Heinrich Klaasen placed on the same pedestal as Virat Kohli

Former New Zealand cricketer Simon Doull drew comparison between Heinrich Klaasen and Virat Kohli in ODI cricket ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 semifinals. The cricketer-turned-commentator stated that Heinrich Klaasen is on par with Virat Kohli, despite their contrasting playing styles.

India and South Africa have qualified for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 semi-finals. The Rohit Sharma-led team will take on Australia at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium in Dubai on March 4. On the other hand, the Proteas will lock horns with New Zealand at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on March 5.

Hard to Separate Heinrich Klaasen and Virat Kohli - Simon Doull

In a video shared by Sky Sports on X, Simon Doull said that Heinrich Klaasen has the exceptional ability to dominate spin bowling, describing him as "an absolute gem." Doull added that Heinrich Klaasen’s ability to hit spinners down the ground sets him apart in the world.

"It's hard to separate him and Virat Kohli at the moment. Some people have Klaasen at 1, some people have Kohli at 1, it doesn't really matter. They can be first equal for mine, because he is just an absolute gem, whether it be spin, I don't think anybody hits the spinners off the backfoot better. He waits for that sort of slow pace and he can hit downtown better than anyone in the world," Doull told Sky Sports.

"It's hard to separate him and Virat Kohli" 👀

High praise from Simon Doull for Heinrich Klaasen 👏 pic.twitter.com/w1Cer7VlzF

— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) March 3, 2025

Virat Kohli Has Been One of the Best Batters in ODI Cricket

Virat Kohli has been one of the best batters in ODI cricket for over a decade. He holds the record for the most centuries in the format with 51. He recently scored a century against Pakistan in the group stage. The batter was dismissed for a low score against New Zealand after a sharp catch from Glenn Phillips.

Heinrich Klaasen missed the match against Afghanistan. He showed his form in the Champions Trophy, scoring 64 off 56 balls during the run chase against England. Klaasen has scored 2,138 runs from 59 ODIs at an impressive average of 44.54 with a strike rate of 117.34, including four centuries and 11 fifties.

South Africa are a Cracking Looking Side - Simon Doull

Simon Doull, who is commentating on the Champions Trophy, shared his thoughts on the semi-final between South Africa and New Zealand. He pointed out that South Africa have a stronger bowling attack, while New Zealand have issues with their death bowling.

"So they (South Africa) are a cracking looking side, they bat deep. New Zealand bat deep, and it'll come down; who bowls better? And South Africa just seemed like they've got the wood as a genuine bowling attack. The issue with New Zealand, the one and only issue has been their death bowling. It was quite good against India, but on a flat surface, on a really good batting surface, will it be the same?" Doull added.

South Africa have been one of the most consistent teams across formats in recent years. They reached the semi-finals of the 2023 ODI World Cup and made it to the final of the T20 World Cup last year. The team is also set to face Australia in the World Test Championship (WTC) 2025 final clash in June.

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