Sunrisers Hyderabad are preparing for IPL 2025 by making key decisions on player retentions. BCCI has asked all the IPL franchises to submit the list of their retained player by the end of 31st October 2024. Now according to the latest report from ESPNCricinfo, South Africa’s explosive batter Heinrich Klaasen is set to be their top choice. Klaasen will be retained for a whopping INR 23 crore. He is expected to be their first retained player.
Along with Klaasen, Sunrisers Hyderabad have also locked in two other important players- Australian allrounder Pat Cummins and Indian all-rounder Abhishek Sharma. The captain of the team during IPL 2024, Pat Cummins will be retained for INR 18 crore. Abhishek Sharma, another standout performer for the team, will be retained for INR 14 crore. Both players have played crucial roles in the team’s success and are seen as key members moving forward.
The team isn’t stopping with these three players. Sunrisers are also expected to finalize retentions for Australian batter Travis Head and young Indian allrounder Nitish Kumar Reddy very soon. The deadline for teams to complete their player retentions has been set for October 31.
Pat Cummins, who led Sunrisers Hyderabad to the final in IPL 2024, will continue as the team’s captain for the upcoming season. His leadership, combined with his vast experience in international cricket, has helped the team improve after several struggling seasons. Under Cummins’ captaincy, Sunrisers made it to the playoffs and he is expected to build on that success in 2025.
The IPL has made changes to the rules for retentions, allowing each team to retain up to six players from their 2024 squads. This includes a maximum of five capped players, whether Indian or overseas and two uncapped Indian players. Teams can retain players through retention deals or by using right-to-match (RTM) cards during the auction. RTM cards allow teams to reclaim a player they previously had if that player is bid on by other teams during the auction. The purse, or total budget, for the 2025 auction is INR 120 crore, giving teams plenty of funds to build their squads.
There are also different salary caps for retained players, with INR 18 crore, INR 14 crore, and INR 11 crore being set for the first three capped players retained by a team. The next two capped players can be retained for INR 18 crore and INR 14 crore. For uncapped Indian players, the maximum retention price is set at INR 4 crore. However, teams have some flexibility and can divide their retention budget as they see fit among their capped players, up to INR 75 crore.
Sunrisers Hyderabad’s decision to focus on retaining their core players is a smart move that reflects the strategies of successful teams in the IPL. By holding onto key players like Klaasen, Cummins, Abhishek Sharma, and possibly Travis Head and Nitish Kumar Reddy, the team is building a strong foundation for the future.
Klaasen’s value to the team has grown significantly. In fact, his market value has increased by 338% since Sunrisers first bought him at the mini-auction ahead of IPL 2023 for INR 5.25 crore. Over the last two seasons, Klaasen has proven himself to be one of the best T20 batters in the world, scoring 927 runs in 26 innings at a strike rate of 174 while playing for Sunrisers. His ability to finish innings with big hits and powerful strokes has made him an essential part of the team’s batting lineup.
Abhishek Sharma has also seen a major boost in his value. Thanks to his strong performances in IPL 2024, where he struck the ball at a high rate and made crucial contributions, Abhishek has earned a 115% salary hike. He even earned a call-up to India’s T20I squad as a result of his IPL success. At IPL 2024, Abhishek had the highest strike rate among the top-ten run scorers in the tournament, making him a demandable player.
Travis Head and Abhishek formed one of the most dangerous opening pairs in IPL 2024, regularly hitting strike rates over 200. Head finished the season fourth on the overall run-scoring chart, with 567 runs in 15 innings at a strike rate of 191.55. Abhishek contributed 484 runs at an incredible strike rate of 204.21. Klaasen was also a key part of the team’s success, adding 479 runs at a strike rate of 171.07.
Nitish Reddy, a 21-year-old seam-bowling allrounder, also impressed during the 2024 season. He recently made his debut for India and showcased his potential by smashing 74 off 34 balls in just his second game. Reddy showed a consistent performance for Sunrisers, where he scored 303 runs at a strike rate of 142.92 and took three wickets.
If Sunrisers Hyderabad finalizes the retention of all five players (Klaasen, Cummins, Abhishek, Head, and Reddy), they will have one RTM card to use during the mega auction. This RTM card can only be used for an uncapped Indian player, giving them the opportunity to reclaim a young talent from their 2024 squad.
