Klaasen hits third-fastest IPL century in Sunrisers win
Heinrich Klaasen hit an unbeaten 105 as Sunrisers Hyderabad finished their Indian Premier League season with 110-run thrashing of Kolkata Knight Riders.
The South African's century came off 37 balls, the third-fastest in the competition's history, while he put on partnerships of 83 apiece with Travis Head (76) and Ishan Kishan (29) as Hyderabad cruised to 278-3 in Delhi.
The total, the third highest in the tournament's history, was always going to be a formidable challenge for defending champions Kolkata, and they failed to make much of a chase.
Opener Sunil Narine hit 31 from 16 deliveries, but he was the only member of the top six to pass 15.
Manish Pandey (37) and Harshit Rana (34) added 42 for the eighth wicket, but by that point the match was over as a contest, and Rana's dismissal by Eshan Malinga in the 19th over saw Kolkata bowled out for 168.
Malinga finished with figures of 3-31, while Jaydev Unadkat and Harsh Dubey also took three wickets, for 24 and 34 respectively.
Hyderabad had got their innings off to a flier, with Head and Abhishek Sharma putting on an opening partnership of 92 inside seven overs.
Abhishek was caught by Rinku Singh off Narine for 32, bringing Klaasen to the crease, and the 33-year-old raced to 50 in 17 deliveries.
His innings featuring seven fours and nine sixes, with Kolkata failing to restrict their opponents to a total they'd be capable of chasing.
The result lifts Hyderabad to sixth, while condemning the 2024 title winners to eighth place.
Scorecard, IPL fixtures & results, table
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Forbes
11 hours ago
- Forbes
Association Of Pickleball Professional Fires Next Salvo In Battle For International Expansion In The Sport
United States-base pickleball associations continue their quest to expand their influence abroad, in an ongoing battle amongst titans in the sport to tap into burgeoning markets for pickleball underneath the (more than reasonable) assumption that the sport will experience similar growth abroad that is has here domestically. The latest salvo in that battlefront has been launched. On June 11th, 2025 The Association of Pickleball Players (APP) announced a pair of agreements (one new, one the extension of an existing collaboration) that will help elevate the talent level in events abroad while also bringing the APP's marketing and logistics expertise into play for growing markets in the sport. The APP is announcing a new agreement with Global Sports Pickleball (GSP), the leading pickleball organization in India and extending their long-standing relationship with Pickleball England, the national governing body (NGB) of the sport in England and operators of the English Open. I caught up with the principals of each group to discuss their organizations and these new collaborations; Ken Herrmann (Founder of the APP), Shashank Khaitan (co-founder of Global Sports), and Karen Mitchell (Chairperson of Pickleball England) to talk about these deals and the future of international pickleball. The APP is entering its 4th year collaborating with Pickleball England on the English Open, and have for years been sending both its top touring Pros and its top NextGen stars across the pond to compete. Per Mitchell, the sending of the top US pros 'helps elevate the level of play in our events. People want to play where the pros play. This gives people added excitement of playing against that caliber of player. The APP also helps us with sponsorships, streaming of our event to APP-TV, and promotional help on social media.' The collaboration has helped make the English Open not only the largest current tournament in Europe, but the largest outside of the US (they're projecting to nearly 2,200 players at this year's event). The English Open is essentially the leading fund-raising event for Pickleball England (the UK equivalent of USA Pickleball), and allows the NGB to fund the operations of the rest of its goals. Says, Mitchell, "Our focus is grassroots. We've developed curriculum to create and train coaches, which we feel will develop more players. We're going into schools and universities. We're trying to reduce the average age of players. We want to be the Carlsberg of events. [side note: I did not at first understand the context of this comment about Carlsberg. Only after some pointed googling did I learn about Carlsberg Beer's advertising campaign where they claim to 'Probably be the Best beer in the world.' I may have to incorporate this English idiom into my day to day speech]. Pickleball England was more than happy to extend its relationship with the APP. Says Mitchell, 'I believe that the APP does such great work, both in the US and helping to expand pickleball's reach internationally. They do right by the players and they genuinely are interested in growing the game internationally.' The timing of announcing the two collaborations together is not without some history; as it turns out, Herrmann of the APP first met Shashank Khaitan of GSP at the English Open two years prior. GSP got its start three years ago, held its first major tournament in February of 2023, and now plays host to three marquee events each year: the Monsoon Championships (held in August), the Indian Open (held in February), and the Global Sports Pro league, which debuted in February this year and featured 100 pro players from all over the globe participating for a total prize purse of $550k. (Note: if you're reading this and you're wondering which of the multiple India-based organizations GSP is, I suggest reading The Dink's Eric Tice's excellent comprehensive January 2025 overview of all things Pickleball in that region of the world. It provides an overview of GSP and its evolution of partnerships with other orgs in the region, some of which are now defunct). Khaitan describes the beginnings of the APP collaboration, which has been two years in the making, 'We first met at the English Open. We saw APP Next Gen players competing and were really impressed. We started a relationship with some of the APP pros there and became very close with Rob Nunnery in particular. This led to Nunnery and his partner Andrei Daescu traveling to play in the 2024 Indian Open." Nunnery and Daescu won the doubles title in that event, and in the final they played Armaan Bhatia & Harsh Mehta, who stretched them to three games before falling. This of course is the same Bhatia who has now come to the US and medaled in both the US Open and the APP's NYC Open in May 2025. This