Heinrich Klaasen announces retirement from international cricket

South African cricketer Heinrich Klaasen has officially announced his retirement from international cricket. The wicketkeeper-batter made his South Africa debut in a One-Day International (ODI) in 2018 against India in Cape Town.

Klaasen expressed in his Instagram post that it was a deeply emotional decision, and the one that took a long time to reach. He acknowledged that while stepping away from international cricket is tough, it is ultimately the best choice for both himself and his family. He admitted that he has immense respect for his country and took great pride in having represented South Africa on the global stage.

“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 wrote on Instagram.

“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.

The 33-year-old cricketer featured in 60 ODIs for South Africa scoring 2141 runs at an average of 43.69. He also represented the Proteas in 58 T20 Internationals, scoring 1,000 runs. Klaasen played four Test matches during his international career with only 104 runs to his name in that format.

Klaasen has been a notable figure in franchise leagues around the world. Recently, he was part of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season, representing Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). SRH also retained him for INR 23 crore for the IPL 2025. He had an excellent campaign while scoring 487 runs in 14 matches, including a century, for the 2016 champions.