Mumbai : South African wicketkeeper-batter Heinrich Klaasen has announced his retirement from international cricket. The 33-year-old made the declaration through social media on June 2, stating a desire to prioritise spending time with his family after being one of the best white-ball batters for his country. Klaasen’s decision comes just months after representing South Africa in the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy, where the Proteas bowed out in the semi-finals against New Zealand.
“It is a sad day for me as I announce that I have decided to step away from international cricket. It took me a long time to decide what’s best for me and my family for the future. It was truly a very difficult decision but also one that I have absolute peace with,” Klaasen said. “From the first day, it was the biggest privilege representing my country and it was everything that I have worked for and dreamed about as a young boy,” he added.
Klaasen had already bid farewell to the longest format back in 2024, but his sudden exit from the ODI and T20I circuits marks the end of an era for South Africa’s power-hitting blueprint. He holds the world record for the highest individual ODI score by a No. 5 batter — an unbeaten 174 off 83 balls against Australia in September 2023, a knock that underscored his ability to single-handedly turn games.
Debuting against India in 2018, Klaasen quickly earned plaudits for his composure against spin and consistency under pressure. Over time, he grew into a key figure not just for South Africa but in various T20 leagues globally. Most recently, he turned out for Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL 2025, contributing with the bat even as the team fell short of a playoff spot after finishing sixth on the points table. However, Klaasen signed of IPL 2025 with a unbeaten 105 off 39 – his second-ever IPL century, during SRH’s last match of the season against arch rivals Kolkata Knight Riders.