This is the time to witness the World Cup extravaganza. Just final few hours are left for the tournament to ring the final bell. In the inaugural match, England and New Zealand will face each other. In the last edition, England was the champion and the Kiwis ended the tournament as runner-up. England won their maiden World Cup title by defeating New Zealand in the Super Over. So, this game can be a revenge-taking match for New Zealand.
All teams are powerful enough. They all completed their final preparations ahead of the tournament. South African teams are also in very good form ahead of the tournament. Just before the World Cup, they defeated Australia in a five-match ODI series by a 3-2 margin. Australia was leading the series then South Africa did an amazing comeback.
They are one of the toughest competitors in the tournament. They have world-class batters and bowlers. Players like Quinton de Kock have years of experience playing in the World Cup. he has played a lot of matches in India. He has so many records over here. On the other side, Kagiso Rabada is ready to conquer in bowling. He also played a lot of matches in India. He has a brief idea of the Indian conditions.
But, now the question is who is the ‘X-Factor’ of the South African side? Despite having experienced match winners, every team has a ‘X-Factor’ who will help them to achieve their desired goal. In this article, we will be discussing, who will be the ‘X-Factor’ for South Africa in this World Cup.
The ‘X-Factor’:
‘X-Factor’ is who will be helping the team in need. Depending on his who’s performance a team can achieve the ultimate goal. On the South African side, there are so many talents but only one can be the ‘X-Factor’ for the team in the biggest tournament.
So who is that person? The answer is, Heinrich Klaasen. Yes, this South African middle-order dynamic batter is perfect for the role. He has the unique quality of accelerating the scoring rate in need. His batting technique, cricketing excellence, and fearless body language make him perfect for the role. He has been the game-changer for South Africa in the series against Australia.
Klaasen made his ODI debut back in 2018 against India at Cape Town. Since then, he has played 41 ODI matches. He scored 1323 runs in the format. His highest score in this format has been registered as 174. He scored 3 centuries and 5 half-centuries. His batting average in this format is 41.34 and he has a strike rate of 111.64.
What makes him perfect as the ‘X-Factor’:
In this high time just before the World Cup, Heinrich Klaasen is in great form. This is a huge boost for the team. South Africa played a five-match ODI series against Australia. In the 4th ODI, Klaasen has shown his class. He played a brilliant knock of 174 in just 83 balls. In this innings, he smashed 13 boundaries and 13 over-boundaries. This is huge. He has also made a 222 runs partnership in just 94 balls in the fourth wicket along with David Miller. Depending on his mighty knock, South Africa won the match.
Through this knock, he has scored the second-fastest ODI century against Australia. In that match, he completed his century in just 57 balls. He smashed 13 sixes in the match. After that, he has become the joint second-most six-hitter against a single bowler. He smashed 6 sixes against Adam Zampa. He scored 50 runs in just 17 balls against the Aussie bowler.
With this giant knock, he has registered the highest individual score with a 200+ strike rate in an ODI. In this match, he batted with a strike rate of 209.64. With these 174 innings, he registered a record of scoring the highest individual score while batting at no. 5 in the ODI format. He broke the record of AB de Villiers’s record of scoring 162 runs in 66 balls against West Indies in the 2015 World Cup while batting at number 5.
He has impressive stats. He can drag the team in a neddy situation. His strike rate is excellent. Undoubtedly he is in great form. This is the last World Cup of Quinton de Kock. So the team will be fighting hard to make this tournament for him. Also, South Africa has an unwanted record. They Didn’t appear in any World Cup final. This time they have a very strong side. All the players are in great form. They have a chance to change the record and finish the tournament on high.
Stay updated with all the cricketing action, follow Cricadium on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram
