Heinrich Klaasen shocks cricket world as South African power-hitter retires from international cricket

Heinrich Klaasen Retirement: South African power-hitter Heinrich Klaasen on Monday shocked the cricketing world by announcing his retirement from all forms of international cricket with immediate effect. The 33-year-old batter said he wanted to focus on striking a better work-life balance and would now concentrate on franchise leagues around the world.

Klaasen had already retired from Test cricket in January 2024. With this announcement, he has stepped away from ODIs and T20Is as well. In total, he represented South Africa in 4 Tests, 60 ODIs and 58 T20Is, scoring 2764 runs across formats.

His decision follows his omission from Cricket South Africa’s (CSA) list of central contracts in April. He had held a white-ball only contract until that point.

Also Read: Glenn Maxwell bids farewell to ODIs, ends 13-year innings in One-Day cricket

Heinrich Klaasen says it's a sad day

“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 announced on Instagram.


Klaasen, one of the most in-demand batters in T20 leagues, recently featured for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League, where he smashed a quick century in the final league game. He will next turn out for the Seattle Orcas in Major League Cricket in the United States later this month.

He also played in the recent T20 World Cup final against India. Reflecting on his time with the national team, Klaasen said it had been the “biggest privilege”.

Klaasen said it had been the greatest privilege to represent his country from the very first day, calling it the fulfilment of everything he had worked for and dreamt about as a young boy.

He said he had built friendships and relationships that he would treasure for life, and that playing for the Proteas had given him the chance to meet remarkable people who had changed his life — to whom he could never say thank you enough. Klaasen mentioned that his path to the Proteas jersey had been different from most, and there were certain coaches along the way who continued to believe in him, for which he would always be grateful.

He said that wearing the Proteas badge had been, and would always remain, the greatest honour of his career.

Why did Henrich Klaasen retire?

He added that he was looking forward to spending more time with his family, which this decision would now allow. Klaasen also said he would remain a passionate supporter of the Proteas and thanked everyone who had supported him and his teammates throughout his career.

“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,” Klaasen said in his emotional statement.

Known for his towering sixes and game-changing performances as a finisher, Klaasen’s decision is in line with a growing trend in world cricket. With the relentless international calendar placing increasing physical and mental strain on players, many top cricketers are stepping back from national duties to focus on franchise cricket.

Multiple surveys have suggested that apart from India — where active male cricketers are not allowed to participate in overseas leagues — several top players from other nations are opting to become full-time freelancers in T20 leagues.

“I look forward to spending more time with my family as this decision will allow me to do so,” he said.

Klaasen also reflected on the friendships he had made on a day when Australia’s Glenn Maxwell also announced his retirement from ODI cricket.

“I have made great friendships and relationships that I will treasure for life. Playing for the Proteas gave me the opportunity to meet great people that changed my life, and to those people I can’t say thank you enough. My road to wearing the Proteas shirt was different than most and there were certain coaches in my career that kept believing in me — to them I will always be grateful.”

“To have played with the Proteas badge on my chest was and will always be the biggest honour in my career,” he concluded.

Heinrich Klaasen record and stats

Klaasen, a wicketkeeper-batter known for hitting massive sixes, got his first chance to play for South Africa as a replacement for an injured player. He opened the innings in place of Quinton de Kock, but later secured his spot in the middle order in limited-overs formats.

Klaasen began his first-class career with Northerns during the 2012–13 season, finishing with an average of 42.58 in the provincial three-day cup. He scored his first century in franchise cricket in February 2017, making 195 runs to help the Titans beat the Dolphins in the second-last round of the first-class competition.

In only his second T20 International, Klaasen scored 69 runs from 30 balls against India in Centurion in 2018. His first international century came two years later, also at home, when he hit an unbeaten 123 in a big ODI win over Australia in Paarl. In 2023, he stunned Australia again with a powerful innings in Centurion, scoring 174 runs off just 83 balls. This was the second-highest individual score by a batter batting at number five or lower in one-day internationals.

Klaasen’s signature whip-pull shot against spinners made him a dangerous player for South Africa in all formats. He was part of the national team in the recent ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023, the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, and the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025.

In his 60 one-day internationals, he scored 2,141 runs with a top score of 174 and an average of 43.69. In T20 internationals, he made 1,000 runs, with his highest score being 81 and a strike rate of 141.84.

In IPL 2025, Klaasen scored 487 runs in 13 innings, hitting 25 sixes and 42 fours. He batted with a strike rate of 172.69 and had an average of 44.27 in the T20 tournament, showing his strength as a power-hitter. In this IPL, Klaasen also made the joint third-fastest century in the history of the Indian Premier League, reaching 100 in just 37 balls against Kolkata Knight Riders at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.