South Africa’s decision to leave Heinrich Klaasen out of their central contracts likely marks the end of his international career.
Unlike David Miller and Rassie van der Dussen, who remain in the international mix with flexible deals, Klaasen has been completely sidelined, a surprising call with the 2026 T20 World Cup and 2027 ODI World Cup in South Africa on the horizon.
Then again, nothing is ever truly surprising with South African cricket.
Their loss may be franchise circuit’s gain. So we ask—With his calendar now wide home, just how much more money can Klaasen earn in a year?
Key Takeaways
- We earlier estimated that South African men cricketers earned on average $68,000-$363,000 from national contracts, with top-tier salaries reaching around $468,000.
- In 2024, Klaasen played 4 ODIs and 15 T20Is. At a rate of $1900 per ODI and $911 per T20I, he earned approximately $21,265 in match fees. Having retired from Test cricket in late 2023, Klaasen likely held a mid-level white-ball only contract worth between $145,000-221,000. In total, his annual earnings from Cricket South Africa (CSA) likely ranged from $166,000-$242,000.
- Klaasen is currently active in the SA20, IPL, and MLC. Without international duties, his calendar opens up to other leagues like an entire season of The Hundred (already signed), partial stints in the CPL and the BBL, and possibly a shorter league like the Abu Dhabi T10. Altogether, this could earn him an additional $251,600-$602,000 annually— 4% to 263% increase over his former CSA income, effectively replacing or even exceeding his lost national contract.
- In total, Heinrich Klaasen’s earnings from franchise salaries alone will be about $3.5 million-$4.17 million.
Also Read: Salary of Cricketers (Men’s) from Each of the 12 Nations (2022)—The Complete Guide
Heinrich Klaasen T20 Franchise Salaries
Here are some new additions and salary changes in various franchise leagues this year.
- The BCCI introduced match fees of about $9000 if a player is included in the Playing XII of an IPL match.
- If Klaasen features in at least 10 matches, that is extra $90,000. If he plays all 14 league matches, that rises up to $126,000. If they go through the eliminator, qualifier, and the final, he can earn up to $153,000 extra with IPL match fees alone.
- Although his MLC salary is not explicitly stated, ESPNCricinfo reported that the top overseas signings received about $175,000. We estimated that the average MLC salary for overseas signings is about $92,200.
- Klaasen joined the Manchester Originals for the 2025 Hundred season. Salaries in The Hundred increased in 2025, where the top men’s players can now earn up to £200,000 compared to £125,000 before.
- Klaasen was a third draft pick in 2023 at £75,000/$96,186. Third draft pick has increased to £78,500 this year.
Note: Not all franchise tournaments reveal the exact signing amount for an overseas signing/retained player, so we provide a range. Klaasen is a highly sought-after T20 player, so his actual salary may be closer to the higher end.
Heinrich Klaasen’s Current Franchise Contracts ($3.27-$3.57 Million)
| League | Franchise | Salary |
| Indian Premier League (IPL) Contract | Sunrisers Hyderabad | $2.74 Million (Rs. 23 Crore) |
| IPL Match Fees | Sunrisers Hyderabad | $90,000-$153,000 |
| Major League Cricket (MLC) | Seattle Orcas | $92,000-$175,000 |
| SA T20 | Durban Super Giants | $240,000 (R. 4.5 Million) |
| The Hundred | Manchester Originals | $103,823-$264,518 (£78,500-£200,000) |
Potential Additions to Klaasen’s Calendar
Here are some of the other candidates for franchise tournaments and their salary amount. We previously investigated the richest franchise leagues based on average salaries in this article.
| League | Calendar | Salary Range |
| Abu Dhabi T10 League | Nov-Dec | $25,000-$100,000 |
| Lanka Premier League | July | $10,000-$60,000 |
| Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) | Jan-Feb | $20,000-$80,000 |
| Caribbean Premier League (CPL) | Aug-Sep | $50,000-$160,000 |
| Pakistan Super League (PSL) | Apr-May | $66,000-$300,000 |
| Big Bash League (BBL) | Nov-Feb | $63,600-$267,000 ($100,000-$420,000 AUD) |
| International League T20 (ILT20) | Jan-Feb | $138,000-$450,000 |
Note: Klaasen is unlikely to play in the PSL due to scheduling conflict with the IPL (April–May) since he’s been retained by SRH for the next couple of seasons.
Also, Global T20 Canada is in doubt for 2025 and hence has not been considered in this list.
Projected Calendar (2025-2027)
So now, we are ready to build Klaasen’s projected calendar.
Since the ILT20, BPL, and Super Smash collides with his home tournament SA20, he will not be able to accommodate these leagues and will only have space to play the first half of the Big Bash. In addition, since June-September is action packed T20 season, there will probably not be enough time to take part in the T20 Blast.
Since Klaasen won’t be available for the whole BBL season, I reckon his draft price will closer to the Bronze ($100,000 AUD)-Silver ($200,000 AUD) range, which is $63,600-$127,200 USD. Similarly, for the CPL, where he may only be available for the first half, his salary range may be closer to $60,000-$110,000 rather than $130,000-$190,000.
| Month | League | Est. Earnings |
|---|---|---|
| March–May | IPL | $2.74M + Match Fees |
| June–July | MLC | $92K – $175K |
| August | The Hundred | $103K – $265K |
| September | CPL (half season) | $60K – $110K |
| Nov–Dec | Abu Dhabi T10 | $25K – $100K |
| Dec–Jan | BBL (half season) | $63K – $127K |
| Jan–Feb | SA20 | $240K |
Final Thoughts
As a fan, I hope the door has not closed on Klaasen’s return to internationals.
Franchise cricket now owns the calendar. The only real gap? October—which fittingly happens to be when the next ODI World Cup is scheduled.
With the 2026 T20 World Cup on the horizon and a home 2027 ODI World Cup, losing a player of Klaasen’s calibre would be a real shame.
At nearly 34, he is prioritizing his future. So are several others. Kane Williamson and Trent Boult have already taken this route. And I’m sure, many more will follow.
One thing is for certain: As franchises compete for top talent, player salaries will keep rising.
International cricket, though? It may already be on its deathbed.
For a Complete List of Franchise Salaries, you can check out the following:
- What is the Salary of a SA20 player in South Africa? (Updated 2024)
- Salary of a player in The Hundred (Men’s) in England?
- Indian Premier League (IPL) Salary
- Big Bash League (BBL) Salary
- CPL Salary
© Copyright @Nitesh Mathur and Broken Cricket Dreams, LLC 2023. Originally published on 04/16/2025. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Broken Cricket Dreams with appropriate and specific direction to the original content (i.e. linked to the exact post/article).
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