Cricket

South Africa's heartbreaking loss in the T20 World Cup final has left a bitter taste in the mouths of the team, but captain Aiden Markram vowed that the experience will fuel their determination in future tournaments.Despite needing just 30 runs from the final five overs, South Africa's batting lineup faltered, allowing India to snatch a seven-run victory. The defeat marked the first time South Africa had reached a men's World Cup final in either white-ball format.Markram expressed his disappointment, saying, "It's tough. This group is a great bunch of people. They deserve really good things to go their way." He acknowledged the team's strong performance throughout the tournament, winning eight out of eight games before the final."In hindsight, things will still feel really good about this competition," Markram said. "But for the time being, it stings a bit. It gives you that little bit of fire in the belly for the next time that you're here."Markram believes that reaching the final is a significant step forward for South Africa. "It's one step closer," he said. "When we finally win one, there will be a snowball effect of quite a few to come."He praised Heinrich Klaasen's crucial innings of 52 off 27 balls, which put South Africa in a strong position. "It was special," Markram said. "We've seen him do it many, many times around the world. To deliver it on a stage like this is a really special effort."Despite the disappointment, Markram remains optimistic about the team's future. "It's just gut-wrenching," he said. "But we can channel it moving forward. I think for the next couple of days you let it be, you let yourself feel the way you want to feel and then really start reflecting in a positive manner."

South Africa's Heinrich Klaasen believes the team's hard-fought victories in the early stages of the T20 World Cup 2024 have prepared them for the tournament's crucial knockout rounds.In the group stage, South Africa narrowly defeated Sri Lanka and the Netherlands in tense run chases before successfully defending low scores of 113 and 115 against Bangladesh and Nepal, respectively. Their 18-run victory over the USA in Antigua was their most convincing performance to date, but it remained a close contest.Klaasen, who contributed an unbeaten 36 off 22 deliveries, expressed his satisfaction with the opportunity to play on a "proper wicket" after facing challenging batting conditions in the tournament's early stages. He acknowledged that the batters needed to improve their execution, particularly in the death overs.Despite the team's struggles, Klaasen praised the bowlers for their exceptional performances in the five matches played so far. He emphasized the importance of adapting to different conditions and finding ways to win even when the odds are against them.Looking ahead to their match against England in St. Lucia, Klaasen acknowledged the high-scoring nature of the games played there. He expressed confidence in the team's ability to handle pressure situations and execute their game plans effectively.Klaasen also highlighted the importance of playing big moments better than their opponents, recognizing the match-winning potential of the English side. He expressed optimism about South Africa's chances of securing a semi-final berth with another victory.

In a thrilling encounter at the ICC T20 World Cup, South Africa narrowly defeated Nepal by one run in a nail-biting finish. Heinrich Klassen's decisive run-out on the final delivery secured the victory for the Proteas, dashing Nepal's hopes of advancing to the Super Eight stage.Nepal's spinners had dominated the South African innings, restricting them to a modest 115/7. Reeza Hendricks anchored the Proteas' batting with 43 runs, while Tristan Stubbs contributed an unbeaten 27 off 18 balls. Kushal Bhurtel and Dipendra Singh Airee shared seven wickets for Nepal.In response, Nepal's top-order batsmen looked comfortable in their chase, reaching 85/2 by the 14th over. However, South African spinner Tabraiz Shamsi turned the tide with a brilliant spell, taking 4/19 to put immense pressure on the Nepali chase.Fast bowlers Anrich Nortje and Ottneil Baartman held their nerve in the final two overs, leaving Nepal needing eight runs from the last over. Gulsan Jha struck a boundary off the third ball, bringing the equation down to two runs from the last ball.In a dramatic twist, Klassen's quick reflexes and sharp throw caught Jha short of the crease, sealing a memorable win for South Africa. The victory broke Nepalese hearts and ended their hopes of advancing in the tournament.However, fans on social media raised concerns about a potential umpiring error. They argued that the last ball should have been called a wide, as it was over the batsman's head. Screenshots shared on social media supported their claims.Despite the controversy, South Africa's victory was a testament to their resilience and determination. They will now face the United States in the Super Eight stage on Wednesday, June 19.

