IPL 2026: Heinrich Klaasen creates history, joins Chris Gayle–Andre Russell elite club
Heinrich Klaasen continued his remarkable run in IPL 2026, reaching a major milestone during Sunrisers Hyderabad’s dominant batting display against Delhi Capitals.Klaasen became the third-fastest batter to 100 sixes in IPL history, getting there in just 52 innings. Only Chris Gayle (37 innings) and Andre Russell (47 innings) have reached the mark quicker, placing the South African among the most explosive hitters the league has seen.The landmark came in a game dominated by Abhishek Sharma, who smashed an unbeaten 135 off 68 balls to power SRH to a massive 242 for 2 after Delhi Capitals opted to bowl first. Klaasen played the perfect finishing role, hammering a quickfire 37* off just 13 balls to cap off the innings in style.Before this game, Klaasen was the top run-scorer of IPL 2026, not just for SRH, highlighting his incredible form this season. Even after being overtaken by Abhishek’s knock in this match, his numbers remain outstanding — 320 runs at an average of 53.33 and a strike rate of 153.11.SRH’s innings was built on a strong foundation. Abhishek added 97 runs for the opening wicket with Travis Head, who made 37 off 26 balls. Skipper Ishan Kishan then accelerated the scoring with a rapid 25 off 13, stitching a 79-run stand in just 5.5 overs to set up the final onslaught.Delhi’s bowling plans unravelled quickly. The decision to open with part-time off-spin from Nitish Rana backfired as he conceded 55 runs in his four overs, while Lungi Ngidi also struggled to contain the flow. Even frontline options like Kuldeep Yadav and captain Axar Patel could not stem the tide, with DC conceding 108 runs through their spin options.The game effectively slipped away in the middle overs, where SRH hammered 116 runs between overs 7 and 15, leaving Delhi with no way back.Amid the carnage, Klaasen’s milestone stood out as a symbol of his consistency and power. In just 52 innings, he has joined an elite list of six-hitters, and with the form he is in, he looks set to climb even higher.
