cricketers. It captures resilience, commitment, passion, and also the struggles of parents.In that journey, you have to keep excelling. That’s where Apollo comes in. Apollo has had a similar journey. In 1976, the company was bankrupt, and today we are number one in India. That has come from resilience, excellence, continuous effort, discovering ourselves, and investing in technology to become leaders.Sachin [Tendulkar] comes in as the god of cricket, a mentor figure guiding these kids. In the same way, my father, the chairman, has been a mentor to our 20,000 employees. Even today, as mobility evolves, he continues to guide us. That’s the correlation between Sachin and the chairman.You mentioned Sachin. What also stood out was the choice of players — Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Shubman Gill. Given that Virat and Rohit have retired from T20s and Gill isn’t part of the current World Cup setup, what was the thinking behind this selection?You said it yourself. They are currently the top players.Apollo is also a top company. So why would I go for second-best when I have access to the best?These players have strong journeys. A lot of research has gone into the casting. Virat’s younger version looks identical, but the same effort has gone into the others too, including parents and costumes.Their journeys are all different but equally difficult. Take Rohit, for instance. He grew up in a chawl in Mumbai, and his journey from there to here is significant.Is there a possibility of doing something similar with the women’s team, given their recent success?We are looking into it. I’m very excited because, since Apollo tied up on the jersey, we’ve already had two World Cups — one with the women’s team and one at the Under-19 level.We have now added a T20 title as well. So yes, the women’s team is very much on my mind. Right now, we are just on the jersey, but discussions are ongoing internally.Cricket guarantees visibility in India. But as a brand, how do you ensure that this translates into actual value and not just visibility?We have done this with ROI in mind. ₹580 crore is not a small investment. Since tying up on the jersey in September, we have seen sales increase, better distribution, new dealers, and higher throughput at dealer counters.This is especially visible in car tyres, scooter tyres, and tractor tyres. The biggest advantage is rural reach. Cricket allows us to reach all of India instantly. People in villages are watching on phones and TVs. That awareness is driving growth in rural markets.Apollo has also invested in football, both in India and Europe. Given the uncertainty around Indian football, do you still see it as a viable space?Football is growing in India. India needs to become a sporting nation. Investment should go into multiple sports, not just cricket. The government needs to replicate cricket’s success across other sports.We are seeing progress. With increased focus, India is winning more medals at the Asian Games and Olympics. A strong public-private partnership can help identify and nurture talent.Football is becoming popular, especially with global influences like Lionel Messi. European clubs are also looking at India for academies and talent. There is recognition that India has potential.Have your European partnerships offered insights into how similar models could work in India?The key issue in India is infrastructure. In cricket, we have built world-class stadiums. Ahmedabad, for example, is phenomenal. Compared to Old Trafford, it stands out.So we have the capability. The question is why we are not doing this across all sports. We were dominant in hockey once but have slipped.If we invest in infrastructure and training across sports, India can succeed. We have proven ourselves in business, technology, and science. The issue is focus.Right now, 90 per cent of attention goes to cricket. If leadership sets a clear target, like 100 Olympic medals, I’m confident it can happen.Infrastructure and funding would follow. Without direction, efforts get fragmented.This also discourages private investment. For example, we partnered with Mahesh Bhupathi to produce a Grand Slam singles champion.But due to interference from governing bodies, we had to withdraw. If such issues are resolved, any sport can grow. Also, cricket is overcrowded. Talent needs to move into other sports.Which sports vertical does Apollo see itself investing in over the next five years?We were not in cricket earlier. My vision was to enter only when we became a brand leader. I didn’t want smaller branding opportunities.When the right opportunity came, we committed — and this is a long-term commitment.When I spoke to the BCCI, I made it clear this is not a short-term deal. I believe in long-term partnerships. We’ve been with Manchester United for 12 years.Even during their downturn, we stayed committed. Similarly, we will continue investing in cricket in India. India accounts for 65 per cent of our business. Cricket is also growing globally, so focusing on it will help build the brand.With cricket set to feature in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, will popularity drive future investment decisions? And would you consider other sports?Yes, popularity will be a key factor. For Apollo, cricket will remain the focus. However, with our Vredestein brand in Europe, we invest in football, skiing, and marathons. In India, we are involved in golf as well.Published on Apr 08, 2026 #Apollo #Tyres #Neeraj #Kanwar #Har #Safar #Mein #Dum #Hai #campaign #struggle #famous #cricketer

Apollo Tyres VC and MD Neeraj Kanwar on the ‘Har Safar Mein Dum Hai’ campaign: It’s about the struggle to become a famous cricketer

Earlier this year, Apollo Tyres — the new lead sponsor for Indian cricket — signalled a clear shift in tone with its ‘Har Safar Mein Dum Hai’ campaign, moving away from light-hearted advertising to a more reflective, story-driven narrative. Anchored by Sachin Tendulkar and the journeys of India’s leading cricketers, the campaign draws a parallel between sporting perseverance and the company’s own evolution, striking a chord with audiences through its emphasis on resilience, family support, and long-term ambition. In this conversation, Vice Chairman and Managing Director Neeraj Kanwar unpacks the thinking behind the campaign, its timing, and how Apollo views its growing association with Indian sport.

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_RJhCZNNT8[/embed]

Could you walk us through the thought process behind the advertisement? Was releasing it close to the World Cup a strategic decision?

Firstly, thank you. The idea was to release it before the World Cup, but as you can see, this is not a World Cup-specific ad. It’s something that will play out over the next two to three years. From my side, I can say that my wife actually wrote the entire story. She is the creative mind behind it.

The ad is about the struggle one goes through to become one of the most famous cricketers. It captures resilience, commitment, passion, and also the struggles of parents.

In that journey, you have to keep excelling. That’s where Apollo comes in. Apollo has had a similar journey. In 1976, the company was bankrupt, and today we are number one in India. That has come from resilience, excellence, continuous effort, discovering ourselves, and investing in technology to become leaders.

Sachin [Tendulkar] comes in as the god of cricket, a mentor figure guiding these kids. In the same way, my father, the chairman, has been a mentor to our 20,000 employees. Even today, as mobility evolves, he continues to guide us. That’s the correlation between Sachin and the chairman.

You mentioned Sachin. What also stood out was the choice of players — Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Shubman Gill. Given that Virat and Rohit have retired from T20s and Gill isn’t part of the current World Cup setup, what was the thinking behind this selection?

You said it yourself. They are currently the top players.

Apollo is also a top company. So why would I go for second-best when I have access to the best?

These players have strong journeys. A lot of research has gone into the casting. Virat’s younger version looks identical, but the same effort has gone into the others too, including parents and costumes.

Their journeys are all different but equally difficult. Take Rohit, for instance. He grew up in a chawl in Mumbai, and his journey from there to here is significant.

Is there a possibility of doing something similar with the women’s team, given their recent success?

We are looking into it. I’m very excited because, since Apollo tied up on the jersey, we’ve already had two World Cups — one with the women’s team and one at the Under-19 level.

We have now added a T20 title as well. So yes, the women’s team is very much on my mind. Right now, we are just on the jersey, but discussions are ongoing internally.

Cricket guarantees visibility in India. But as a brand, how do you ensure that this translates into actual value and not just visibility?

We have done this with ROI in mind. ₹580 crore is not a small investment. Since tying up on the jersey in September, we have seen sales increase, better distribution, new dealers, and higher throughput at dealer counters.

This is especially visible in car tyres, scooter tyres, and tractor tyres. The biggest advantage is rural reach. Cricket allows us to reach all of India instantly. People in villages are watching on phones and TVs. That awareness is driving growth in rural markets.

Apollo has also invested in football, both in India and Europe. Given the uncertainty around Indian football, do you still see it as a viable space?

Football is growing in India. India needs to become a sporting nation. Investment should go into multiple sports, not just cricket. The government needs to replicate cricket’s success across other sports.

We are seeing progress. With increased focus, India is winning more medals at the Asian Games and Olympics. A strong public-private partnership can help identify and nurture talent.

Football is becoming popular, especially with global influences like Lionel Messi. European clubs are also looking at India for academies and talent. There is recognition that India has potential.

Have your European partnerships offered insights into how similar models could work in India?

The key issue in India is infrastructure. In cricket, we have built world-class stadiums. Ahmedabad, for example, is phenomenal. Compared to Old Trafford, it stands out.

So we have the capability. The question is why we are not doing this across all sports. We were dominant in hockey once but have slipped.

If we invest in infrastructure and training across sports, India can succeed. We have proven ourselves in business, technology, and science. The issue is focus.

Right now, 90 per cent of attention goes to cricket. If leadership sets a clear target, like 100 Olympic medals, I’m confident it can happen.

Infrastructure and funding would follow. Without direction, efforts get fragmented.

This also discourages private investment. For example, we partnered with Mahesh Bhupathi to produce a Grand Slam singles champion.

But due to interference from governing bodies, we had to withdraw. If such issues are resolved, any sport can grow. Also, cricket is overcrowded. Talent needs to move into other sports.

Which sports vertical does Apollo see itself investing in over the next five years?

We were not in cricket earlier. My vision was to enter only when we became a brand leader. I didn’t want smaller branding opportunities.

When the right opportunity came, we committed — and this is a long-term commitment.

When I spoke to the BCCI, I made it clear this is not a short-term deal. I believe in long-term partnerships. We’ve been with Manchester United for 12 years.

Even during their downturn, we stayed committed. Similarly, we will continue investing in cricket in India. India accounts for 65 per cent of our business. Cricket is also growing globally, so focusing on it will help build the brand.

With cricket set to feature in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, will popularity drive future investment decisions? And would you consider other sports?

Yes, popularity will be a key factor. For Apollo, cricket will remain the focus. However, with our Vredestein brand in Europe, we invest in football, skiing, and marathons. In India, we are involved in golf as well.

Published on Apr 08, 2026

#Apollo #Tyres #Neeraj #Kanwar #Har #Safar #Mein #Dum #Hai #campaign #struggle #famous #cricketer

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Earlier this year, Apollo Tyres — the new lead sponsor for Indian cricket — signalled a clear shift in tone with its ‘Har Safar Mein Dum Hai’ campaign, moving away from light-hearted advertising to a more reflective, story-driven narrative. Anchored by Sachin Tendulkar and the journeys of India’s leading cricketers, the campaign draws a parallel between sporting perseverance and the company’s own evolution, striking a chord with audiences through its emphasis on resilience, family support, and long-term ambition. In this conversation, Vice Chairman and Managing Director Neeraj Kanwar unpacks the thinking behind the campaign, its timing, and how Apollo views its growing association with Indian sport.

Could you walk us through the thought process behind the advertisement? Was releasing it close to the World Cup a strategic decision?

Firstly, thank you. The idea was to release it before the World Cup, but as you can see, this is not a World Cup-specific ad. It’s something that will play out over the next two to three years. From my side, I can say that my wife actually wrote the entire story. She is the creative mind behind it.

The ad is about the struggle one goes through to become one of the most famous cricketers. It captures resilience, commitment, passion, and also the struggles of parents.

In that journey, you have to keep excelling. That’s where Apollo comes in. Apollo has had a similar journey. In 1976, the company was bankrupt, and today we are number one in India. That has come from resilience, excellence, continuous effort, discovering ourselves, and investing in technology to become leaders.

Sachin [Tendulkar] comes in as the god of cricket, a mentor figure guiding these kids. In the same way, my father, the chairman, has been a mentor to our 20,000 employees. Even today, as mobility evolves, he continues to guide us. That’s the correlation between Sachin and the chairman.

You mentioned Sachin. What also stood out was the choice of players — Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Shubman Gill. Given that Virat and Rohit have retired from T20s and Gill isn’t part of the current World Cup setup, what was the thinking behind this selection?

You said it yourself. They are currently the top players.

Apollo is also a top company. So why would I go for second-best when I have access to the best?

These players have strong journeys. A lot of research has gone into the casting. Virat’s younger version looks identical, but the same effort has gone into the others too, including parents and costumes.

Their journeys are all different but equally difficult. Take Rohit, for instance. He grew up in a chawl in Mumbai, and his journey from there to here is significant.

Is there a possibility of doing something similar with the women’s team, given their recent success?

We are looking into it. I’m very excited because, since Apollo tied up on the jersey, we’ve already had two World Cups — one with the women’s team and one at the Under-19 level.

We have now added a T20 title as well. So yes, the women’s team is very much on my mind. Right now, we are just on the jersey, but discussions are ongoing internally.

Cricket guarantees visibility in India. But as a brand, how do you ensure that this translates into actual value and not just visibility?

We have done this with ROI in mind. ₹580 crore is not a small investment. Since tying up on the jersey in September, we have seen sales increase, better distribution, new dealers, and higher throughput at dealer counters.

This is especially visible in car tyres, scooter tyres, and tractor tyres. The biggest advantage is rural reach. Cricket allows us to reach all of India instantly. People in villages are watching on phones and TVs. That awareness is driving growth in rural markets.

Apollo has also invested in football, both in India and Europe. Given the uncertainty around Indian football, do you still see it as a viable space?

Football is growing in India. India needs to become a sporting nation. Investment should go into multiple sports, not just cricket. The government needs to replicate cricket’s success across other sports.

We are seeing progress. With increased focus, India is winning more medals at the Asian Games and Olympics. A strong public-private partnership can help identify and nurture talent.

Football is becoming popular, especially with global influences like Lionel Messi. European clubs are also looking at India for academies and talent. There is recognition that India has potential.

Have your European partnerships offered insights into how similar models could work in India?

The key issue in India is infrastructure. In cricket, we have built world-class stadiums. Ahmedabad, for example, is phenomenal. Compared to Old Trafford, it stands out.

So we have the capability. The question is why we are not doing this across all sports. We were dominant in hockey once but have slipped.

If we invest in infrastructure and training across sports, India can succeed. We have proven ourselves in business, technology, and science. The issue is focus.

Right now, 90 per cent of attention goes to cricket. If leadership sets a clear target, like 100 Olympic medals, I’m confident it can happen.

Infrastructure and funding would follow. Without direction, efforts get fragmented.

This also discourages private investment. For example, we partnered with Mahesh Bhupathi to produce a Grand Slam singles champion.

But due to interference from governing bodies, we had to withdraw. If such issues are resolved, any sport can grow. Also, cricket is overcrowded. Talent needs to move into other sports.

Which sports vertical does Apollo see itself investing in over the next five years?

We were not in cricket earlier. My vision was to enter only when we became a brand leader. I didn’t want smaller branding opportunities.

