The curtain-raiser of IPL 2026 itself between the SunRisers Hyderabad and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at the Chinnaswamy Stadium on March 28, Saturday. Heinrich Klaasen was seen discussing the contentious catch taken by Phil Salt with one of the umpires beyond the boundary line as a video of the same went viral on social media.
Phil Salt takes an outstanding catch to break partnership between Ishan Kishan and Heinrich Klaasen
The dismissal occurred in the 14th over of the innings bowled by the medium-pacer Romario Shepherd. With Shepherd bowling a slower off-cutter to the former South African cricketer, he looked to clobber it to the deep mid-wicket. He seemed to have fumbled slightly and was close to the rope but held on to the catch before celebrating. With the umpires visibly having doubts over the catch, they got together and sent it upstairs. The decision was upheld from the third umpire but Klaasen was slightly unhappy with the decision before accepting it and walking off. But the 34-year-old was visibly unhappy.
Here’s the video of Klaasen discussing the decision with the umpire:
— Drizzyat12Kennyat8 (@45kennyat7PM) March 28, 2026
A section of fans were also criticising the umpire’s decision as below
Heinrich Klaasen absolutely robbed there! That was a clear SIX, yet the 3rd umpire calls it otherwise 🤡 Pure clownery. The 3rd umpire seriously needs to get his eyes checked. How do you get such a big call so wrong in a game like this? #IPL2026 #RCBvSRH
— iceman❄️❄️ (@TheIceMaster07) March 28, 2026
Shirt touched rope.
Phir Heinrich Klaasen out kaise 🤡#RCBvsSRH— Swaksh Tripathi (@SwakshTripathi) March 28, 2026
why did the 3rd umpire give Heinrich Klaasen out? The umpire has given a very wrong decision. TOTTLY UNHAPPY 🙁
— Sachin soni (@SportsboySoni) March 28, 2026
Ishan Kishan and Heinrich Klaasen add 97 runs after SunRisers Hyderabad find themselves three down early
Meanwhile, the Royal Challengers captain Rajat Patidar had won the toss and sent the Orange Army into bat. Jacob Duffy, debuting in IPL, went on to take three wickets as Patidar used four overs of his on the bounce to dismiss Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head and Nitish Kumar Reddy. The New Zealand pacer was later subbed out for the impact player in Devdutt Padikkal. But Klaasen joined hands with captain Ishan Kishan to add 97, bringing the SunRisers back in the contest.
At the time of writing this, Salt had plucked another blinder to get the better of Kishan for 80.
