IPL 2026: Was Heinrich Klaasen given out wrongly in RCB vs SRH clash?
(Courtesy : Twitter)
Heinrich Klaasen played a decent hand of 31 runs in RCB vs SRH clash of IPL 2026.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) kicked off their title defence against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) with a sensational start as debutant Jacob Duffy ensured his team does not feel the void of Josh Hazlewood. Duffy single-handedly sent SRH’s power packed top-order back into the pavilion in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 opener.
The likes of Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head and Nitish Reddy were all unable to deal with the Kiwi pacer’s good length bowling which helped him extract additional bounce. However, a superb counter-attacking partnership between captain Ishan Kishan and Heinrich Klaasen helped the Orange Army get their innings back on track.
The momentum seemed to shift completely in SRH’s direction as both batters went after the spinners, however a massive controversial decision saw the fourth-wicket partnership end abruptly.
IPL 2026: Was Heinrich Klaasen given out wrongly in RCB vs SRH clash?
Romario Shepherd was brought into the attack for his second over, after being taken to the cleaners in his first over where he went for 16 runs. On the very first ball of 14th over, Klaasen went for a big shot, but did not time it as well as he would have liked to.
The ball landed near deep mid-wicket, where Phil Salt took a tumbling catch. He was extremely close to the boundary, and the decision was sent to TV Umpire Rohan Pandit.
According to Pandit, there was no movement of the boundary cushion when Salt was completing the catch. However, some replays did suggest some movement or touch between Salt’s jersey and the cushion, with Indian legend and commentator Sunil Gavaskar on air too opining that he felt as though there was a touch involved.
Klaasen looked stunned and visibly disappointed. The Proteas batter had a chat with fourth umpire before accepting his fate. Former England captain Michael Vaughan criticised the decision and expressed his shock.
Klaasen departed after scoring 31 runs from 22 balls as SRH hope to breach the 200-mark. However, his wicket could prove to be the turning point in this opening encounter.
How many runs did Heinrich Klaasen score in RCB vs SRH clash?
He scored 31 runs off 22 balls.
Why was Heinrich Klaasen’s dismissal controversial?
There were doubts about whether Phil Salt touched the boundary cushion while completing the catch, leading to debate over the decision.
For more updates, follow Khel Now Cricket on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Whatsapp & Telegram.
Aniruddh Seshadri Iyer is a passionate sports journalist at Khel Now, specializing in tennis and Olympic sports. An engineer by training, he found his storytelling passion through iconic Grand Slam and Olympic moments. Known for sharp analysis and insightful coverage, he draws inspiration from Novak Djokovic’s resilience. Outside journalism, he enjoys reading, traveling, and playing the guitar.