When the right opportunity came, we committed — and this is a long-term commitment.

When I spoke to the BCCI, I made it clear this is not a short-term deal. I believe in long-term partnerships. We’ve been with Manchester United for 12 years.

Even during their downturn, we stayed committed. Similarly, we will continue investing in cricket in India. India accounts for 65 per cent of our business. Cricket is also growing globally, so focusing on it will help build the brand.

With cricket set to feature in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, will popularity drive future investment decisions? And would you consider other sports?

Yes, popularity will be a key factor. For Apollo, cricket will remain the focus. However, with our Vredestein brand in Europe, we invest in football, skiing, and marathons. In India, we are involved in golf as well.

Published on Apr 08, 2026

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#Apollo #Tyres #Neeraj #Kanwar #Har #Safar #Mein #Dum #Hai #campaign #struggle #famous #cricketer

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Deadspin | Canadiens pull off comeback, shootout victory over Panthers <div id=""><section id="0" class=" w-full"><div class="xl:container mx-0 !px-4 py-0 pb-4 !mx-0 !px-0"><img src="https://images.deadspin.com/tr:w-900/28679465.jpg" srcset="https://images.deadspin.com/tr:w-900/28679465.jpg" alt="NHL: Florida Panthers at Montreal Canadiens" class="w-full" fetchpriority="high" loading="eager"/><span class="text-0.8 leading-tight">Apr 7, 2026; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Montreal Canadiens defenseman Adam Engstrom (42) gets a penalty for holding a Florida Panthers player during the first period at the Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images<!-- --> <!-- --> </span></div></section><section id="section-1"> <p>Cole Caufield and Alexandre Texier scored in the shootout to complete the host Montreal Canadiens’ 4-3 comeback win over the Florida Panthers on Tuesday night.</p> </section><section id="section-2"> <p>Ivan Demidov, Phillip Danault and Nick Suzuki scored for the Canadiens (46-22-10, 102 points) in regulation. Montreal has won nine of its last 10. Juraj Slafkovsky had two assists and Jakub Dobes stopped 30 shots.</p> </section><section id="section-3"> <p>Carter Verhaeghe, Cole Reinhart and Eetu Luostarinen got the goals for the Panthers (37-37-4, 78 points), who have lost six of eight. Danill Tarasov made 29 saves.</p> </section><section id="section-4"> <p>Suzuki tied the game 3-3 with 21 seconds left in regulation. He put the puck into an empty net after taking a pass from defenseman Lane Hutson from behind the net.</p> </section><section id="section-5"> <p>Danault tied it 2-2, 6:22 into the third period with a snap shot from the slot. It came with a penalty being called against Florida and the Canadiens playing 6-on-5 on the ice with Dobes pulled.</p> </section><br/><section id="section-6"> <p>But Luostarinen restored the lead just 1:27 later when he tipped in defenseman Gustav Forsling’s shot.</p> </section> <section id="section-7"> <p>Reinhart gave the Panthers a 2-1 lead with 6:17 left in the second period. He won a foot race for the puck from the neutral zone to create a short semi-breakaway for himself and, from almost along the goal line, poked the puck just inside the left goal post.</p> </section><section id="section-8"> <p>Demidov’s power-play goal 54 seconds into the middle period had tied the game 1-1 for the Canadiens. It came on a one-time slap shot from the top of the right circle off a pass from Caufield. Florida defenseman Tobias Bjornfot slashed Demidov and had been penalized for it 22 seconds earlier.</p> </section><section id="section-9"> <p>Verhaeghe opened the scoring 9:23 into the first period when the rebound of a shot by defenseman Donovan Sebrango caromed out to Verhaeghe in the left circle. He then drilled it past Dobes for Verhaeghe’s 25th goal and his third in the last four games.</p> </section><section id="section-10"> <p>Montreal’s Kirby Dach and Texier returned from injuries. Dach missed 11 games with an upper-body injury and Texier seven games with a lower-body injury.</p> </section><section id="section-11"> <p>–Field Level Media</p> </section></div> #Deadspin #Canadiens #pull #comeback #shootout #victory #Panthers

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Deadspin | Bats aid Javier Assad’s strong start as Cubs thump Rays Apr 7, 2026; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Chicago Cubs centerfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong (4) celebrates with designated hitter Moises Ballesteros (25) after hitting a solo home run in the seventh inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images Javier Assad threw 5 2/3 scoreless innings and Pete Crow-Armstrong and Moises Ballesteros hit late-inning home runs to seal the Chicago Cubs’ 9-2 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday night in St. Petersburg, Fla. Seven Cubs, including Crow-Armstrong and Ballesteros, had two or more hits as part of a 16-hit output. Nico Hoerner went 2-4 with two RBIs. Further down the order, there was an RBI apiece for Michael Conforto and Matt Shaw as the Cubs evened the three-game series. Assad (1-0), making his season debut after beginning the year in Triple-A Iowa, retired the first 12 Rays in order. He allowed just one hit and two walks, striking out three. Mason Englert (0-1) was a spot starter for Tampa Bay after Drew Rasmussen was a late scratch for personal reasons. Englert took the loss, giving up four runs (three earned) on seven hits in 3 2/3 innings. A two-out Dansby Swanson double sparked a Chicago rally in the second. Conforto followed up with an RBI single before Shaw brought home Conforto with a double to give the Cubs a 2-0 lead. An error by Rays catcher Nick Fortes resulted in another Cubs run the next inning, when Alex Bregman scored on Fortes’ wayward throw made while attempting to catch Crow-Amstrong stealing second. With one out, Ballesteros then hit a sacrifice fly to complete Crow-Armstrong’s trip around the bases. It was Ballesteros’ turn to cross home plate in the sixth when he scored on a bases-loaded fielder’s choice by Hoerner. Crow-Armstrong’s blast off reliever Yoendrys Gomez an inning later snuck out just inside the right field foul pole for a 6-0 lead. The Cubs loaded the bases again in the eighth and Hoerner knocked in his second run with an RBI single. Jonathan Aranda ended the shutout bid with an RBI double off Phil Maton in the bottom of the inning. Ryan Vilade followed with an infield single which scored Yandy Diaz. Ballesteros completed his standout night at the plate with a two-run home run to right off Gomez in the final frame. –Field Level Media #Deadspin #Bats #aid #Javier #Assads #strong #start #Cubs #thump #RaysApr 7, 2026; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Chicago Cubs centerfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong (4) celebrates with designated hitter Moises Ballesteros (25) after hitting a solo home run in the seventh inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images

Javier Assad threw 5 2/3 scoreless innings and Pete Crow-Armstrong and Moises Ballesteros hit late-inning home runs to seal the Chicago Cubs’ 9-2 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday night in St. Petersburg, Fla.

Seven Cubs, including Crow-Armstrong and Ballesteros, had two or more hits as part of a 16-hit output. Nico Hoerner went 2-4 with two RBIs. Further down the order, there was an RBI apiece for Michael Conforto and Matt Shaw as the Cubs evened the three-game series.

Assad (1-0), making his season debut after beginning the year in Triple-A Iowa, retired the first 12 Rays in order. He allowed just one hit and two walks, striking out three.

Mason Englert (0-1) was a spot starter for Tampa Bay after Drew Rasmussen was a late scratch for personal reasons. Englert took the loss, giving up four runs (three earned) on seven hits in 3 2/3 innings.

A two-out Dansby Swanson double sparked a Chicago rally in the second. Conforto followed up with an RBI single before Shaw brought home Conforto with a double to give the Cubs a 2-0 lead.


An error by Rays catcher Nick Fortes resulted in another Cubs run the next inning, when Alex Bregman scored on Fortes’ wayward throw made while attempting to catch Crow-Amstrong stealing second. With one out, Ballesteros then hit a sacrifice fly to complete Crow-Armstrong’s trip around the bases.

It was Ballesteros’ turn to cross home plate in the sixth when he scored on a bases-loaded fielder’s choice by Hoerner. Crow-Armstrong’s blast off reliever Yoendrys Gomez an inning later snuck out just inside the right field foul pole for a 6-0 lead.

The Cubs loaded the bases again in the eighth and Hoerner knocked in his second run with an RBI single.

Jonathan Aranda ended the shutout bid with an RBI double off Phil Maton in the bottom of the inning. Ryan Vilade followed with an infield single which scored Yandy Diaz.

Ballesteros completed his standout night at the plate with a two-run home run to right off Gomez in the final frame.

–Field Level Media

#Deadspin #Bats #aid #Javier #Assads #strong #start #Cubs #thump #Rays">Deadspin | Bats aid Javier Assad’s strong start as Cubs thump Rays Apr 7, 2026; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Chicago Cubs centerfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong (4) celebrates with designated hitter Moises Ballesteros (25) after hitting a solo home run in the seventh inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images Javier Assad threw 5 2/3 scoreless innings and Pete Crow-Armstrong and Moises Ballesteros hit late-inning home runs to seal the Chicago Cubs’ 9-2 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday night in St. Petersburg, Fla. Seven Cubs, including Crow-Armstrong and Ballesteros, had two or more hits as part of a 16-hit output. Nico Hoerner went 2-4 with two RBIs. Further down the order, there was an RBI apiece for Michael Conforto and Matt Shaw as the Cubs evened the three-game series. Assad (1-0), making his season debut after beginning the year in Triple-A Iowa, retired the first 12 Rays in order. He allowed just one hit and two walks, striking out three. Mason Englert (0-1) was a spot starter for Tampa Bay after Drew Rasmussen was a late scratch for personal reasons. Englert took the loss, giving up four runs (three earned) on seven hits in 3 2/3 innings. A two-out Dansby Swanson double sparked a Chicago rally in the second. Conforto followed up with an RBI single before Shaw brought home Conforto with a double to give the Cubs a 2-0 lead. An error by Rays catcher Nick Fortes resulted in another Cubs run the next inning, when Alex Bregman scored on Fortes’ wayward throw made while attempting to catch Crow-Amstrong stealing second. With one out, Ballesteros then hit a sacrifice fly to complete Crow-Armstrong’s trip around the bases. It was Ballesteros’ turn to cross home plate in the sixth when he scored on a bases-loaded fielder’s choice by Hoerner. Crow-Armstrong’s blast off reliever Yoendrys Gomez an inning later snuck out just inside the right field foul pole for a 6-0 lead. The Cubs loaded the bases again in the eighth and Hoerner knocked in his second run with an RBI single. Jonathan Aranda ended the shutout bid with an RBI double off Phil Maton in the bottom of the inning. Ryan Vilade followed with an infield single which scored Yandy Diaz. Ballesteros completed his standout night at the plate with a two-run home run to right off Gomez in the final frame. –Field Level Media #Deadspin #Bats #aid #Javier #Assads #strong #start #Cubs #thump #Rays

Heinrich Klaasen entered this season of the Indian Premier League carrying a few lingering self-doubts.

The South African has been away from the intensity and grind of international cricket for nearly a year, a gap that can unsettle even the most seasoned players in a format as unforgiving as Twenty20.

Determined to stay competitive, Klaasen explored new ways to keep himself in rhythm. If the first three matches are any indication, those efforts have paid off handsomely. With 145 runs at a strike rate of 147.95, including two half-centuries, the Sunrisers Hyderabad star has not only found his groove but also shifted the pressure firmly onto the opposition—and then some.

In a media interaction facilitated by the JioStar Press Room, Klaasen reflected on his form and that of his team, his dominance against spin, his electric partnership with Nitish Kumar Reddy, and more.

Q: Starting the IPL with back-to-back 50s must feel good…

A: Unfortunately we’ve lost two games, but on a personal note, it’s been a good start. One of my biggest concerns was not playing as much cricket as I used to. ‘Can I still keep up with the standard that I set myself with?’ It’s been a pretty good start and hopefully this form will continue.

How have you adapted to stepping away from international cricket?

International cricket is a big miss in my game, but there are small things that I do that just keep me up to the pace of normal cricket speed. I’ve been working with a lady in Cape Town called Sherylle, who’s an eye doctor. We call it an EyeGym. It just helps you make a lot of decisions under pressure and in a certain amount of time. That has been working for me over the last year in making sure that my decision-making and reaction times are good. 

It’s just that one percent that you have to take a little bit more care of and give yourself a little bit more training right before coming into a competition like this. Normally, you can have a week or two off before you come into a long tournament like this. I just had to change my training schedules and make small tweaks like that to make sure that I get up to speed as quickly as I can.

How would you assess Sunrisers Hyderabad’s performances so far?

It’s a tough question. I will give us about a six at this moment.

We have played some brilliant cricket in parts, but we’re just losing the plot in the crucial phases of the game. We lose it so badly that it just puts us out of the game entirely. If you take the game against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, we lost three wickets in the PowerPlay. Same against Lucknow Super Giants.

I honestly do think the bowlers are hanging on exactly as planned. That aspect is doing very well. The rest of the batting unit is doing well. There are a lot of positives. I’ll say about 80 per cent positive.

READ: The Space Between: Vyshak Vijaykumar on a journey to find himself

Our fielding in the first two games hasn’t been up to standard at all. In our last game, against LSG, it was better. We’re working on that, and we’re setting a new standard for ourselves to put teams under pressure and make sure we hang on to our catches. But it’s not at the standard that we set for ourselves, as it stands.

I’ll give us a six and not go with seven, which is an easy cop out. We want to get to eight and nine to make sure that we get some momentum. There’s no panic in the changing room yet. We’re looking forward to getting on a roll and putting all three compartments of the game together.

SRH’s batting lineup is probably the most fearsome in the league. But with Pat Cummins missing, there are some concerns over the bite in the bowling unit, at least on paper. What do you make of it? 

Our batting has been good so far, but we’ve missed out on about 40 runs over the three games. So there’s still a lot of work to do for our batters. 

Obviously, if you miss a bowler like Pat Cummins, it’s a loss for any team in any format. Same with (Brydon) Carse. The rest of the bowlers are super experienced, especially our pace department. The wickets have been good in the two games in which we struggled in. We just didn’t execute with the bat like we wanted. It’s easy to say our bowlers don’t have the experience or are under the pump, but in the two games that we’ve lost, the batters left about 20 to 30 runs on the board.

