HYDERABAD — Heinrich Klaasen, the South African dynamite in Sunrisers Hyderabad’s lineup, turned the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium into his personal launchpad on April 23, smashing a jaw-dropping 107-meter six that now reigns as the longest of IPL 2025. The monster hit came off Mumbai Indians’ young spinner Vignesh Puthur, a moment that left the crowd roaring and the ball nowhere to be found.
It was the 41st match of the season, with Sunrisers reeling at 81/5 after 14 overs, their top order dismantled by Mumbai’s disciplined bowling. Klaasen, striding in with that familiar glint of menace, faced Puthur’s short ball on the first delivery of the 10th over. He didn’t hesitate. Rocking back, he unleashed a pull shot that soared over the stands, a clean, brutal strike that clocked 107 meters, eclipsing the previous season high of 106 meters set by teammate Abhishek Sharma. The ball didn’t just clear the boundary—it vanished into the Hyderabad night, a testament to Klaasen’s raw power.
This wasn’t just a six; it was a statement. Klaasen, retained by Sunrisers for a hefty 23 crore ahead of the 2025 season, has been the heartbeat of their middle order since 2023. His 2024 campaign saw him hammer 38 sixes, including a 106-meter beast against Royal Challengers Bengaluru that landed on the roof of Chinnaswamy Stadium. That shot held the IPL’s longest-six crown until yesterday, when Klaasen one-upped himself. The 33-year-old wicketkeeper-batter finished the day unbeaten on 45 off 32 balls, dragging Sunrisers to a fighting total despite their early collapse.
Puthur, making his IPL debut this season, had no answer. The 22-year-old spinner, plucked by Mumbai for his domestic promise, bowled a loose one, and Klaasen pounced like a predator smelling blood. Mumbai, led by Hardik Pandya’s decision to field first, had banked on their bowlers to exploit the batting-friendly pitch. But Klaasen’s onslaught shifted the momentum, even if briefly, in a match where every run felt like a hard-won prize.
The IPL’s official broadcast, now under the merged JioHotstar banner, flashed the 107-meter stat across screens, cementing Klaasen’s place atop the season’s longest-six leaderboard. Earlier in the tournament, Travis Head and Phil Salt had traded 105-meter blows, but Klaasen’s latest rocket has set a new benchmark. With 31 matches left in the league stage before the May 25 final in Kolkata, the race for the biggest maximum is far from over. Still, Klaasen, with his knack for sending balls into orbit, looks tough to beat.
Sunrisers Hyderabad posted 113 all out in their 20 overs. Mumbai Indians chased the target in 12.4 overs, winning by seven wickets. Klaasen’s 107-meter six was struck on the first ball of the 10th over bowled by Vignesh Puthur. The match was played on April 23, 2025, at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Hyderabad.