Heinrich Klaasen, a South African batsman and one of the world's top white-ball players, has declared his retirement from international cricket at the age of 33. He made the announcement on Instagram on June 2, 2025.
The 33-year-old cricketer scored 2141 runs at an average of 43.69 in 60 One-Day Internationals while playing for South Africa. Additionally, he scored 1,000 runs in 58 T20 Internationals while playing for the Proteas. During his international career, Klaasen participated in four Test matches but only scored 104 runs in that format.
At his home venue, SuperSport Park, in 2023, he struck a scorching career-best 174 against Australia, the second-highest score ever recorded by a number five, showcasing his power-hitting skills.
“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.
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. 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,” he wrote in a post on Instagram.
“To have played with the Proteas badge on my chest was and will always be the biggest honour in my career. I look forward to spending more time with my family as this decision will allow me to do so. I will always be a big Proteas supporter and would like to thank everyone that supported me and my teammates during my career,” Klaasen signed off.
Klaasen, who was retained for INR 23 crore for the 2025 Indian Premier League season, played for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). He scored 487 runs in 14 games, including a century, during his stellar campaign.