Don’t think Dhoni had a big impact at CSK except for his leadership over the last year: Klaasen Heinrich Klaasen entered this season of the Indian Premier League carrying a few lingering self-doubts.The South African has been away from the intensity and grind of international cricket for nearly a year, a gap that can unsettle even the most seasoned players in a format as unforgiving as Twenty20.Determined to stay competitive, Klaasen explored new ways to keep himself in rhythm. If the first three matches are any indication, those efforts have paid off handsomely. With 145 runs at a strike rate of 147.95, including two half-centuries, the Sunrisers Hyderabad star has not only found his groove but also shifted the pressure firmly onto the opposition—and then some.In a media interaction facilitated by the JioStar Press Room, Klaasen reflected on his form and that of his team, his dominance against spin, his electric partnership with Nitish Kumar Reddy, and more.Q: Starting the IPL with back-to-back 50s must feel good…A: Unfortunately we’ve lost two games, but on a personal note, it’s been a good start. One of my biggest concerns was not playing as much cricket as I used to. ‘Can I still keep up with the standard that I set myself with?’ It’s been a pretty good start and hopefully this form will continue.How have you adapted to stepping away from international cricket?International cricket is a big miss in my game, but there are small things that I do that just keep me up to the pace of normal cricket speed. I’ve been working with a lady in Cape Town called Sherylle, who’s an eye doctor. We call it an EyeGym. It just helps you make a lot of decisions under pressure and in a certain amount of time. That has been working for me over the last year in making sure that my decision-making and reaction times are good. It’s just that one percent that you have to take a little bit more care of and give yourself a little bit more training right before coming into a competition like this. Normally, you can have a week or two off before you come into a long tournament like this. I just had to change my training schedules and make small tweaks like that to make sure that I get up to speed as quickly as I can.How would you assess Sunrisers Hyderabad’s performances so far?It’s a tough question. I will give us about a six at this moment.We have played some brilliant cricket in parts, but we’re just losing the plot in the crucial phases of the game. We lose it so badly that it just puts us out of the game entirely. If you take the game against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, we lost three wickets in the PowerPlay. Same against Lucknow Super Giants.I honestly do think the bowlers are hanging on exactly as planned. That aspect is doing very well. The rest of the batting unit is doing well. There are a lot of positives. I’ll say about 80 per cent positive.READ: The Space Between: Vyshak Vijaykumar on a journey to find himselfOur fielding in the first two games hasn’t been up to standard at all. In our last game, against LSG, it was better. We’re working on that, and we’re setting a new standard for ourselves to put teams under pressure and make sure we hang on to our catches. But it’s not at the standard that we set for ourselves, as it stands.I’ll give us a six and not go with seven, which is an easy cop out. We want to get to eight and nine to make sure that we get some momentum. There’s no panic in the changing room yet. We’re looking forward to getting on a roll and putting all three compartments of the game together.SRH’s batting lineup is probably the most fearsome in the league. But with Pat Cummins missing, there are some concerns over the bite in the bowling unit, at least on paper. What do you make of it? Our batting has been good so far, but we’ve missed out on about 40 runs over the three games. So there’s still a lot of work to do for our batters. Obviously, if you miss a bowler like Pat Cummins, it’s a loss for any team in any format. Same with (Brydon) Carse. The rest of the bowlers are super experienced, especially our pace department. The wickets have been good in the two games in which we struggled in. We just didn’t execute with the bat like we wanted. It’s easy to say our bowlers don’t have the experience or are under the pump, but in the two games that we’ve lost, the batters left about 20 to 30 runs on the board. Sunrisers Hyderabad’s Pat Cummins during a warm-up session. | Photo Credit: REUTERS Sunrisers Hyderabad’s Pat Cummins during a warm-up session. | Photo Credit: REUTERS We saw it against KKR, we put enough runs on the board… That’s our job. We need to get to that 220-230 mark. That’s why we have set up the team we have now, so we give our bowlers a proper chance at defending.SRH’s spin pool looks relatively inexperienced with players like Harsh Dubey and Shivang Kumar. What have you made of their ability to work under pressure? Is that lack of experience really such a big factor, especially in the middle overs? They’ve been fantastic so far. Our fielding has been poor against them, so that makes their figures look bad. The team should take it on the chin and keep encouraging them to do what they do. Having faced them in the nets, I can tell you that they may be inexperienced on paper, but they’re definitely experienced in playing the game and know what to do with the plan.They bowl extremely well. They haven’t really played on wickets that have been spinning too much. They’re just hanging on at the moment, picking up crucial wickets when we need it. I can’t wait till we get to a wicket that just suits them a little bit more, and then people will see the brilliant skill set that they have.What do you make of Ishan Kishan, the captain, so far? He’s been superb so far. He’s a guy who asks for advice. We’ve got a lot of experience in the changing room, so he leans on that as well. But his decision-making, the way he changes the bowler, the way the team listens to him, has been phenomenal so far.We’re in superb hands and luckily, he’s not an arrogant guy at all, which makes it a lot easier. He’s a really enjoyable captain to play under. There are a lot of jokes in between which helps because this game brings quite a tough environment to play in. He’s been superb and he has had some success in the domestic scene as well. I think his domestic team won a competition recently, so there’s a lot of experience in that aspect.TraviShek’s wonderful starts – how much of a cushion does that give the team?It depends on how you see it. Sometimes, when they go at 14 or 15 an over, you feel like the wicket is extremely flat or they make it look flat and you want to keep up with that pace. Sometimes that can put you under pressure a bit.  Sunrisers Hyderabad’s Travis Head bumps fists with Abhishek Sharma. | Photo Credit: REUTERS Sunrisers Hyderabad’s Travis Head bumps fists with Abhishek Sharma. | Photo Credit: REUTERS But having played with them for three seasons now, I do understand that you can play on tempo as well. They give you the luxury to hold on and get yourself in and then go again so that the run rate never really drops below 11 or 12. How has your role in this side evolved?It’s a role that I’ve played my whole life and in my whole career. You have to adapt to those situations and you have to be able to play different roles in the team. My role in the team is to keep on going if TraviShek and Ishan have put the opposition under pressure. But the days that doesn’t happen, I need to make sure we get into a position to defend a total. I know that’s my role. I have to play four or five different games, but that’s just what is required to be a professional cricketer at this moment. Every game is going to present different situations. It takes a different set of skills to understand those things and execute plans accordingly. You have a great partnership going with Nitish Kumar Reddy. How are you both finding a rhythm in the middle order?It helps when you play together for a couple of years. You start to understand each other, you understand what makes each other tick. Our communication this season has been incredible. We’ve been taking a lot of pressure off each other, especially from his side. He’s been taking a lot of pressure off me at the start of my innings. So a lot of credit needs to go to Nitish. He’s in form at the moment, so that makes it a lot easier as well to drop and change our plans as we go and to identify the bowlers each of us likes to take down.He reminds me of playing with David Miller. In your career, you get a few guys you just enjoy batting with. Nitish is extremely quick so when you feel like you’re under pressure a bit, you can always run two or three and make the over a little easier instead of just searching for boundaries. Running between the wickets becomes a crucial part of the game then. I love seeing him grow as well. It’s just been fantastic this season and hopefully we can put on a couple of bigger partnerships.You have been known as the spin destroyer of SRH. How did that come about for you?South Africa has some quality spinners and I’ve played a lot of four-day cricket at a stage where my career really needed it. It is a stage where probably all of those spinners played four-day cricket as well.I’m used to the ball turning away from me. I faced a lot of Tabraiz Shamsi in the nets, who is a quality spinner as well. A lot of training, a lot of hours have been spent experimenting. I’ve been in India for five to six years now. Over the years, I’ve gained some experience. Earlier in my career, we went to Sri Lanka, where the ball actually spun quite a bit. We had to figure things out for ourselves and learn new tricks. I’m very blessed to be able to play spin well. It’s always a challenge to keep taking them on because I know they’re looking to get my wicket.Is it safe to say that you love playing in India against the spinners specifically?The boundaries here are not the biggest in the world. We’re used to some big boundaries. But the wickets are fantastic, so it’s a nice place to come to. It’s still a big challenge. I know they’re coming for me and they know I’m coming for them. This season, I see that they’ve got a couple of game plans, so I need to get back to doing some good homework against them and finding new ways of scoring against them.Is there any Indian spinner that you enjoy playing against the most?It’s an easy answer, Yuzi (Yuzvendra) Chahal. We’ve had a few great battles over the last couple of years. He’s a quality bowler and very clever. I think we’re about 50-50 on winning those battles. He’s a good mate of mine as well, which makes it even better to fight against him on the pitch.You are going to play against CSK soon, who are struggling this year. The unavailability of Mahendra Singh Dhoni, how big is that an advantage for you guys?They’ve obviously got an incredible IPL record and they’ve always been a strong side. Not having Dhoni doesn’t make them less of a good side and the players they have currently are unbelievable as well. They’re going to get (Dewald) Brevis back. So that’s going to strengthen their middle order. The two openers haven’t really scored anything yet, so they’re due for runs. It’s not going to be an easy game. Hopefully their form continues to struggle a little bit against us so we can really put them under pressure. But they’re always a good side. It’s always nice (to) play against them because you want to play against the best sides in the world. Dhoni not being there doesn’t really make a difference, because he’s still in the dugout sharing his experience with the guys. Normally, over the last few seasons, he probably bats the last 10 balls only anyway. So it’s the other guys in the team that you have to worry about more.What’s the mood in the camp when you face a side like CSK? Does it feel like just another game or does the prospect of facing a team like that brings that extra intensity into the setup?Look, it’s always fun playing against them and knowing that our owners are also coming from Chennai, they do put an emphasis on that. We need to beat them. There will always be added pressure on that game, but it’s still a good game. All the teams that you have to play in the IPL, you have to be at your best and give your best performance. ALSO READ: Adaptability is Currency — PBKS seamer Ben Dwarshuis on surviving the grind in IPL 2026Hopefully we can get a little bit of momentum going into the next game and then facing Chennai back home. The wicket hopefully will be a little bit better and then if we can, if we can get one over them going into their home ground, I think we should be in a good position to take them down this season.You haven’t been at your best against CSK. What are the learnings that you have taken from these past battles against CSK and how do you plan to improve your performances against the Men in Yellow?Chennai is probably not the easiest place to play cricket, especially if you have someone like Jadeja who can bowl at 100 kilometers an hour and the ball spins and just holds a little bit. Luckily he’s not there this season. It’s a completely different team. I probably just need to hit the ball a little bit longer and make sure I clear the boundary. I need to give myself enough opportunity to make a bigger impact. I’m not too worried about it, it’s just about finding form and when I do, it’s about just cherishing it and making sure that I hold on to it.When you face a CSK team without its talismanic skipper Dhoni, does his absence play at the back of your mind?I think the crowd will be a little bit quieter. Normally when he walks onto the ground, you can’t hear anything around you. So that would be a nice addition to playing them. I don’t think he had such a big impact except for his leadership over the last year. He’d normally just face 10 balls and then try to make an impact. But they do have quality additions to their side and we need to make good plans to get them out. An injured MS Dhoni is seen batting during a practice session in Chennai. | Photo Credit: RAGU R An injured MS Dhoni is seen batting during a practice session in Chennai. | Photo Credit: RAGU R A guy like Brevis is in good form and then you know the two openers got an unbelievable IPL record. We need to make sure that we keep putting them under pressure. When the calm head of Dhoni is not there, it’s an opportunity for us to maybe just put the pedal down and squeeze them a little bit more.Does the IPL stand out in any way compared to the other leagues?It’s by far the toughest there is in franchise cricket. I sometimes feel it’s tougher than international cricket. It depends on who you play but the standard of cricket and obviously the conditions play a big part. Every year, you just see a new Indian player coming through who you never knew about. The talent just sets the standard so high. It is by far the best competition in the world. There are a couple of tournaments they are striving to reach the same standard. But it’s tough.Do you have a message for the Sunrisers Hyderabad faithful?Just be patient. You can’t win a competition in the first week of the IPL. We’re getting everything together and hopefully, we can make it to the playoffs and then we’re going to have an extremely good chance of winning this trophy. I think we’re long due and we’ve got the squad to win a trophy. Keep supporting us and we’re looking forward to producing some good performances.Published on Apr 08, 2026 #Dont #Dhoni #big #impact #CSK #leadership #year #Klaasen

Sunrisers Hyderabad’s Pat Cummins during a warm-up session. | Photo Credit: REUTERS

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Sunrisers Hyderabad’s Pat Cummins during a warm-up session. | Photo Credit: REUTERS

We saw it against KKR, we put enough runs on the board… That’s our job. We need to get to that 220-230 mark. That’s why we have set up the team we have now, so we give our bowlers a proper chance at defending.

SRH’s spin pool looks relatively inexperienced with players like Harsh Dubey and Shivang Kumar. What have you made of their ability to work under pressure? Is that lack of experience really such a big factor, especially in the middle overs? 

They’ve been fantastic so far. Our fielding has been poor against them, so that makes their figures look bad. The team should take it on the chin and keep encouraging them to do what they do. Having faced them in the nets, I can tell you that they may be inexperienced on paper, but they’re definitely experienced in playing the game and know what to do with the plan.

They bowl extremely well. They haven’t really played on wickets that have been spinning too much. They’re just hanging on at the moment, picking up crucial wickets when we need it. I can’t wait till we get to a wicket that just suits them a little bit more, and then people will see the brilliant skill set that they have.

What do you make of Ishan Kishan, the captain, so far? 

He’s been superb so far. He’s a guy who asks for advice. We’ve got a lot of experience in the changing room, so he leans on that as well. But his decision-making, the way he changes the bowler, the way the team listens to him, has been phenomenal so far.

We’re in superb hands and luckily, he’s not an arrogant guy at all, which makes it a lot easier. He’s a really enjoyable captain to play under. There are a lot of jokes in between which helps because this game brings quite a tough environment to play in. He’s been superb and he has had some success in the domestic scene as well. I think his domestic team won a competition recently, so there’s a lot of experience in that aspect.

TraviShek’s wonderful starts – how much of a cushion does that give the team?

It depends on how you see it. Sometimes, when they go at 14 or 15 an over, you feel like the wicket is extremely flat or they make it look flat and you want to keep up with that pace. Sometimes that can put you under pressure a bit. 

Sunrisers Hyderabad's Travis Head bumps fists with Abhishek Sharma.

Sunrisers Hyderabad’s Travis Head bumps fists with Abhishek Sharma. | Photo Credit: REUTERS

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Sunrisers Hyderabad’s Travis Head bumps fists with Abhishek Sharma. | Photo Credit: REUTERS

But having played with them for three seasons now, I do understand that you can play on tempo as well. They give you the luxury to hold on and get yourself in and then go again so that the run rate never really drops below 11 or 12. 

How has your role in this side evolved?

