The mega auction ahead of the IPL 2025 season is not far off. It is believed that the BCCI will conduct the auction at the end of November. Before this auction, all teams need to announce their retained and released players. A significant update has emerged regarding Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), who were the runners-up last season. The franchise may spend a whopping 23 crore rupees to retain a player. According to a report, Kavya Maran’s franchise will not be giving this amount to captain Pat Cummins or star opener Travis Head but instead will retain South Africa’s explosive wicketkeeper-batsman Heinrich Klaasen for the highest price.
Klaasen is the Top Choice, Cummins to Remain Captain
Hyderabad bought Pat Cummins for 20.50 crore rupees last season, making him the second most expensive player in IPL history. They also made him captain, and he led the team to the finals. However, SRH is not willing to retain him for the highest amount. According to ESPN Cricinfo, SRH will choose Klaasen as their first retention, as he scored 479 runs with an impressive strike rate of 171 last season. Cummins, on the other hand, will receive about 2.5 crore rupees less this time. The report states that the franchise will retain their captain for 18 crore rupees, and he will continue to hold the captaincy responsibilities.
Surprising Decision on Head and Abhishek
Meanwhile, SRH has decided to retain the young Indian batsman Abhishek Sharma, who surprised everyone with his explosive opening last season, for a third position and will pay him 14 crore rupees. The shocking part is that Abhishek scored 484 runs with a strike rate of 204 and hit the most sixes (42) in the tournament. Travis Head, however, outperformed both of them, scoring 567 runs at a strike rate of 191.55. It was expected that either Head or Cummins would be the first retention, but SRH’s decision to go with Klaasen has surprised many. However, it is clear that the franchise will also retain Head, although the salary for his retention is still uncertain.
Reddy Will Also Be Retained
Additionally, SRH plans to retain young all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy. He impressed in his debut season and recently made his T20 International debut for Team India, where he scored 74 runs off just 34 balls against Bangladesh and also took three wickets in the series. Thus, he is expected to be a crucial part of SRH in the next season. The BCCI has set October 31 as the deadline for retention.