Klaasen's maiden IPL ton fires SRH to 186/5 against RCB
Hyderabad, May 18: In-form Heinrich Klaasen displayed his big-hitting prowess on way to his maiden IPL hundred as Sunrisers Hyderabad recovered from a poor start to post 186 for five against Royal Challengers Bangalore in a crucial match here on Thursday.
The keeper-batter had six hits over the fence and eight across it during his scintillating 51-ball knock. He forged a 76-run partnership with Aiden Markram (18) before adding another 74 off 36 balls with Harry Brook (27 not out) to take SRH to a competitive total.
Already out of playoff race, SRH once again had a poor start after being asked to take first strike by RCB skipper Faf du Plessis.
As has been the case this season, Rahul Tripathi (15) and Abhishek Sharma (11) frittered away reasonably good starts, leaving Sunrisers at 28 for 2 in the fifth over.
SRH scored just 11 in three overs before the openers milked Wayne Parnell for 16 runs.
However, off-spinner Michael Bracewell struck twice, removing both the openers in his first three balls. While Abhishek hit straight to Lomror at cover, Tripathi found the fine leg fielder off his slog paddle sweep.
Klaasen hammered three fours off Shahbaz Ahmed to power the Sunrisers to 49 for 2 in the powerplay.
Klassen rocked back and pulled every time the ball was short as Bracewell and Harshal Patel was sent across the ropes, while Karn Sharma was dispatched for a 74-metre six.
Karn Sharma was then punished for bowling over-pitched with Klaasen depositing him into the stands. The South African completed his fifty in 24 balls.
While Klaasen was in full flow, Markram managed just run-a-ball 18 before his off stump was pegged back by Shahbaz while he looked for a reverse hit.
Back in the playing XI, Brook then picked up a four and six off Karn Sharma, who bled 21 runs, with Klaasen too lifting him over cover.
Du Plessis' decision to make Shahbaz bowl the 17th over backfired as Klaasen clobbered the first two balls over the bowler's head, while Brook sent one fine.
Parnell nailed the yorkers to concede just seven runs in the next over but Klaasen then plundered Harshal over his head to bring up his hundred. He was dismissed one ball latter while looking for another big shot.
Mohammed Siraj conceded just four runs and took a wicket in the last over.
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Suvendu Adhikari says Bangladesh should be taught a “lesson like Israel taught Gaza”
Kolkata: Bharatiya Janata Party leader and Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal Legislative Assembly Suvendu Adhikari has sparked controversy after stating that Bangladesh should be taught a “lesson like Israel has taught Gaza.”
Adhikari made the remark while speaking to reporters outside the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission in Kolkata on Friday, December 26. “These people must be taught a lesson, just like Israel taught Gaza. Our 100 crore Hindus and the government working in the interest of Hindus must teach them a lesson just as we taught Pakistan a lesson in Operation Sindoor,” he said.
The statement came amid protests being held outside the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission since December 22, following the lynching of Dipu Chandra Das, a 27-year-old garment factory worker in Bangladesh. Das was killed on December 18 in the Mymensingh district, where his body was allegedly hung from a tree and set on fire in public view.
Adhikari was part of a five-member delegation that met senior officials of the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission on Friday. Speaking after the meeting, he claimed that the diplomats had “no answer to most of his questions” related to the killing and the situation of minorities in Bangladesh.
Reacting to his comments, the All India Trinamool Congress accused the BJP of promoting hate and intolerance. In a post on X, the party described Adhikari’s remarks as hate speech and alleged that they amounted to a call for violence, while also questioning the absence of legal action against him.
Adhikari’s statement has added to political tensions in West Bengal and raised concerns over inflammatory rhetoric linked to sensitive international and communal issues.
The @BJP4India’s Bengal ‘face’ wants a Gaza like operation against Bangladesh. Dog whistles that the @narendramodi government is for ‘Hindus’ only. Do you concur with this @narendramodi @DrSJaishankar ? Dirty politics of Divide and Rule won’t work in Bengal, @SuvenduWB pic.twitter.com/vLWm9b3AXb
— Sagarika Ghose (@sagarikaghose) December 27, 2025