It’s a role that I’ve played my whole life and in my whole career. You have to adapt to those situations and you have to be able to play different roles in the team. My role in the team is to keep on going if TraviShek and Ishan have put the opposition under pressure. But the days that doesn’t happen, I need to make sure we get into a position to defend a total. 

I know that’s my role. I have to play four or five different games, but that’s just what is required to be a professional cricketer at this moment. Every game is going to present different situations. It takes a different set of skills to understand those things and execute plans accordingly. 

You have a great partnership going with Nitish Kumar Reddy. How are you both finding a rhythm in the middle order?

It helps when you play together for a couple of years. You start to understand each other, you understand what makes each other tick. Our communication this season has been incredible. We’ve been taking a lot of pressure off each other, especially from his side. He’s been taking a lot of pressure off me at the start of my innings. So a lot of credit needs to go to Nitish. He’s in form at the moment, so that makes it a lot easier as well to drop and change our plans as we go and to identify the bowlers each of us likes to take down.

He reminds me of playing with David Miller. In your career, you get a few guys you just enjoy batting with. Nitish is extremely quick so when you feel like you’re under pressure a bit, you can always run two or three and make the over a little easier instead of just searching for boundaries. Running between the wickets becomes a crucial part of the game then. I love seeing him grow as well. It’s just been fantastic this season and hopefully we can put on a couple of bigger partnerships.

You have been known as the spin destroyer of SRH. How did that come about for you?

South Africa has some quality spinners and I’ve played a lot of four-day cricket at a stage where my career really needed it. It is a stage where probably all of those spinners played four-day cricket as well.

I’m used to the ball turning away from me. I faced a lot of Tabraiz Shamsi in the nets, who is a quality spinner as well. A lot of training, a lot of hours have been spent experimenting. I’ve been in India for five to six years now. Over the years, I’ve gained some experience. 

Earlier in my career, we went to Sri Lanka, where the ball actually spun quite a bit. We had to figure things out for ourselves and learn new tricks. I’m very blessed to be able to play spin well. It’s always a challenge to keep taking them on because I know they’re looking to get my wicket.

Is it safe to say that you love playing in India against the spinners specifically?

The boundaries here are not the biggest in the world. We’re used to some big boundaries. But the wickets are fantastic, so it’s a nice place to come to. It’s still a big challenge. I know they’re coming for me and they know I’m coming for them. This season, I see that they’ve got a couple of game plans, so I need to get back to doing some good homework against them and finding new ways of scoring against them.

Is there any Indian spinner that you enjoy playing against the most?

It’s an easy answer, Yuzi (Yuzvendra) Chahal. We’ve had a few great battles over the last couple of years. He’s a quality bowler and very clever. I think we’re about 50-50 on winning those battles. He’s a good mate of mine as well, which makes it even better to fight against him on the pitch.

You are going to play against CSK soon, who are struggling this year. The unavailability of Mahendra Singh Dhoni, how big is that an advantage for you guys?

They’ve obviously got an incredible IPL record and they’ve always been a strong side. Not having Dhoni doesn’t make them less of a good side and the players they have currently are unbelievable as well. 

They’re going to get (Dewald) Brevis back. So that’s going to strengthen their middle order. The two openers haven’t really scored anything yet, so they’re due for runs. It’s not going to be an easy game. Hopefully their form continues to struggle a little bit against us so we can really put them under pressure. But they’re always a good side. 

It’s always nice (to) play against them because you want to play against the best sides in the world. Dhoni not being there doesn’t really make a difference, because he’s still in the dugout sharing his experience with the guys. Normally, over the last few seasons, he probably bats the last 10 balls only anyway. So it’s the other guys in the team that you have to worry about more.

What’s the mood in the camp when you face a side like CSK? Does it feel like just another game or does the prospect of facing a team like that brings that extra intensity into the setup?

Look, it’s always fun playing against them and knowing that our owners are also coming from Chennai, they do put an emphasis on that. We need to beat them. There will always be added pressure on that game, but it’s still a good game. All the teams that you have to play in the IPL, you have to be at your best and give your best performance. 

ALSO READ: Adaptability is Currency — PBKS seamer Ben Dwarshuis on surviving the grind in IPL 2026

Hopefully we can get a little bit of momentum going into the next game and then facing Chennai back home. The wicket hopefully will be a little bit better and then if we can, if we can get one over them going into their home ground, I think we should be in a good position to take them down this season.

You haven’t been at your best against CSK. What are the learnings that you have taken from these past battles against CSK and how do you plan to improve your performances against the Men in Yellow?

Chennai is probably not the easiest place to play cricket, especially if you have someone like Jadeja who can bowl at 100 kilometers an hour and the ball spins and just holds a little bit. Luckily he’s not there this season. It’s a completely different team. 

I probably just need to hit the ball a little bit longer and make sure I clear the boundary. I need to give myself enough opportunity to make a bigger impact. I’m not too worried about it, it’s just about finding form and when I do, it’s about just cherishing it and making sure that I hold on to it.

When you face a CSK team without its talismanic skipper Dhoni, does his absence play at the back of your mind?

I think the crowd will be a little bit quieter. Normally when he walks onto the ground, you can’t hear anything around you. So that would be a nice addition to playing them. 

I don’t think he had such a big impact except for his leadership over the last year. He’d normally just face 10 balls and then try to make an impact. But they do have quality additions to their side and we need to make good plans to get them out.

An injured MS Dhoni is seen batting during a practice session in Chennai.

An injured MS Dhoni is seen batting during a practice session in Chennai. | Photo Credit: RAGU R

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An injured MS Dhoni is seen batting during a practice session in Chennai. | Photo Credit: RAGU R

A guy like Brevis is in good form and then you know the two openers got an unbelievable IPL record. We need to make sure that we keep putting them under pressure. When the calm head of Dhoni is not there, it’s an opportunity for us to maybe just put the pedal down and squeeze them a little bit more.

Does the IPL stand out in any way compared to the other leagues?

It’s by far the toughest there is in franchise cricket. I sometimes feel it’s tougher than international cricket. It depends on who you play but the standard of cricket and obviously the conditions play a big part. Every year, you just see a new Indian player coming through who you never knew about. 

The talent just sets the standard so high. It is by far the best competition in the world. There are a couple of tournaments they are striving to reach the same standard. But it’s tough.

Do you have a message for the Sunrisers Hyderabad faithful?

Just be patient. You can’t win a competition in the first week of the IPL. We’re getting everything together and hopefully, we can make it to the playoffs and then we’re going to have an extremely good chance of winning this trophy. I think we’re long due and we’ve got the squad to win a trophy. Keep supporting us and we’re looking forward to producing some good performances.

Published on Apr 08, 2026

#Dont #Dhoni #big #impact #CSK #leadership #year #Klaasen">Don’t think Dhoni had a big impact at CSK except for his leadership over the last year: Klaasen Heinrich Klaasen entered this season of the Indian Premier League carrying a few lingering self-doubts.The South African has been away from the intensity and grind of international cricket for nearly a year, a gap that can unsettle even the most seasoned players in a format as unforgiving as Twenty20.Determined to stay competitive, Klaasen explored new ways to keep himself in rhythm. If the first three matches are any indication, those efforts have paid off handsomely. With 145 runs at a strike rate of 147.95, including two half-centuries, the Sunrisers Hyderabad star has not only found his groove but also shifted the pressure firmly onto the opposition—and then some.In a media interaction facilitated by the JioStar Press Room, Klaasen reflected on his form and that of his team, his dominance against spin, his electric partnership with Nitish Kumar Reddy, and more.Q: Starting the IPL with back-to-back 50s must feel good…A: Unfortunately we’ve lost two games, but on a personal note, it’s been a good start. One of my biggest concerns was not playing as much cricket as I used to. ‘Can I still keep up with the standard that I set myself with?’ It’s been a pretty good start and hopefully this form will continue.How have you adapted to stepping away from international cricket?International cricket is a big miss in my game, but there are small things that I do that just keep me up to the pace of normal cricket speed. I’ve been working with a lady in Cape Town called Sherylle, who’s an eye doctor. We call it an EyeGym. It just helps you make a lot of decisions under pressure and in a certain amount of time. That has been working for me over the last year in making sure that my decision-making and reaction times are good. It’s just that one percent that you have to take a little bit more care of and give yourself a little bit more training right before coming into a competition like this. Normally, you can have a week or two off before you come into a long tournament like this. I just had to change my training schedules and make small tweaks like that to make sure that I get up to speed as quickly as I can.How would you assess Sunrisers Hyderabad’s performances so far?It’s a tough question. I will give us about a six at this moment.We have played some brilliant cricket in parts, but we’re just losing the plot in the crucial phases of the game. We lose it so badly that it just puts us out of the game entirely. If you take the game against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, we lost three wickets in the PowerPlay. Same against Lucknow Super Giants.I honestly do think the bowlers are hanging on exactly as planned. That aspect is doing very well. The rest of the batting unit is doing well. There are a lot of positives. I’ll say about 80 per cent positive.READ: The Space Between: Vyshak Vijaykumar on a journey to find himselfOur fielding in the first two games hasn’t been up to standard at all. In our last game, against LSG, it was better. We’re working on that, and we’re setting a new standard for ourselves to put teams under pressure and make sure we hang on to our catches. But it’s not at the standard that we set for ourselves, as it stands.I’ll give us a six and not go with seven, which is an easy cop out. We want to get to eight and nine to make sure that we get some momentum. There’s no panic in the changing room yet. We’re looking forward to getting on a roll and putting all three compartments of the game together.SRH’s batting lineup is probably the most fearsome in the league. But with Pat Cummins missing, there are some concerns over the bite in the bowling unit, at least on paper. What do you make of it? Our batting has been good so far, but we’ve missed out on about 40 runs over the three games. So there’s still a lot of work to do for our batters. Obviously, if you miss a bowler like Pat Cummins, it’s a loss for any team in any format. Same with (Brydon) Carse. The rest of the bowlers are super experienced, especially our pace department. The wickets have been good in the two games in which we struggled in. We just didn’t execute with the bat like we wanted. It’s easy to say our bowlers don’t have the experience or are under the pump, but in the two games that we’ve lost, the batters left about 20 to 30 runs on the board. Sunrisers Hyderabad’s Pat Cummins during a warm-up session. | Photo Credit: REUTERS Sunrisers Hyderabad’s Pat Cummins during a warm-up session. | Photo Credit: REUTERS We saw it against KKR, we put enough runs on the board… That’s our job. We need to get to that 220-230 mark. That’s why we have set up the team we have now, so we give our bowlers a proper chance at defending.SRH’s spin pool looks relatively inexperienced with players like Harsh Dubey and Shivang Kumar. What have you made of their ability to work under pressure? Is that lack of experience really such a big factor, especially in the middle overs? They’ve been fantastic so far. Our fielding has been poor against them, so that makes their figures look bad. The team should take it on the chin and keep encouraging them to do what they do. Having faced them in the nets, I can tell you that they may be inexperienced on paper, but they’re definitely experienced in playing the game and know what to do with the plan.They bowl extremely well. They haven’t really played on wickets that have been spinning too much. They’re just hanging on at the moment, picking up crucial wickets when we need it. I can’t wait till we get to a wicket that just suits them a little bit more, and then people will see the brilliant skill set that they have.What do you make of Ishan Kishan, the captain, so far? He’s been superb so far. He’s a guy who asks for advice. We’ve got a lot of experience in the changing room, so he leans on that as well. But his decision-making, the way he changes the bowler, the way the team listens to him, has been phenomenal so far.We’re in superb hands and luckily, he’s not an arrogant guy at all, which makes it a lot easier. He’s a really enjoyable captain to play under. There are a lot of jokes in between which helps because this game brings quite a tough environment to play in. He’s been superb and he has had some success in the domestic scene as well. I think his domestic team won a competition recently, so there’s a lot of experience in that aspect.TraviShek’s wonderful starts – how much of a cushion does that give the team?It depends on how you see it. Sometimes, when they go at 14 or 15 an over, you feel like the wicket is extremely flat or they make it look flat and you want to keep up with that pace. Sometimes that can put you under pressure a bit.  Sunrisers Hyderabad’s Travis Head bumps fists with Abhishek Sharma. | Photo Credit: REUTERS Sunrisers Hyderabad’s Travis Head bumps fists with Abhishek Sharma. | Photo Credit: REUTERS But having played with them for three seasons now, I do understand that you can play on tempo as well. They give you the luxury to hold on and get yourself in and then go again so that the run rate never really drops below 11 or 12. How has your role in this side evolved?It’s a role that I’ve played my whole life and in my whole career. You have to adapt to those situations and you have to be able to play different roles in the team. My role in the team is to keep on going if TraviShek and Ishan have put the opposition under pressure. But the days that doesn’t happen, I need to make sure we get into a position to defend a total. I know that’s my role. I have to play four or five different games, but that’s just what is required to be a professional cricketer at this moment. Every game is going to present different situations. It takes a different set of skills to understand those things and execute plans accordingly. You have a great partnership going with Nitish Kumar Reddy. How are you both finding a rhythm in the middle order?It helps when you play together for a couple of years. You start to understand each other, you understand what makes each other tick. Our communication this season has been incredible. We’ve been taking a lot of pressure off each other, especially from his side. He’s been taking a lot of pressure off me at the start of my innings. So a lot of credit needs to go to Nitish. He’s in form at the moment, so that makes it a lot easier as well to drop and change our plans as we go and to identify the bowlers each of us likes to take down.He reminds me of playing with David Miller. In your career, you get a few guys you just enjoy batting with. Nitish is extremely quick so when you feel like you’re under pressure a bit, you can always run two or three and make the over a little easier instead of just searching for boundaries. Running between the wickets becomes a crucial part of the game then. I love seeing him grow as well. It’s just been fantastic this season and hopefully we can put on a couple of bigger partnerships.You have been known as the spin destroyer of SRH. How did that come about for you?South Africa has some quality spinners and I’ve played a lot of four-day cricket at a stage where my career really needed it. It is a stage where probably all of those spinners played four-day cricket as well.I’m used to the ball turning away from me. I faced a lot of Tabraiz Shamsi in the nets, who is a quality spinner as well. A lot of training, a lot of hours have been spent experimenting. I’ve been in India for five to six years now. Over the years, I’ve gained some experience. Earlier in my career, we went to Sri Lanka, where the ball actually spun quite a bit. We had to figure things out for ourselves and learn new tricks. I’m very blessed to be able to play spin well. It’s always a challenge to keep taking them on because I know they’re looking to get my wicket.Is it safe to say that you love playing in India against the spinners specifically?The boundaries here are not the biggest in the world. We’re used to some big boundaries. But the wickets are fantastic, so it’s a nice place to come to. It’s still a big challenge. I know they’re coming for me and they know I’m coming for them. This season, I see that they’ve got a couple of game plans, so I need to get back to doing some good homework against them and finding new ways of scoring against them.Is there any Indian spinner that you enjoy playing against the most?It’s an easy answer, Yuzi (Yuzvendra) Chahal. We’ve had a few great battles over the last couple of years. He’s a quality bowler and very clever. I think we’re about 50-50 on winning those battles. He’s a good mate of mine as well, which makes it even better to fight against him on the pitch.You are going to play against CSK soon, who are struggling this year. The unavailability of Mahendra Singh Dhoni, how big is that an advantage for you guys?They’ve obviously got an incredible IPL record and they’ve always been a strong side. Not having Dhoni doesn’t make them less of a good side and the players they have currently are unbelievable as well. They’re going to get (Dewald) Brevis back. So that’s going to strengthen their middle order. The two openers haven’t really scored anything yet, so they’re due for runs. It’s not going to be an easy game. Hopefully their form continues to struggle a little bit against us so we can really put them under pressure. But they’re always a good side. It’s always nice (to) play against them because you want to play against the best sides in the world. Dhoni not being there doesn’t really make a difference, because he’s still in the dugout sharing his experience with the guys. Normally, over the last few seasons, he probably bats the last 10 balls only anyway. So it’s the other guys in the team that you have to worry about more.What’s the mood in the camp when you face a side like CSK? Does it feel like just another game or does the prospect of facing a team like that brings that extra intensity into the setup?Look, it’s always fun playing against them and knowing that our owners are also coming from Chennai, they do put an emphasis on that. We need to beat them. There will always be added pressure on that game, but it’s still a good game. All the teams that you have to play in the IPL, you have to be at your best and give your best performance. ALSO READ: Adaptability is Currency — PBKS seamer Ben Dwarshuis on surviving the grind in IPL 2026Hopefully we can get a little bit of momentum going into the next game and then facing Chennai back home. The wicket hopefully will be a little bit better and then if we can, if we can get one over them going into their home ground, I think we should be in a good position to take them down this season.You haven’t been at your best against CSK. What are the learnings that you have taken from these past battles against CSK and how do you plan to improve your performances against the Men in Yellow?Chennai is probably not the easiest place to play cricket, especially if you have someone like Jadeja who can bowl at 100 kilometers an hour and the ball spins and just holds a little bit. Luckily he’s not there this season. It’s a completely different team. I probably just need to hit the ball a little bit longer and make sure I clear the boundary. I need to give myself enough opportunity to make a bigger impact. I’m not too worried about it, it’s just about finding form and when I do, it’s about just cherishing it and making sure that I hold on to it.When you face a CSK team without its talismanic skipper Dhoni, does his absence play at the back of your mind?I think the crowd will be a little bit quieter. Normally when he walks onto the ground, you can’t hear anything around you. So that would be a nice addition to playing them. I don’t think he had such a big impact except for his leadership over the last year. He’d normally just face 10 balls and then try to make an impact. But they do have quality additions to their side and we need to make good plans to get them out. An injured MS Dhoni is seen batting during a practice session in Chennai. | Photo Credit: RAGU R An injured MS Dhoni is seen batting during a practice session in Chennai. | Photo Credit: RAGU R A guy like Brevis is in good form and then you know the two openers got an unbelievable IPL record. We need to make sure that we keep putting them under pressure. When the calm head of Dhoni is not there, it’s an opportunity for us to maybe just put the pedal down and squeeze them a little bit more.Does the IPL stand out in any way compared to the other leagues?It’s by far the toughest there is in franchise cricket. I sometimes feel it’s tougher than international cricket. It depends on who you play but the standard of cricket and obviously the conditions play a big part. Every year, you just see a new Indian player coming through who you never knew about. The talent just sets the standard so high. It is by far the best competition in the world. There are a couple of tournaments they are striving to reach the same standard. But it’s tough.Do you have a message for the Sunrisers Hyderabad faithful?Just be patient. You can’t win a competition in the first week of the IPL. We’re getting everything together and hopefully, we can make it to the playoffs and then we’re going to have an extremely good chance of winning this trophy. I think we’re long due and we’ve got the squad to win a trophy. Keep supporting us and we’re looking forward to producing some good performances.Published on Apr 08, 2026 #Dont #Dhoni #big #impact #CSK #leadership #year #Klaasen

