South African wicketkeeper-batter Heinrich Klaasen has announced his retirement from international cricket. The 33-year-old made this big decision public on June 2 through a social media post. He said he now wants to focus more on his family life after playing many years for his country.

Klaasen’s retirement comes shortly after South Africa lost to New Zealand in the semi-finals of the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy. He had already retired from Test cricket in 2024, but now he has also decided to leave the ODI and T20I formats.

“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.

“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.

A strong white-ball career

Heinrich Klaasen was known for his explosive batting, especially in white-ball formats. He scored 2,141 runs in ODIs, 1,000 runs in T20Is, and 104 runs in the few Tests he played. He also made four international centuries.

One of his most famous innings was in September 2023, when he hit 174 not out off 83 balls against Australia. This became the highest ODI score by a No. 5 batter in the world.

Klaasen made his debut for South Africa in 2018 in a match against India. Since then, he became known for his calm batting, especially against spin bowlers. He also played in many T20 leagues across the world and earned praise for his performance.

Most recently, Klaasen played for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL 2025 season. In their last match against Kolkata Knight Riders, he scored an unbeaten 105 off just 39 balls — his second IPL century.

Klaasen’s sudden retirement on the same day as Glenn Maxwell’s exit from ODI cricket has shocked many fans. Both players were known for their powerful and exciting batting styles.

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