He joined the South Australia Redbacks for the 2008–09 season, was named their Captain in 2010, and was recognised as the State Player of the Year in both 2009 and 2010. He was one of the 350 players under the hammer for the IPL Auction 2011, and was bought by Kochi Tuskers Kerala. In 2014 he was recruited by the Perth Scorchers and then also played for Western Australia. In March 2018, he announced his retirement from first-class cricket. Klinger was born in Kew, Victoria, Australia, and is Jewish. He completed an undergraduate applied science degree and a Master of Business (Sport Management) degree at Deakin University. As a young batsman, Klinger was named Captain of the Australia Under 19's Men's Cricket team – his deputy being Michael Clarke who subsequently became captain of the national team. Klinger began as an 18-year-old in the 1998–99 season. His career lowlight was the 2000–01 season when he made a famous 99 not out, with captain Paul Reiffel declaring the innings closed, a move which brought great controversy and remains the only batsman in Australian cricket to be stranded on 99 due to a declaration. This caused Klinger some great upset, and following it Klinger had several less successful years, but returned to contention for a spot in the Victorian Bushrangers side for the 2005–06 season. He quickly made his first first-class century, and then followed it up with his first List A one-day century, but his first-class form soon dropped, and he was replaced in the side by Lloyd Mash, not to return in the Pura Cup all season. In 2003 he was the club professional for Walkden in the Bolton Cricket League. In Season 2006–07 he started off in the outer from the Pura Cup side, but started off his Ford Ranger Cup season in style, nearly getting a century early on, and then following it up with one. He led the runs scoring in the competition for much of the season, eventually finishing 3rd. Klinger's rise to the Pura Cup team came only when Brad Hodge was called up by Australia for their ODI Series, and Klinger's recent form had been wavy, with his last game for the 2nd XI yielding a first innings duck, but second innings century. Klinger was soon to do the same for the 1st XI, but the century ensured that when Hodge returned, Klinger survived. He finished the season as a regular fixture of the Bushrangers side, and was part of a great partnership with David Hussey in a match against NSW, in which the Vics defied all odds to chase down a massive total of 360 on an extremely poor 4th day pitch (it was later described as a 3rd day pitch on day 1 by Hussey), scoring 102.