The Space Between: Vyshak Vijaykumar on a journey to find himself

Our fielding in the first two games hasn’t been up to standard at all. In our last game, against LSG, it was better. We’re working on that, and we’re setting a new standard for ourselves to put teams under pressure and make sure we hang on to our catches. But it’s not at the standard that we set for ourselves, as it stands.

I’ll give us a six and not go with seven, which is an easy cop out. We want to get to eight and nine to make sure that we get some momentum. There’s no panic in the changing room yet. We’re looking forward to getting on a roll and putting all three compartments of the game together.

SRH’s batting lineup is probably the most fearsome in the league. But with Pat Cummins missing, there are some concerns over the bite in the bowling unit, at least on paper. What do you make of it? 

Our batting has been good so far, but we’ve missed out on about 40 runs over the three games. So there’s still a lot of work to do for our batters. 

Obviously, if you miss a bowler like Pat Cummins, it’s a loss for any team in any format. Same with (Brydon) Carse. The rest of the bowlers are super experienced, especially our pace department. The wickets have been good in the two games in which we struggled in. We just didn’t execute with the bat like we wanted. It’s easy to say our bowlers don’t have the experience or are under the pump, but in the two games that we’ve lost, the batters left about 20 to 30 runs on the board.

Don’t think Dhoni had a big impact at CSK except for his leadership over the last year: Klaasen Heinrich Klaasen entered this season of the Indian Premier League carrying a few lingering self-doubts.The South African has been away from the intensity and grind of international cricket for nearly a year, a gap that can unsettle even the most seasoned players in a format as unforgiving as Twenty20.Determined to stay competitive, Klaasen explored new ways to keep himself in rhythm. If the first three matches are any indication, those efforts have paid off handsomely. With 145 runs at a strike rate of 147.95, including two half-centuries, the Sunrisers Hyderabad star has not only found his groove but also shifted the pressure firmly onto the opposition—and then some.In a media interaction facilitated by the JioStar Press Room, Klaasen reflected on his form and that of his team, his dominance against spin, his electric partnership with Nitish Kumar Reddy, and more.Q: Starting the IPL with back-to-back 50s must feel good…A: Unfortunately we’ve lost two games, but on a personal note, it’s been a good start. One of my biggest concerns was not playing as much cricket as I used to. ‘Can I still keep up with the standard that I set myself with?’ It’s been a pretty good start and hopefully this form will continue.How have you adapted to stepping away from international cricket?International cricket is a big miss in my game, but there are small things that I do that just keep me up to the pace of normal cricket speed. I’ve been working with a lady in Cape Town called Sherylle, who’s an eye doctor. We call it an EyeGym. It just helps you make a lot of decisions under pressure and in a certain amount of time. That has been working for me over the last year in making sure that my decision-making and reaction times are good. It’s just that one percent that you have to take a little bit more care of and give yourself a little bit more training right before coming into a competition like this. Normally, you can have a week or two off before you come into a long tournament like this. I just had to change my training schedules and make small tweaks like that to make sure that I get up to speed as quickly as I can.How would you assess Sunrisers Hyderabad’s performances so far?It’s a tough question. I will give us about a six at this moment.We have played some brilliant cricket in parts, but we’re just losing the plot in the crucial phases of the game. We lose it so badly that it just puts us out of the game entirely. If you take the game against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, we lost three wickets in the PowerPlay. Same against Lucknow Super Giants.I honestly do think the bowlers are hanging on exactly as planned. That aspect is doing very well. The rest of the batting unit is doing well. There are a lot of positives. I’ll say about 80 per cent positive.READ: The Space Between: Vyshak Vijaykumar on a journey to find himselfOur fielding in the first two games hasn’t been up to standard at all. In our last game, against LSG, it was better. We’re working on that, and we’re setting a new standard for ourselves to put teams under pressure and make sure we hang on to our catches. But it’s not at the standard that we set for ourselves, as it stands.I’ll give us a six and not go with seven, which is an easy cop out. We want to get to eight and nine to make sure that we get some momentum. There’s no panic in the changing room yet. We’re looking forward to getting on a roll and putting all three compartments of the game together.SRH’s batting lineup is probably the most fearsome in the league. But with Pat Cummins missing, there are some concerns over the bite in the bowling unit, at least on paper. What do you make of it? Our batting has been good so far, but we’ve missed out on about 40 runs over the three games. So there’s still a lot of work to do for our batters. Obviously, if you miss a bowler like Pat Cummins, it’s a loss for any team in any format. Same with (Brydon) Carse. The rest of the bowlers are super experienced, especially our pace department. The wickets have been good in the two games in which we struggled in. We just didn’t execute with the bat like we wanted. It’s easy to say our bowlers don’t have the experience or are under the pump, but in the two games that we’ve lost, the batters left about 20 to 30 runs on the board. Sunrisers Hyderabad’s Pat Cummins during a warm-up session. | Photo Credit: REUTERS Sunrisers Hyderabad’s Pat Cummins during a warm-up session. | Photo Credit: REUTERS We saw it against KKR, we put enough runs on the board… That’s our job. We need to get to that 220-230 mark. That’s why we have set up the team we have now, so we give our bowlers a proper chance at defending.SRH’s spin pool looks relatively inexperienced with players like Harsh Dubey and Shivang Kumar. What have you made of their ability to work under pressure? Is that lack of experience really such a big factor, especially in the middle overs? They’ve been fantastic so far. Our fielding has been poor against them, so that makes their figures look bad. The team should take it on the chin and keep encouraging them to do what they do. Having faced them in the nets, I can tell you that they may be inexperienced on paper, but they’re definitely experienced in playing the game and know what to do with the plan.They bowl extremely well. They haven’t really played on wickets that have been spinning too much. They’re just hanging on at the moment, picking up crucial wickets when we need it. I can’t wait till we get to a wicket that just suits them a little bit more, and then people will see the brilliant skill set that they have.What do you make of Ishan Kishan, the captain, so far? He’s been superb so far. He’s a guy who asks for advice. We’ve got a lot of experience in the changing room, so he leans on that as well. But his decision-making, the way he changes the bowler, the way the team listens to him, has been phenomenal so far.We’re in superb hands and luckily, he’s not an arrogant guy at all, which makes it a lot easier. He’s a really enjoyable captain to play under. There are a lot of jokes in between which helps because this game brings quite a tough environment to play in. He’s been superb and he has had some success in the domestic scene as well. I think his domestic team won a competition recently, so there’s a lot of experience in that aspect.TraviShek’s wonderful starts – how much of a cushion does that give the team?It depends on how you see it. Sometimes, when they go at 14 or 15 an over, you feel like the wicket is extremely flat or they make it look flat and you want to keep up with that pace. Sometimes that can put you under pressure a bit.  Sunrisers Hyderabad’s Travis Head bumps fists with Abhishek Sharma. | Photo Credit: REUTERS Sunrisers Hyderabad’s Travis Head bumps fists with Abhishek Sharma. | Photo Credit: REUTERS But having played with them for three seasons now, I do understand that you can play on tempo as well. They give you the luxury to hold on and get yourself in and then go again so that the run rate never really drops below 11 or 12. How has your role in this side evolved?It’s a role that I’ve played my whole life and in my whole career. You have to adapt to those situations and you have to be able to play different roles in the team. My role in the team is to keep on going if TraviShek and Ishan have put the opposition under pressure. But the days that doesn’t happen, I need to make sure we get into a position to defend a total. I know that’s my role. I have to play four or five different games, but that’s just what is required to be a professional cricketer at this moment. Every game is going to present different situations. It takes a different set of skills to understand those things and execute plans accordingly. You have a great partnership going with Nitish Kumar Reddy. How are you both finding a rhythm in the middle order?It helps when you play together for a couple of years. You start to understand each other, you understand what makes each other tick. Our communication this season has been incredible. We’ve been taking a lot of pressure off each other, especially from his side. He’s been taking a lot of pressure off me at the start of my innings. So a lot of credit needs to go to Nitish. He’s in form at the moment, so that makes it a lot easier as well to drop and change our plans as we go and to identify the bowlers each of us likes to take down.He reminds me of playing with David Miller. In your career, you get a few guys you just enjoy batting with. Nitish is extremely quick so when you feel like you’re under pressure a bit, you can always run two or three and make the over a little easier instead of just searching for boundaries. Running between the wickets becomes a crucial part of the game then. I love seeing him grow as well. It’s just been fantastic this season and hopefully we can put on a couple of bigger partnerships.You have been known as the spin destroyer of SRH. How did that come about for you?South Africa has some quality spinners and I’ve played a lot of four-day cricket at a stage where my career really needed it. It is a stage where probably all of those spinners played four-day cricket as well.I’m used to the ball turning away from me. I faced a lot of Tabraiz Shamsi in the nets, who is a quality spinner as well. A lot of training, a lot of hours have been spent experimenting. I’ve been in India for five to six years now. Over the years, I’ve gained some experience. Earlier in my career, we went to Sri Lanka, where the ball actually spun quite a bit. We had to figure things out for ourselves and learn new tricks. I’m very blessed to be able to play spin well. It’s always a challenge to keep taking them on because I know they’re looking to get my wicket.Is it safe to say that you love playing in India against the spinners specifically?The boundaries here are not the biggest in the world. We’re used to some big boundaries. But the wickets are fantastic, so it’s a nice place to come to. It’s still a big challenge. I know they’re coming for me and they know I’m coming for them. This season, I see that they’ve got a couple of game plans, so I need to get back to doing some good homework against them and finding new ways of scoring against them.Is there any Indian spinner that you enjoy playing against the most?It’s an easy answer, Yuzi (Yuzvendra) Chahal. We’ve had a few great battles over the last couple of years. He’s a quality bowler and very clever. I think we’re about 50-50 on winning those battles. He’s a good mate of mine as well, which makes it even better to fight against him on the pitch.You are going to play against CSK soon, who are struggling this year. The unavailability of Mahendra Singh Dhoni, how big is that an advantage for you guys?They’ve obviously got an incredible IPL record and they’ve always been a strong side. Not having Dhoni doesn’t make them less of a good side and the players they have currently are unbelievable as well. They’re going to get (Dewald) Brevis back. So that’s going to strengthen their middle order. The two openers haven’t really scored anything yet, so they’re due for runs. It’s not going to be an easy game. Hopefully their form continues to struggle a little bit against us so we can really put them under pressure. But they’re always a good side. It’s always nice (to) play against them because you want to play against the best sides in the world. Dhoni not being there doesn’t really make a difference, because he’s still in the dugout sharing his experience with the guys. Normally, over the last few seasons, he probably bats the last 10 balls only anyway. So it’s the other guys in the team that you have to worry about more.What’s the mood in the camp when you face a side like CSK? Does it feel like just another game or does the prospect of facing a team like that brings that extra intensity into the setup?Look, it’s always fun playing against them and knowing that our owners are also coming from Chennai, they do put an emphasis on that. We need to beat them. There will always be added pressure on that game, but it’s still a good game. All the teams that you have to play in the IPL, you have to be at your best and give your best performance. ALSO READ: Adaptability is Currency — PBKS seamer Ben Dwarshuis on surviving the grind in IPL 2026Hopefully we can get a little bit of momentum going into the next game and then facing Chennai back home. The wicket hopefully will be a little bit better and then if we can, if we can get one over them going into their home ground, I think we should be in a good position to take them down this season.You haven’t been at your best against CSK. What are the learnings that you have taken from these past battles against CSK and how do you plan to improve your performances against the Men in Yellow?Chennai is probably not the easiest place to play cricket, especially if you have someone like Jadeja who can bowl at 100 kilometers an hour and the ball spins and just holds a little bit. Luckily he’s not there this season. It’s a completely different team. I probably just need to hit the ball a little bit longer and make sure I clear the boundary. I need to give myself enough opportunity to make a bigger impact. I’m not too worried about it, it’s just about finding form and when I do, it’s about just cherishing it and making sure that I hold on to it.When you face a CSK team without its talismanic skipper Dhoni, does his absence play at the back of your mind?I think the crowd will be a little bit quieter. Normally when he walks onto the ground, you can’t hear anything around you. So that would be a nice addition to playing them. I don’t think he had such a big impact except for his leadership over the last year. He’d normally just face 10 balls and then try to make an impact. But they do have quality additions to their side and we need to make good plans to get them out. An injured MS Dhoni is seen batting during a practice session in Chennai. | Photo Credit: RAGU R An injured MS Dhoni is seen batting during a practice session in Chennai. | Photo Credit: RAGU R A guy like Brevis is in good form and then you know the two openers got an unbelievable IPL record. We need to make sure that we keep putting them under pressure. When the calm head of Dhoni is not there, it’s an opportunity for us to maybe just put the pedal down and squeeze them a little bit more.Does the IPL stand out in any way compared to the other leagues?It’s by far the toughest there is in franchise cricket. I sometimes feel it’s tougher than international cricket. It depends on who you play but the standard of cricket and obviously the conditions play a big part. Every year, you just see a new Indian player coming through who you never knew about. The talent just sets the standard so high. It is by far the best competition in the world. There are a couple of tournaments they are striving to reach the same standard. But it’s tough.Do you have a message for the Sunrisers Hyderabad faithful?Just be patient. You can’t win a competition in the first week of the IPL. We’re getting everything together and hopefully, we can make it to the playoffs and then we’re going to have an extremely good chance of winning this trophy. I think we’re long due and we’ve got the squad to win a trophy. Keep supporting us and we’re looking forward to producing some good performances.Published on Apr 08, 2026 #Dont #Dhoni #big #impact #CSK #leadership #year #Klaasen

