SRH’s Klaasen Equals Third-Fastest IPL Century in Dominant Display

The 68th match of the 18th season of IPL was played on Sunday, May 25. In it, Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) beat Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) by 110 runs. A fantastic result that hardly anyone could have expected. The main hero of the match was South African batter Heinrich Klaasen, who scored 105 off just 39 deliveries. Thus, he made league history.

Final score:

• SRH — 278/3
• KKR — 168.

The magnificent Heinrich Klaasen

The match was exciting, and its main hero was Klaasen. He amassed a breathtaking 105 off just 39 balls. Heinrich’s innings included 10 fours and 7 sixes, and he reached his century in just 37 balls. Thus, he equalled Yusuf Pathan’s record for the third-fastest century in IPL history. Klaasen reached the milestone on the last ball of the 19th over. He pulled a short delivery from Vaibhav Arora through midwicket for two runs.

The batter celebrated his achievement by removing his helmet, looking skyward, and raising his bat as the crowd in Delhi erupted in applause. This was Klaasen’s second IPL century. It is arguably his most brutal and dominant innings to date.

From the moment Klaasen came to the crease, he showed no mercy to the KKR bowlers. The cricketer attacked with a wide range of strokes. His dominance made it nearly impossible for the Knight Riders to find any rhythm with the ball.

Fastest hundreds in IPL history (by balls faced):

1. Chris Gayle (RCB), 2013 — 30 balls (vs PWI);
2. Vaibhav Suryavanshi (RR), 2025 — 35 balls (vs GT);
3. Yusuf Pathan (RR), 2010 — 37 balls (vs MI);
4. Heinrich Klaasen (SRH), 2025 — 37 balls (vs KKR).

Travis Head’s Aggressive Start

Klaasen was well-supported by Travis Head. The latter provided a solid platform with an aggressive 76 off 40 balls, with 6 fours and 6 sixes. Together, they helped SRH post a mammoth total of 278/3, one of the highest in IPL history.

What’s Next

Both teams have already finished their season. SRH had a great end to the group stage. They won three in a row — in addition to KKR, they beat LSG and RCB.

The Knight Riders, on the other hand, had an even more disappointing season. They failed to confirm their title as the strongest team in the IPL after winning the tournament in 2024. In May, they won only once (against RR by one run), after which they lost twice and once their game (against RCB) failed without a ball bowled.