South Africa's T20 World Cup campaign has been marked by a shaky start from their top three batters, but they have managed to maintain a perfect record with a thrilling four-run victory over Bangladesh.Batting first on a challenging wicket in New York, South Africa found themselves in deep trouble at 23 for 4. However, a record-breaking 79-run partnership between Heinrich Klaasen (46) and David Miller (29) rescued the innings, guiding them to a modest total of 113 for 6.Bangladesh's chase began poorly, with the team struggling to 50 for 4 after 10 overs. Towhid Hridoy (37) and Mahmudullah (29) provided a glimmer of hope with a 44-run stand, but a controversial decision in the 17th over proved costly.Mahmudullah was initially given out leg before wicket, but replays showed he was not out. However, the four runs that were initially awarded as leg byes were not counted due to the dead ball ruling.In the final over, Bangladesh needed 11 runs to win, but Keshav Maharaj's three full tosses proved too costly. Mahmudullah was caught on the penultimate ball, and Jakar Ali was run out on the final delivery, handing South Africa a narrow victory.Despite their top-order struggles, South Africa's middle order has stepped up, with Klaasen and Miller providing crucial contributions. The team's bowling attack has also been impressive, with Maharaj, Nortje, and Rabada all taking wickets.Bangladesh, on the other hand, will rue their missed opportunities. They failed to capitalize on South Africa's poor start and were unable to chase down a modest target.

Batters in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024 are facing a new challenge at Nassau County: unpredictable wickets that favor bowlers. Heinrich Klaasen, South Africa's prolific run-scorer, believes batters must adapt to these conditions and "suck it up."Klaasen acknowledges that the wicket used in South Africa's match against Sri Lanka was "a little bit too much on the bowler's side," but he emphasizes that it's part of the game. He urges batters to play smarter cricket and use their cricket brains to overcome the challenges posed by the surface.However, Klaasen also expresses concern about the inconsistent bounce on the wicket, which he believes borders on dangerous. Former Zimbabwe captain and England coach Andy Flower agrees, stating that the bounce is making life difficult for batters.Another issue at Nassau County is the heavy and sandy outfield, which limits the distance of even well-timed shots. Klaasen believes that South Africa can fare better in future matches because they have experience playing in these conditions.Despite the challenges, Klaasen believes it's still possible to clear the ropes at Nassau County. He notes that the boundaries are not as large as they appear, and that batters can still hit boundaries by playing on one side of the field.Klaasen also visited Yankee Stadium during South Africa's stay in New York and was impressed by the size of the baseball field. He believes that baseball batters have a different approach to hitting than cricketers, and that cricket is more entertaining than baseball.South Africa's next match is against Netherlands, who have defeated them in their previous two World Cup meetings. Klaasen is confident that South Africa can overcome the challenges posed by Nassau County and emerge victorious.

St Lucia Kings, the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) franchise, have bolstered their squad for the 2024 season with the signings of South African batter Heinrich Klaasen and Afghanistan wristspinner Noor Ahmad. The Kings have also retained key players from their 2023 campaign, including Faf du Plessis, David Wiese, and Bhanuka Rajapaksa.Klaasen, a dynamic wicketkeeper-batter, has been in exceptional form in T20 cricket since 2023. He was the second-highest run-getter in the inaugural SA20 league and impressed in the Indian Premier League (IPL) with 479 runs in 16 games. His strike rate in the format since 2023 is an impressive 176.80. This will be Klaasen's second stint in the CPL, having previously represented the Guyana Amazon Warriors in 2022.Noor Ahmad, a rising star in Afghanistan cricket, is known for his deceptive leg-spin bowling. He has represented his country in international T20 matches and has impressed with his ability to take wickets and restrict runs.The Kings have retained the core of their Caribbean players, including Johnson Charles, Alzarri Joseph, Roston Chase, Matthew Forde, and Khary Pierre. Fast bowlers Shadrack Descarte and McKenny Clarke have also been retained.Faf du Plessis, who missed the majority of the 2023 season due to injury, will return to lead the Kings. The experienced South African batter is a key figure in the team's batting lineup.David Wiese, the Namibian all-rounder, has been a consistent performer for the Kings. He provides valuable contributions with both bat and ball.Bhanuka Rajapaksa, the Sri Lankan batter, is known for his explosive batting style. He has the ability to accelerate the scoring rate and hit big boundaries.The Kings have released Colin Munro, Sikandar Raza, Sean Williams, and Chris Sole. Munro was signed as du Plessis' replacement last year, but he failed to make a significant impact.The 2024 CPL season will run from August 30 to October 7. The Kings will open their campaign against the St Kitts and Nevis Patriots on September 1 in Basseterre.