Sunrisers Hyderabad’s Pat Cummins during a warm-up session. | Photo Credit: REUTERS

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Sunrisers Hyderabad’s Pat Cummins during a warm-up session. | Photo Credit: REUTERS

We saw it against KKR, we put enough runs on the board… That’s our job. We need to get to that 220-230 mark. That’s why we have set up the team we have now, so we give our bowlers a proper chance at defending.

SRH’s spin pool looks relatively inexperienced with players like Harsh Dubey and Shivang Kumar. What have you made of their ability to work under pressure? Is that lack of experience really such a big factor, especially in the middle overs? 

They’ve been fantastic so far. Our fielding has been poor against them, so that makes their figures look bad. The team should take it on the chin and keep encouraging them to do what they do. Having faced them in the nets, I can tell you that they may be inexperienced on paper, but they’re definitely experienced in playing the game and know what to do with the plan.

They bowl extremely well. They haven’t really played on wickets that have been spinning too much. They’re just hanging on at the moment, picking up crucial wickets when we need it. I can’t wait till we get to a wicket that just suits them a little bit more, and then people will see the brilliant skill set that they have.

What do you make of Ishan Kishan, the captain, so far? 

He’s been superb so far. He’s a guy who asks for advice. We’ve got a lot of experience in the changing room, so he leans on that as well. But his decision-making, the way he changes the bowler, the way the team listens to him, has been phenomenal so far.

We’re in superb hands and luckily, he’s not an arrogant guy at all, which makes it a lot easier. He’s a really enjoyable captain to play under. There are a lot of jokes in between which helps because this game brings quite a tough environment to play in. He’s been superb and he has had some success in the domestic scene as well. I think his domestic team won a competition recently, so there’s a lot of experience in that aspect.

TraviShek’s wonderful starts – how much of a cushion does that give the team?

It depends on how you see it. Sometimes, when they go at 14 or 15 an over, you feel like the wicket is extremely flat or they make it look flat and you want to keep up with that pace. Sometimes that can put you under pressure a bit. 

Sunrisers Hyderabad's Travis Head bumps fists with Abhishek Sharma.

Sunrisers Hyderabad’s Travis Head bumps fists with Abhishek Sharma. | Photo Credit: REUTERS

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Sunrisers Hyderabad’s Travis Head bumps fists with Abhishek Sharma. | Photo Credit: REUTERS

But having played with them for three seasons now, I do understand that you can play on tempo as well. They give you the luxury to hold on and get yourself in and then go again so that the run rate never really drops below 11 or 12. 

How has your role in this side evolved?

It’s a role that I’ve played my whole life and in my whole career. You have to adapt to those situations and you have to be able to play different roles in the team. My role in the team is to keep on going if TraviShek and Ishan have put the opposition under pressure. But the days that doesn’t happen, I need to make sure we get into a position to defend a total. 

I know that’s my role. I have to play four or five different games, but that’s just what is required to be a professional cricketer at this moment. Every game is going to present different situations. It takes a different set of skills to understand those things and execute plans accordingly. 

You have a great partnership going with Nitish Kumar Reddy. How are you both finding a rhythm in the middle order?

It helps when you play together for a couple of years. You start to understand each other, you understand what makes each other tick. Our communication this season has been incredible. We’ve been taking a lot of pressure off each other, especially from his side. He’s been taking a lot of pressure off me at the start of my innings. So a lot of credit needs to go to Nitish. He’s in form at the moment, so that makes it a lot easier as well to drop and change our plans as we go and to identify the bowlers each of us likes to take down.

He reminds me of playing with David Miller. In your career, you get a few guys you just enjoy batting with. Nitish is extremely quick so when you feel like you’re under pressure a bit, you can always run two or three and make the over a little easier instead of just searching for boundaries. Running between the wickets becomes a crucial part of the game then. I love seeing him grow as well. It’s just been fantastic this season and hopefully we can put on a couple of bigger partnerships.

You have been known as the spin destroyer of SRH. How did that come about for you?

South Africa has some quality spinners and I’ve played a lot of four-day cricket at a stage where my career really needed it. It is a stage where probably all of those spinners played four-day cricket as well.

I’m used to the ball turning away from me. I faced a lot of Tabraiz Shamsi in the nets, who is a quality spinner as well. A lot of training, a lot of hours have been spent experimenting. I’ve been in India for five to six years now. Over the years, I’ve gained some experience. 

Earlier in my career, we went to Sri Lanka, where the ball actually spun quite a bit. We had to figure things out for ourselves and learn new tricks. I’m very blessed to be able to play spin well. It’s always a challenge to keep taking them on because I know they’re looking to get my wicket.

Is it safe to say that you love playing in India against the spinners specifically?

The boundaries here are not the biggest in the world. We’re used to some big boundaries. But the wickets are fantastic, so it’s a nice place to come to. It’s still a big challenge. I know they’re coming for me and they know I’m coming for them. This season, I see that they’ve got a couple of game plans, so I need to get back to doing some good homework against them and finding new ways of scoring against them.

Is there any Indian spinner that you enjoy playing against the most?

It’s an easy answer, Yuzi (Yuzvendra) Chahal. We’ve had a few great battles over the last couple of years. He’s a quality bowler and very clever. I think we’re about 50-50 on winning those battles. He’s a good mate of mine as well, which makes it even better to fight against him on the pitch.

You are going to play against CSK soon, who are struggling this year. The unavailability of Mahendra Singh Dhoni, how big is that an advantage for you guys?

They’ve obviously got an incredible IPL record and they’ve always been a strong side. Not having Dhoni doesn’t make them less of a good side and the players they have currently are unbelievable as well. 

They’re going to get (Dewald) Brevis back. So that’s going to strengthen their middle order. The two openers haven’t really scored anything yet, so they’re due for runs. It’s not going to be an easy game. Hopefully their form continues to struggle a little bit against us so we can really put them under pressure. But they’re always a good side. 

It’s always nice (to) play against them because you want to play against the best sides in the world. Dhoni not being there doesn’t really make a difference, because he’s still in the dugout sharing his experience with the guys. Normally, over the last few seasons, he probably bats the last 10 balls only anyway. So it’s the other guys in the team that you have to worry about more.

What’s the mood in the camp when you face a side like CSK? Does it feel like just another game or does the prospect of facing a team like that brings that extra intensity into the setup?

Look, it’s always fun playing against them and knowing that our owners are also coming from Chennai, they do put an emphasis on that. We need to beat them. There will always be added pressure on that game, but it’s still a good game. All the teams that you have to play in the IPL, you have to be at your best and give your best performance. 

ALSO READ: Adaptability is Currency — PBKS seamer Ben Dwarshuis on surviving the grind in IPL 2026

Hopefully we can get a little bit of momentum going into the next game and then facing Chennai back home. The wicket hopefully will be a little bit better and then if we can, if we can get one over them going into their home ground, I think we should be in a good position to take them down this season.

You haven’t been at your best against CSK. What are the learnings that you have taken from these past battles against CSK and how do you plan to improve your performances against the Men in Yellow?

Chennai is probably not the easiest place to play cricket, especially if you have someone like Jadeja who can bowl at 100 kilometers an hour and the ball spins and just holds a little bit. Luckily he’s not there this season. It’s a completely different team. 

I probably just need to hit the ball a little bit longer and make sure I clear the boundary. I need to give myself enough opportunity to make a bigger impact. I’m not too worried about it, it’s just about finding form and when I do, it’s about just cherishing it and making sure that I hold on to it.

When you face a CSK team without its talismanic skipper Dhoni, does his absence play at the back of your mind?

I think the crowd will be a little bit quieter. Normally when he walks onto the ground, you can’t hear anything around you. So that would be a nice addition to playing them. 

I don’t think he had such a big impact except for his leadership over the last year. He’d normally just face 10 balls and then try to make an impact. But they do have quality additions to their side and we need to make good plans to get them out.

An injured MS Dhoni is seen batting during a practice session in Chennai.

An injured MS Dhoni is seen batting during a practice session in Chennai. | Photo Credit: RAGU R

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An injured MS Dhoni is seen batting during a practice session in Chennai. | Photo Credit: RAGU R

A guy like Brevis is in good form and then you know the two openers got an unbelievable IPL record. We need to make sure that we keep putting them under pressure. When the calm head of Dhoni is not there, it’s an opportunity for us to maybe just put the pedal down and squeeze them a little bit more.

Does the IPL stand out in any way compared to the other leagues?

It’s by far the toughest there is in franchise cricket. I sometimes feel it’s tougher than international cricket. It depends on who you play but the standard of cricket and obviously the conditions play a big part. Every year, you just see a new Indian player coming through who you never knew about. 

The talent just sets the standard so high. It is by far the best competition in the world. There are a couple of tournaments they are striving to reach the same standard. But it’s tough.

Do you have a message for the Sunrisers Hyderabad faithful?

Just be patient. You can’t win a competition in the first week of the IPL. We’re getting everything together and hopefully, we can make it to the playoffs and then we’re going to have an extremely good chance of winning this trophy. I think we’re long due and we’ve got the squad to win a trophy. Keep supporting us and we’re looking forward to producing some good performances.

Published on Apr 08, 2026

#Dont #Dhoni #big #impact #CSK #leadership #year #Klaasen">Don’t think Dhoni had a big impact at CSK except for his leadership over the last year: Klaasen

Heinrich Klaasen entered this season of the Indian Premier League carrying a few lingering self-doubts.

The South African has been away from the intensity and grind of international cricket for nearly a year, a gap that can unsettle even the most seasoned players in a format as unforgiving as Twenty20.

Determined to stay competitive, Klaasen explored new ways to keep himself in rhythm. If the first three matches are any indication, those efforts have paid off handsomely. With 145 runs at a strike rate of 147.95, including two half-centuries, the Sunrisers Hyderabad star has not only found his groove but also shifted the pressure firmly onto the opposition—and then some.

In a media interaction facilitated by the JioStar Press Room, Klaasen reflected on his form and that of his team, his dominance against spin, his electric partnership with Nitish Kumar Reddy, and more.

Q: Starting the IPL with back-to-back 50s must feel good…

A: Unfortunately we’ve lost two games, but on a personal note, it’s been a good start. One of my biggest concerns was not playing as much cricket as I used to. ‘Can I still keep up with the standard that I set myself with?’ It’s been a pretty good start and hopefully this form will continue.

How have you adapted to stepping away from international cricket?

International cricket is a big miss in my game, but there are small things that I do that just keep me up to the pace of normal cricket speed. I’ve been working with a lady in Cape Town called Sherylle, who’s an eye doctor. We call it an EyeGym. It just helps you make a lot of decisions under pressure and in a certain amount of time. That has been working for me over the last year in making sure that my decision-making and reaction times are good. 

It’s just that one percent that you have to take a little bit more care of and give yourself a little bit more training right before coming into a competition like this. Normally, you can have a week or two off before you come into a long tournament like this. I just had to change my training schedules and make small tweaks like that to make sure that I get up to speed as quickly as I can.

How would you assess Sunrisers Hyderabad’s performances so far?

It’s a tough question. I will give us about a six at this moment.

