Klaassen, who was dropped after last year’s T20 World Cup, was also dropped from the ODI squad and lost his central contract. Had Quinton de Kock not suffered a wrist injury before Sunday’s (June 12) game, the 30-year-old would not have seen the opportunity.
He scored 81 off 46 balls, the best T20I of his career, to take the game away from India.
“It was difficult to pitch,” he said. I saw a struggle in front of me. So I decided that what I really needed to do was learn how to do it right. This is one of the days when he left. “
“It’s a blessing in disguise that this game came to me at this stage of my career… it put me on the map of international cricket. So I hope my career will be a little longer. “
He said he had been signaled to play a few days earlier after de Kock suffered a hand injury and was confirmed in the XI on the eve of the match.
“Quinn came to me on the team bus two days ago and said he had a wrist injury. I thought he was a strong character and he would be fine. However, he said that his hand was not healed again yesterday. We came for training yesterday morning and the coach told me I could play. “
Klaassen hit 4 off 12 balls against the spinners and completed his half-century off 32 balls. To his advantage, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who had returned with the magic numbers of 4/13, was thrown out with a triple blow in front.
Bhuvneshwar came back in the 18th over and by then Klaassen’s play had almost sealed the visitors.
“I also knew you had to target the spinners. There are some ups and downs in the fast bowlers so we can take a little less risk against them and they work today. “