Anrich Nortje, who bowled South Africa to victory in a crucial World Cup match in New York, believes the low-scoring game was still entertaining despite criticism of the pitch and outfield.Nortje, who took career-best T20I figures of 4-10, said he thought the game was "great" and that the entertainment was there."It doesn't always mean, correct me if I'm wrong, there needs to be 20 sixes in a game to make it entertaining," Nortje said. "There's still a lot of strategy that goes into the game. There's a lot of skill that goes into the game, whether it's sixes or fast bowlers or spinners, however it might be. So, I thought the game was a brilliant game. It was still a close game at the end of the day, another wicket or two, and things might have been different. We might have been in a little bit more trouble."Nortje's comments come after Sri Lanka managed to make just 77 runs in their innings, with South Africa also struggling to chase down the target. The pitch was criticized for being uneven and the outfield for being slow, making scoring difficult.However, Nortje said he didn't think there was anything wrong with the pitches."I don't think there's anything wrong with the wickets," he said. "It's [allowed to be] nice for bowlers as well. We are also allowed to get some sort of assistance. It's different to what guys have been used to for the last few months or years. There's a little bit more in the wicket for the bowlers and I don't see anything wrong with that."Nortje's teammate Heinrich Klaasen agreed that the game was entertaining, but said he didn't think the pitch was ideal for T20 cricket."I don't think it's ideal for T20 cricket, but it's still a good entertaining game," Klaasen said. "Nevertheless our bowlers bowled extremely well. The margin for error for the bowlers is also not as big as you think. It's not easy for the batters. It took like almost a mixture of Test cricket, one-day, batting-wise to get over the line. Luckily we didn't chase 120. That would've been very interesting."Despite the criticism of the pitch, both Nortje and Klaasen were happy with the atmosphere in New York."I said to the coach the DJ was on point, there was no interruptions from his side and the crowd was fantastic," Klaasen said. "You can see the people are excited for the competition."

Heinrich Klaasen, the South African wicket-keeper batsman, has emerged as one of the most dangerous batsmen in the Indian Premier League (IPL) in recent years. His success can be attributed to his aggressive approach and ability to hit sixes at crucial moments.Klaasen's transformation began after he received advice from Royal Challengers Bangalore captain Faf du Plessis. Du Plessis emphasized that IPL owners prioritize players who can win matches and hit sixes. This advice resonated with Klaasen, who has since developed a powerful game.In the last two IPL seasons, Klaasen has amassed over 400 runs each time, with a strike rate of over 170. He narrowly missed out on the title with the Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL 2024.Klaasen's success is not solely due to natural talent. He has put in the hard work, including extensive bat swing drills to improve his power. He also believes that the smaller boundaries in India have contributed to his success.Klaasen's aggressive approach has paid off, as he averages a six every 6.73 balls over the last 12 months. He is now a key member of the South Africa side aiming for their first ICC T20 World Cup trophy in 2024.Klaasen's journey serves as an inspiration for aspiring cricketers. It demonstrates the importance of hard work, dedication, and a positive mindset in achieving success.

Rajasthan Royals' hopes of capturing their second Indian Premier League (IPL) title were dashed after a heartbreaking 36-run defeat to Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Qualifier 2 match on Friday.Batting first, SRH posted a competitive total of 175/9, with Heinrich Klaasen leading the charge with a half-century. The Royals' chase was derailed by the spin duo of Shahbaz Ahmed and Abhishek Sharma, who combined for five wickets to restrict RR to 139/7.RR's elimination marked a disappointing end to a season that began with high expectations. The team had dominated the first half of the tournament, winning nine of their first ten matches. However, a string of four consecutive defeats in the second half of the season proved costly.Despite the setback, RR skipper Sanju Samson praised his team's performance and highlighted the emergence of young talent such as Riyan Parag and Dhruv Jurel."We have found some really great talent for the country," Samson said. "We have had some great seasons from the last three years."SRH's victory propelled them into the final, where they will face Kolkata Knight Riders on Sunday in Chennai.