turned out to be a seminal match in Indian pickleball, as (in Khaitan's words), 'it showed Indian players where they needed to go, and when Bhatia & Mehta played the American pros in the final, they realized they really could compete against the best.' The most immediate and apparent impact of the APP-GSP collaboration will be the cross-pollination of US-based APP pros in GSP-run events going forward, and vice versa. The top 12 APP Male and Female pros will be offered seeded slots at the forthcoming 2025 Monsoon Open, and will be entered into the league auction for the 2026 iteration of the GSP League. Conversely, GSP will work with the APP to provide more opportunities for both established Asian pros and up-and-coming Indian & Asian players at the APP's Fort Lauderdale training facilities and academies. Both organizations clearly have respect for one another, and they both share some of the same values when it comes to growing the game. Says Herrmann, 'GSP has proven themselves as the premier leading organization in India, and as the APP continues to grow internationally it's always been my goal to keep my inner circle credible and full of quality people.' Khaitan agrees, 'We believe our ideology with APP is similar; we don't want to lock players down and want to give players growth experience opportunities.' Herrmann mentioned that the APP is now working on the development of international camps, both at the Fort in December and potentially at Mumbai-based events in 2026. Perhaps the most interesting takeaway from my conversations with Khaitan and Herrmann were the statements of their collective visions of international pickleball. One of Herrmann's longer term goals with partnerships like these is the pursuit of a global ranking system. He says, 'I want and foresee results in India to count towards APP rankings. If the No. 1 player from India comes here and there's a question where to seed him or her, there's a proven record of results for that player in international events, whether they're in India or in England or wherever.' Khaitan is more expansive. 'We want to set a common goal, see how to build towards it. We want to build something global. Tennis and the ATP really shifted when they globalized and held events all around the world, and we feel the same thing will happen with pickleball.' One thing is for certain; every year that US-based pros extend their presence in major international tournaments and leagues is a year where we get close to these goals. We've already seen a top player from India come to the US and succeed at the pro level, and it's just a matter of time before that becomes a regular occurrence.
Entrepreneur
a day ago
- Entrepreneur
Machaxi Secures $1.5 Million to Expand AI-Powered Badminton Coaching Across India
The funding round was led by Rainmatter, the investment arm of Zerodha, and included participation from Indian badminton legend Prakash Padukone as well as existing backers You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media. Machaxi, a Bengaluru-based sports-tech startup focused on grassroots coaching, has raised $1.5 million in funding to scale its AI-powered training model and expand operations into three more cities—Hyderabad, Pune, and Chennai. The funding round was led by Rainmatter, the investment arm of Zerodha, and included participation from Indian badminton legend Prakash Padukone as well as existing backers, the company announced in a press release. This strategic infusion of capital marks a pivotal moment for Machaxi as it builds on its vision to standardize and scale grassroots sports coaching across India. Central to this expansion is a collaboration with the Padukone School of Badminton, under which the two entities aim to establish over 1,000 coaching centers nationwide in the next four years. The partnership will feature an AI-based coaching platform developed by Machaxi, designed to support human coaches, not replace them. The system tracks performance, ensures consistency in training methods, and makes coaching scalable even in regions where experienced trainers are in short supply. "I've always believed that the future of Indian badminton lies in structured grassroots development," said Prakash Padukone. "Machaxi's vision to scale coaching while maintaining quality through AI is forward-thinking and impactful. I'm thrilled to partner with them in shaping the next generation of champions." Nithin Kamath, founder of Zerodha and Rainmatter, said the decision to invest was aligned with their broader focus on sustainability and community development. "Machaxi's tech-driven approach to coaching, combined with a solid on-ground strategy, aligns perfectly with our mission at Rainmatter to back sustainable and impactful ventures," Kamath said. Machaxi co-founder Pratish Raj emphasized that the new funding and partnerships are about more than just growth—they're about reshaping India's sports coaching model. "With the support of Rainmatter and the visionary backing of Mr. Padukone, we're working toward a future where every aspiring athlete, no matter where they come from, can train with consistency, purpose, and access to world-class infrastructure," Raj said.
Hamilton Spectator
a day ago
- Hamilton Spectator
England sweeps T20 series against the West Indies after Duckett's 84 sets up 37-run win
SOUTHAMPTON, England (AP) — England completed a 3-0 sweep of the Twenty20 international series against the West Indies after smashing 248-3 en route to a 37-run win in Southampton on Tuesday. Put into bat for what proved a high-scoring third and final match of the series, England racked up its second-highest total in the format as Ben Duckett made a 46-ball 84 and put on 120 for the opening wicket with Jamie Smith, whose 26-ball 60 included five sixes. England delivered its highest-ever score after 10 overs of a T20 — 135-1 — and never let up, with captain Harry Brook (35) and Jacob Bethell (36) sharing an unbroken stand of 70 in 5.1 over to help set an imposing target of 249. The Windies never really got close on a good batting track though still made a commendable 211-8 after slipping to 70-4 after 7.1 overs. Rovman Powell was the top scorer for the tourists with an unbeaten 79 off 45 balls, and captain Shai Hope had a 27-ball 45. England also won the ODI series between the teams by a 3-0 margin, marking an ideal start to the white-ball captaincy for Brook. England's focus switches to test cricket now, with a highly anticipated five-match series against India starting June 20. ___ AP cricket:
