South African cricketer Heinrich Klaasen has stated he will not return to international cricket, despite expressing that he misses playing with his teammates.
Klaasen, who retired from all international formats in 2025, currently represents Sunrisers Hyderabad in the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL).
During the IPL match against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on April 2, Klaasen contributed a vital 52 runs off 35 balls, helping Sunrisers Hyderabad secure their first win of the tournament by 65 runs. His innings included four boundaries and a six. Abhishek Sharma scored 48 off 21 balls, and Nitish Kumar Reddy added 39 off 24 balls, supporting their team's total of 226/8.
In a video posted by the IPL on social media, Klaasen spoke with teammate Nitish Kumar Reddy regarding a possible comeback from retirement. Klaasen revealed he briefly considered returning to international cricket but opted against it, primarily due to family commitments. He said, “It was a thought for about two weeks. And then we decided against it. Obviously, my family plays a big role in it. I’ve missed my friends when they did extremely well in the World Cup. But I had a little bit more FOMO, and I wanted to come back. I spoke to Aiden (Markram), actually. He said if he’s capped, then I will definitely come back. But after the World Cup, I realised it’s not going to happen. So, I’m not coming back.”
Klaasen, 34, last played internationally during the 2025 Champions Trophy, where South Africa lost the semifinal to New Zealand by 50 runs.
In the 2026 IPL match, KKR's chase began strongly with contributions from Finn Allen (28 runs off seven balls, including five sixes) and Angkrish Raghuvanshi (52 off 29 balls), but their innings fell apart, ending at 161 all out in 16 overs.