We have played some brilliant cricket in parts, but we’re just losing the plot in the crucial phases of the game. We lose it so badly that it just puts us out of the game entirely. If you take the game against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, we lost three wickets in the PowerPlay. Same against Lucknow Super Giants.

I honestly do think the bowlers are hanging on exactly as planned. That aspect is doing very well. The rest of the batting unit is doing well. There are a lot of positives. I’ll say about 80 per cent positive.

READ: The Space Between: Vyshak Vijaykumar on a journey to find himself

Our fielding in the first two games hasn’t been up to standard at all. In our last game, against LSG, it was better. We’re working on that, and we’re setting a new standard for ourselves to put teams under pressure and make sure we hang on to our catches. But it’s not at the standard that we set for ourselves, as it stands.

I’ll give us a six and not go with seven, which is an easy cop out. We want to get to eight and nine to make sure that we get some momentum. There’s no panic in the changing room yet. We’re looking forward to getting on a roll and putting all three compartments of the game together.

SRH’s batting lineup is probably the most fearsome in the league. But with Pat Cummins missing, there are some concerns over the bite in the bowling unit, at least on paper. What do you make of it? 

Our batting has been good so far, but we’ve missed out on about 40 runs over the three games. So there’s still a lot of work to do for our batters. 

Obviously, if you miss a bowler like Pat Cummins, it’s a loss for any team in any format. Same with (Brydon) Carse. The rest of the bowlers are super experienced, especially our pace department. The wickets have been good in the two games in which we struggled in. We just didn’t execute with the bat like we wanted. It’s easy to say our bowlers don’t have the experience or are under the pump, but in the two games that we’ve lost, the batters left about 20 to 30 runs on the board.

Don’t think Dhoni had a big impact at CSK except for his leadership over the last year: Klaasen Heinrich Klaasen entered this season of the Indian Premier League carrying a few lingering self-doubts.The South African has been away from the intensity and grind of international cricket for nearly a year, a gap that can unsettle even the most seasoned players in a format as unforgiving as Twenty20.Determined to stay competitive, Klaasen explored new ways to keep himself in rhythm. If the first three matches are any indication, those efforts have paid off handsomely. With 145 runs at a strike rate of 147.95, including two half-centuries, the Sunrisers Hyderabad star has not only found his groove but also shifted the pressure firmly onto the opposition—and then some.In a media interaction facilitated by the JioStar Press Room, Klaasen reflected on his form and that of his team, his dominance against spin, his electric partnership with Nitish Kumar Reddy, and more.Q: Starting the IPL with back-to-back 50s must feel good…A: Unfortunately we’ve lost two games, but on a personal note, it’s been a good start. One of my biggest concerns was not playing as much cricket as I used to. ‘Can I still keep up with the standard that I set myself with?’ It’s been a pretty good start and hopefully this form will continue.How have you adapted to stepping away from international cricket?International cricket is a big miss in my game, but there are small things that I do that just keep me up to the pace of normal cricket speed. I’ve been working with a lady in Cape Town called Sherylle, who’s an eye doctor. We call it an EyeGym. It just helps you make a lot of decisions under pressure and in a certain amount of time. That has been working for me over the last year in making sure that my decision-making and reaction times are good. It’s just that one percent that you have to take a little bit more care of and give yourself a little bit more training right before coming into a competition like this. Normally, you can have a week or two off before you come into a long tournament like this. I just had to change my training schedules and make small tweaks like that to make sure that I get up to speed as quickly as I can.How would you assess Sunrisers Hyderabad’s performances so far?It’s a tough question. I will give us about a six at this moment.We have played some brilliant cricket in parts, but we’re just losing the plot in the crucial phases of the game. We lose it so badly that it just puts us out of the game entirely. If you take the game against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, we lost three wickets in the PowerPlay. Same against Lucknow Super Giants.I honestly do think the bowlers are hanging on exactly as planned. That aspect is doing very well. The rest of the batting unit is doing well. There are a lot of positives. I’ll say about 80 per cent positive.READ: The Space Between: Vyshak Vijaykumar on a journey to find himselfOur fielding in the first two games hasn’t been up to standard at all. In our last game, against LSG, it was better. We’re working on that, and we’re setting a new standard for ourselves to put teams under pressure and make sure we hang on to our catches. But it’s not at the standard that we set for ourselves, as it stands.I’ll give us a six and not go with seven, which is an easy cop out. We want to get to eight and nine to make sure that we get some momentum. There’s no panic in the changing room yet. We’re looking forward to getting on a roll and putting all three compartments of the game together.SRH’s batting lineup is probably the most fearsome in the league. But with Pat Cummins missing, there are some concerns over the bite in the bowling unit, at least on paper. What do you make of it? Our batting has been good so far, but we’ve missed out on about 40 runs over the three games. So there’s still a lot of work to do for our batters. Obviously, if you miss a bowler like Pat Cummins, it’s a loss for any team in any format. Same with (Brydon) Carse. The rest of the bowlers are super experienced, especially our pace department. The wickets have been good in the two games in which we struggled in. We just didn’t execute with the bat like we wanted. It’s easy to say our bowlers don’t have the experience or are under the pump, but in the two games that we’ve lost, the batters left about 20 to 30 runs on the board. Sunrisers Hyderabad’s Pat Cummins during a warm-up session. | Photo Credit: REUTERS Sunrisers Hyderabad’s Pat Cummins during a warm-up session. | Photo Credit: REUTERS We saw it against KKR, we put enough runs on the board… That’s our job. We need to get to that 220-230 mark. That’s why we have set up the team we have now, so we give our bowlers a proper chance at defending.SRH’s spin pool looks relatively inexperienced with players like Harsh Dubey and Shivang Kumar. What have you made of their ability to work under pressure? Is that lack of experience really such a big factor, especially in the middle overs? They’ve been fantastic so far. Our fielding has been poor against them, so that makes their figures look bad. The team should take it on the chin and keep encouraging them to do what they do. Having faced them in the nets, I can tell you that they may be inexperienced on paper, but they’re definitely experienced in playing the game and know what to do with the plan.They bowl extremely well. They haven’t really played on wickets that have been spinning too much. They’re just hanging on at the moment, picking up crucial wickets when we need it. I can’t wait till we get to a wicket that just suits them a little bit more, and then people will see the brilliant skill set that they have.What do you make of Ishan Kishan, the captain, so far? He’s been superb so far. He’s a guy who asks for advice. We’ve got a lot of experience in the changing room, so he leans on that as well. But his decision-making, the way he changes the bowler, the way the team listens to him, has been phenomenal so far.We’re in superb hands and luckily, he’s not an arrogant guy at all, which makes it a lot easier. He’s a really enjoyable captain to play under. There are a lot of jokes in between which helps because this game brings quite a tough environment to play in. He’s been superb and he has had some success in the domestic scene as well. I think his domestic team won a competition recently, so there’s a lot of experience in that aspect.TraviShek’s wonderful starts – how much of a cushion does that give the team?It depends on how you see it. Sometimes, when they go at 14 or 15 an over, you feel like the wicket is extremely flat or they make it look flat and you want to keep up with that pace. Sometimes that can put you under pressure a bit.  Sunrisers Hyderabad’s Travis Head bumps fists with Abhishek Sharma. | Photo Credit: REUTERS Sunrisers Hyderabad’s Travis Head bumps fists with Abhishek Sharma. | Photo Credit: REUTERS But having played with them for three seasons now, I do understand that you can play on tempo as well. They give you the luxury to hold on and get yourself in and then go again so that the run rate never really drops below 11 or 12. How has your role in this side evolved?It’s a role that I’ve played my whole life and in my whole career. You have to adapt to those situations and you have to be able to play different roles in the team. My role in the team is to keep on going if TraviShek and Ishan have put the opposition under pressure. But the days that doesn’t happen, I need to make sure we get into a position to defend a total. I know that’s my role. I have to play four or five different games, but that’s just what is required to be a professional cricketer at this moment. Every game is going to present different situations. It takes a different set of skills to understand those things and execute plans accordingly. You have a great partnership going with Nitish Kumar Reddy. How are you both finding a rhythm in the middle order?It helps when you play together for a couple of years. You start to understand each other, you understand what makes each other tick. Our communication this season has been incredible. We’ve been taking a lot of pressure off each other, especially from his side. He’s been taking a lot of pressure off me at the start of my innings. So a lot of credit needs to go to Nitish. He’s in form at the moment, so that makes it a lot easier as well to drop and change our plans as we go and to identify the bowlers each of us likes to take down.He reminds me of playing with David Miller. In your career, you get a few guys you just enjoy batting with. Nitish is extremely quick so when you feel like you’re under pressure a bit, you can always run two or three and make the over a little easier instead of just searching for boundaries. Running between the wickets becomes a crucial part of the game then. I love seeing him grow as well. It’s just been fantastic this season and hopefully we can put on a couple of bigger partnerships.You have been known as the spin destroyer of SRH. How did that come about for you?South Africa has some quality spinners and I’ve played a lot of four-day cricket at a stage where my career really needed it. It is a stage where probably all of those spinners played four-day cricket as well.I’m used to the ball turning away from me. I faced a lot of Tabraiz Shamsi in the nets, who is a quality spinner as well. A lot of training, a lot of hours have been spent experimenting. I’ve been in India for five to six years now. Over the years, I’ve gained some experience. Earlier in my career, we went to Sri Lanka, where the ball actually spun quite a bit. We had to figure things out for ourselves and learn new tricks. I’m very blessed to be able to play spin well. It’s always a challenge to keep taking them on because I know they’re looking to get my wicket.Is it safe to say that you love playing in India against the spinners specifically?The boundaries here are not the biggest in the world. We’re used to some big boundaries. But the wickets are fantastic, so it’s a nice place to come to. It’s still a big challenge. I know they’re coming for me and they know I’m coming for them. This season, I see that they’ve got a couple of game plans, so I need to get back to doing some good homework against them and finding new ways of scoring against them.Is there any Indian spinner that you enjoy playing against the most?It’s an easy answer, Yuzi (Yuzvendra) Chahal. We’ve had a few great battles over the last couple of years. He’s a quality bowler and very clever. I think we’re about 50-50 on winning those battles. He’s a good mate of mine as well, which makes it even better to fight against him on the pitch.You are going to play against CSK soon, who are struggling this year. The unavailability of Mahendra Singh Dhoni, how big is that an advantage for you guys?They’ve obviously got an incredible IPL record and they’ve always been a strong side. Not having Dhoni doesn’t make them less of a good side and the players they have currently are unbelievable as well. They’re going to get (Dewald) Brevis back. So that’s going to strengthen their middle order. The two openers haven’t really scored anything yet, so they’re due for runs. It’s not going to be an easy game. Hopefully their form continues to struggle a little bit against us so we can really put them under pressure. But they’re always a good side. It’s always nice (to) play against them because you want to play against the best sides in the world. Dhoni not being there doesn’t really make a difference, because he’s still in the dugout sharing his experience with the guys. Normally, over the last few seasons, he probably bats the last 10 balls only anyway. So it’s the other guys in the team that you have to worry about more.What’s the mood in the camp when you face a side like CSK? Does it feel like just another game or does the prospect of facing a team like that brings that extra intensity into the setup?Look, it’s always fun playing against them and knowing that our owners are also coming from Chennai, they do put an emphasis on that. We need to beat them. There will always be added pressure on that game, but it’s still a good game. All the teams that you have to play in the IPL, you have to be at your best and give your best performance. ALSO READ: Adaptability is Currency — PBKS seamer Ben Dwarshuis on surviving the grind in IPL 2026Hopefully we can get a little bit of momentum going into the next game and then facing Chennai back home. The wicket hopefully will be a little bit better and then if we can, if we can get one over them going into their home ground, I think we should be in a good position to take them down this season.You haven’t been at your best against CSK. What are the learnings that you have taken from these past battles against CSK and how do you plan to improve your performances against the Men in Yellow?Chennai is probably not the easiest place to play cricket, especially if you have someone like Jadeja who can bowl at 100 kilometers an hour and the ball spins and just holds a little bit. Luckily he’s not there this season. It’s a completely different team. I probably just need to hit the ball a little bit longer and make sure I clear the boundary. I need to give myself enough opportunity to make a bigger impact. I’m not too worried about it, it’s just about finding form and when I do, it’s about just cherishing it and making sure that I hold on to it.When you face a CSK team without its talismanic skipper Dhoni, does his absence play at the back of your mind?I think the crowd will be a little bit quieter. Normally when he walks onto the ground, you can’t hear anything around you. So that would be a nice addition to playing them. I don’t think he had such a big impact except for his leadership over the last year. He’d normally just face 10 balls and then try to make an impact. But they do have quality additions to their side and we need to make good plans to get them out. An injured MS Dhoni is seen batting during a practice session in Chennai. | Photo Credit: RAGU R An injured MS Dhoni is seen batting during a practice session in Chennai. | Photo Credit: RAGU R A guy like Brevis is in good form and then you know the two openers got an unbelievable IPL record. We need to make sure that we keep putting them under pressure. When the calm head of Dhoni is not there, it’s an opportunity for us to maybe just put the pedal down and squeeze them a little bit more.Does the IPL stand out in any way compared to the other leagues?It’s by far the toughest there is in franchise cricket. I sometimes feel it’s tougher than international cricket. It depends on who you play but the standard of cricket and obviously the conditions play a big part. Every year, you just see a new Indian player coming through who you never knew about. The talent just sets the standard so high. It is by far the best competition in the world. There are a couple of tournaments they are striving to reach the same standard. But it’s tough.Do you have a message for the Sunrisers Hyderabad faithful?Just be patient. You can’t win a competition in the first week of the IPL. We’re getting everything together and hopefully, we can make it to the playoffs and then we’re going to have an extremely good chance of winning this trophy. I think we’re long due and we’ve got the squad to win a trophy. Keep supporting us and we’re looking forward to producing some good performances.Published on Apr 08, 2026 #Dont #Dhoni #big #impact #CSK #leadership #year #Klaasen

Sunrisers Hyderabad’s Pat Cummins during a warm-up session. | Photo Credit: REUTERS

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Sunrisers Hyderabad’s Pat Cummins during a warm-up session. | Photo Credit: REUTERS

We saw it against KKR, we put enough runs on the board… That’s our job. We need to get to that 220-230 mark. That’s why we have set up the team we have now, so we give our bowlers a proper chance at defending.

SRH’s spin pool looks relatively inexperienced with players like Harsh Dubey and Shivang Kumar. What have you made of their ability to work under pressure? Is that lack of experience really such a big factor, especially in the middle overs? 

They’ve been fantastic so far. Our fielding has been poor against them, so that makes their figures look bad. The team should take it on the chin and keep encouraging them to do what they do. Having faced them in the nets, I can tell you that they may be inexperienced on paper, but they’re definitely experienced in playing the game and know what to do with the plan.

They bowl extremely well. They haven’t really played on wickets that have been spinning too much. They’re just hanging on at the moment, picking up crucial wickets when we need it. I can’t wait till we get to a wicket that just suits them a little bit more, and then people will see the brilliant skill set that they have.

What do you make of Ishan Kishan, the captain, so far? 

He’s been superb so far. He’s a guy who asks for advice. We’ve got a lot of experience in the changing room, so he leans on that as well. But his decision-making, the way he changes the bowler, the way the team listens to him, has been phenomenal so far.

We’re in superb hands and luckily, he’s not an arrogant guy at all, which makes it a lot easier. He’s a really enjoyable captain to play under. There are a lot of jokes in between which helps because this game brings quite a tough environment to play in. He’s been superb and he has had some success in the domestic scene as well. I think his domestic team won a competition recently, so there’s a lot of experience in that aspect.

TraviShek’s wonderful starts – how much of a cushion does that give the team?

It depends on how you see it. Sometimes, when they go at 14 or 15 an over, you feel like the wicket is extremely flat or they make it look flat and you want to keep up with that pace. Sometimes that can put you under pressure a bit. 

Sunrisers Hyderabad's Travis Head bumps fists with Abhishek Sharma.

Sunrisers Hyderabad’s Travis Head bumps fists with Abhishek Sharma. | Photo Credit: REUTERS

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Sunrisers Hyderabad’s Travis Head bumps fists with Abhishek Sharma. | Photo Credit: REUTERS

But having played with them for three seasons now, I do understand that you can play on tempo as well. They give you the luxury to hold on and get yourself in and then go again so that the run rate never really drops below 11 or 12. 

How has your role in this side evolved?

It’s a role that I’ve played my whole life and in my whole career. You have to adapt to those situations and you have to be able to play different roles in the team. My role in the team is to keep on going if TraviShek and Ishan have put the opposition under pressure. But the days that doesn’t happen, I need to make sure we get into a position to defend a total. 

I know that’s my role. I have to play four or five different games, but that’s just what is required to be a professional cricketer at this moment. Every game is going to present different situations. It takes a different set of skills to understand those things and execute plans accordingly. 

You have a great partnership going with Nitish Kumar Reddy. How are you both finding a rhythm in the middle order?

It helps when you play together for a couple of years. You start to understand each other, you understand what makes each other tick. Our communication this season has been incredible. We’ve been taking a lot of pressure off each other, especially from his side. He’s been taking a lot of pressure off me at the start of my innings. So a lot of credit needs to go to Nitish. He’s in form at the moment, so that makes it a lot easier as well to drop and change our plans as we go and to identify the bowlers each of us likes to take down.

He reminds me of playing with David Miller. In your career, you get a few guys you just enjoy batting with. Nitish is extremely quick so when you feel like you’re under pressure a bit, you can always run two or three and make the over a little easier instead of just searching for boundaries. Running between the wickets becomes a crucial part of the game then. I love seeing him grow as well. It’s just been fantastic this season and hopefully we can put on a couple of bigger partnerships.

You have been known as the spin destroyer of SRH. How did that come about for you?

South Africa has some quality spinners and I’ve played a lot of four-day cricket at a stage where my career really needed it. It is a stage where probably all of those spinners played four-day cricket as well.

I’m used to the ball turning away from me. I faced a lot of Tabraiz Shamsi in the nets, who is a quality spinner as well. A lot of training, a lot of hours have been spent experimenting. I’ve been in India for five to six years now. Over the years, I’ve gained some experience. 

Earlier in my career, we went to Sri Lanka, where the ball actually spun quite a bit. We had to figure things out for ourselves and learn new tricks. I’m very blessed to be able to play spin well. It’s always a challenge to keep taking them on because I know they’re looking to get my wicket.

Is it safe to say that you love playing in India against the spinners specifically?

The boundaries here are not the biggest in the world. We’re used to some big boundaries. But the wickets are fantastic, so it’s a nice place to come to. It’s still a big challenge. I know they’re coming for me and they know I’m coming for them. This season, I see that they’ve got a couple of game plans, so I need to get back to doing some good homework against them and finding new ways of scoring against them.

Is there any Indian spinner that you enjoy playing against the most?

It’s an easy answer, Yuzi (Yuzvendra) Chahal. We’ve had a few great battles over the last couple of years. He’s a quality bowler and very clever. I think we’re about 50-50 on winning those battles. He’s a good mate of mine as well, which makes it even better to fight against him on the pitch.

You are going to play against CSK soon, who are struggling this year. The unavailability of Mahendra Singh Dhoni, how big is that an advantage for you guys?

They’ve obviously got an incredible IPL record and they’ve always been a strong side. Not having Dhoni doesn’t make them less of a good side and the players they have currently are unbelievable as well. 

They’re going to get (Dewald) Brevis back. So that’s going to strengthen their middle order. The two openers haven’t really scored anything yet, so they’re due for runs. It’s not going to be an easy game. Hopefully their form continues to struggle a little bit against us so we can really put them under pressure. But they’re always a good side. 

It’s always nice (to) play against them because you want to play against the best sides in the world. Dhoni not being there doesn’t really make a difference, because he’s still in the dugout sharing his experience with the guys. Normally, over the last few seasons, he probably bats the last 10 balls only anyway. So it’s the other guys in the team that you have to worry about more.

What’s the mood in the camp when you face a side like CSK? Does it feel like just another game or does the prospect of facing a team like that brings that extra intensity into the setup?

Look, it’s always fun playing against them and knowing that our owners are also coming from Chennai, they do put an emphasis on that. We need to beat them. There will always be added pressure on that game, but it’s still a good game. All the teams that you have to play in the IPL, you have to be at your best and give your best performance. 

ALSO READ: Adaptability is Currency — PBKS seamer Ben Dwarshuis on surviving the grind in IPL 2026

Hopefully we can get a little bit of momentum going into the next game and then facing Chennai back home. The wicket hopefully will be a little bit better and then if we can, if we can get one over them going into their home ground, I think we should be in a good position to take them down this season.

You haven’t been at your best against CSK. What are the learnings that you have taken from these past battles against CSK and how do you plan to improve your performances against the Men in Yellow?

Chennai is probably not the easiest place to play cricket, especially if you have someone like Jadeja who can bowl at 100 kilometers an hour and the ball spins and just holds a little bit. Luckily he’s not there this season. It’s a completely different team. 

I probably just need to hit the ball a little bit longer and make sure I clear the boundary. I need to give myself enough opportunity to make a bigger impact. I’m not too worried about it, it’s just about finding form and when I do, it’s about just cherishing it and making sure that I hold on to it.

When you face a CSK team without its talismanic skipper Dhoni, does his absence play at the back of your mind?

I think the crowd will be a little bit quieter. Normally when he walks onto the ground, you can’t hear anything around you. So that would be a nice addition to playing them. 

I don’t think he had such a big impact except for his leadership over the last year. He’d normally just face 10 balls and then try to make an impact. But they do have quality additions to their side and we need to make good plans to get them out.

An injured MS Dhoni is seen batting during a practice session in Chennai.

An injured MS Dhoni is seen batting during a practice session in Chennai. | Photo Credit: RAGU R

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An injured MS Dhoni is seen batting during a practice session in Chennai. | Photo Credit: RAGU R

A guy like Brevis is in good form and then you know the two openers got an unbelievable IPL record. We need to make sure that we keep putting them under pressure. When the calm head of Dhoni is not there, it’s an opportunity for us to maybe just put the pedal down and squeeze them a little bit more.

Does the IPL stand out in any way compared to the other leagues?

It’s by far the toughest there is in franchise cricket. I sometimes feel it’s tougher than international cricket. It depends on who you play but the standard of cricket and obviously the conditions play a big part. Every year, you just see a new Indian player coming through who you never knew about. 

The talent just sets the standard so high. It is by far the best competition in the world. There are a couple of tournaments they are striving to reach the same standard. But it’s tough.

Do you have a message for the Sunrisers Hyderabad faithful?

Just be patient. You can’t win a competition in the first week of the IPL. We’re getting everything together and hopefully, we can make it to the playoffs and then we’re going to have an extremely good chance of winning this trophy. I think we’re long due and we’ve got the squad to win a trophy. Keep supporting us and we’re looking forward to producing some good performances.

Published on Apr 08, 2026

#Dont #Dhoni #big #impact #CSK #leadership #year #Klaasen
Deadspin | Timberwolves get off schneid with 124-104 win over Pacers Apr 7, 2026; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves guard Donte DiVincenzo (0) passes the ball while Indiana Pacers forward Obi Toppin (1) defends in the first half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images Ayo Dosunmu scored 24 points as the Minnesota Timberwolves snapped a three-game losing streak with a 124-104 win over the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday in Indianapolis. Julius Randle and Bones Hyland added 19 apiece and Naz Reid contributed 17 for Minnesota (47-32), which strengthened its hold on sixth place in the Western Conference. A loss by the Phoenix Suns later Tuesday would guarantee the Wolves clinch a playoff spot and avoid the play-in. Rookie Ethan Thompson posted 17 points for the Pacers (18-61), who suffered their third straight defeat. Obi Toppin and Jalen Slawson both had 14 points. Indiana’s season-long injury crisis continued when forward Kobe Brown, who was in the starting five, was unable to play after halftime with lower back soreness. The Pacers jumped ahead 7-3 before the Timberwolves turned the tables with a 26-7 tear to take control of the contest for good. Minnesota instigated its fightback from the perimeter, going 6 of 9 from deep for the quarter — led by Randle and Donte DiVincenzo — to lead 35-27 after one. Toppin helped Indiana close the gap to 58-53, but turnovers continued to be a big problem. The Pacers coughed up the ball 10 times in the second period, and 16 for the first half for 21 points conceded, to trail 63-53 at the break. Veteran Mike Conley was active as the Wolves pressed home their advantage with a 15-3 run either side of the halftime interval. Conley finished the game with eight points, three assists and three steals. Dosunmu had 11 points in the third period, during which Minnesota shot 15 of 23 for a 39-24 quarter to lead 102-77 with one to play. The Timberwolves’ advantage grew to 116-85 when DiVincenzo buried his third three, capitalizing on another Indiana turnover. DiVincenzo and Jaylen Clark each posted 11 points for Minnesota. –Field Level Media #Deadspin #Timberwolves #schneid #win #PacersApr 7, 2026; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves guard Donte DiVincenzo (0) passes the ball while Indiana Pacers forward Obi Toppin (1) defends in the first half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Ayo Dosunmu scored 24 points as the Minnesota Timberwolves snapped a three-game losing streak with a 124-104 win over the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday in Indianapolis.

Julius Randle and Bones Hyland added 19 apiece and Naz Reid contributed 17 for Minnesota (47-32), which strengthened its hold on sixth place in the Western Conference. A loss by the Phoenix Suns later Tuesday would guarantee the Wolves clinch a playoff spot and avoid the play-in.

Rookie Ethan Thompson posted 17 points for the Pacers (18-61), who suffered their third straight defeat. Obi Toppin and Jalen Slawson both had 14 points.

Indiana’s season-long injury crisis continued when forward Kobe Brown, who was in the starting five, was unable to play after halftime with lower back soreness.

The Pacers jumped ahead 7-3 before the Timberwolves turned the tables with a 26-7 tear to take control of the contest for good.


Minnesota instigated its fightback from the perimeter, going 6 of 9 from deep for the quarter — led by Randle and Donte DiVincenzo — to lead 35-27 after one.

Toppin helped Indiana close the gap to 58-53, but turnovers continued to be a big problem.

The Pacers coughed up the ball 10 times in the second period, and 16 for the first half for 21 points conceded, to trail 63-53 at the break.

Veteran Mike Conley was active as the Wolves pressed home their advantage with a 15-3 run either side of the halftime interval. Conley finished the game with eight points, three assists and three steals.

Dosunmu had 11 points in the third period, during which Minnesota shot 15 of 23 for a 39-24 quarter to lead 102-77 with one to play.

The Timberwolves’ advantage grew to 116-85 when DiVincenzo buried his third three, capitalizing on another Indiana turnover. DiVincenzo and Jaylen Clark each posted 11 points for Minnesota.


–Field Level Media

#Deadspin #Timberwolves #schneid #win #Pacers">Deadspin | Timberwolves get off schneid with 124-104 win over Pacers Apr 7, 2026; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves guard Donte DiVincenzo (0) passes the ball while Indiana Pacers forward Obi Toppin (1) defends in the first half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images Ayo Dosunmu scored 24 points as the Minnesota Timberwolves snapped a three-game losing streak with a 124-104 win over the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday in Indianapolis. Julius Randle and Bones Hyland added 19 apiece and Naz Reid contributed 17 for Minnesota (47-32), which strengthened its hold on sixth place in the Western Conference. A loss by the Phoenix Suns later Tuesday would guarantee the Wolves clinch a playoff spot and avoid the play-in. Rookie Ethan Thompson posted 17 points for the Pacers (18-61), who suffered their third straight defeat. Obi Toppin and Jalen Slawson both had 14 points. Indiana’s season-long injury crisis continued when forward Kobe Brown, who was in the starting five, was unable to play after halftime with lower back soreness. The Pacers jumped ahead 7-3 before the Timberwolves turned the tables with a 26-7 tear to take control of the contest for good. Minnesota instigated its fightback from the perimeter, going 6 of 9 from deep for the quarter — led by Randle and Donte DiVincenzo — to lead 35-27 after one. Toppin helped Indiana close the gap to 58-53, but turnovers continued to be a big problem. The Pacers coughed up the ball 10 times in the second period, and 16 for the first half for 21 points conceded, to trail 63-53 at the break. Veteran Mike Conley was active as the Wolves pressed home their advantage with a 15-3 run either side of the halftime interval. Conley finished the game with eight points, three assists and three steals. Dosunmu had 11 points in the third period, during which Minnesota shot 15 of 23 for a 39-24 quarter to lead 102-77 with one to play. The Timberwolves’ advantage grew to 116-85 when DiVincenzo buried his third three, capitalizing on another Indiana turnover. DiVincenzo and Jaylen Clark each posted 11 points for Minnesota. –Field Level Media #Deadspin #Timberwolves #schneid #win #Pacers

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