Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) broke the retention ceiling by acquiring the explosive Heinrich Klaasen for an astounding ₹23 crore, making him the most expensive retained player in IPL history. This decision came as a shockwave during the IPL 2025 retentions.
The Orange Army hasn’t just opened their wallet for one star – they’ve orchestrated a massive five-player retention strategy that would make every franchise take notice. Despite commanding a hefty fee of Rs 18 crore, it is a slight pay cut for Australian captain Pat Cummins, who earned Rs 20.50 crore last season. The explosive Travis Head and homegrown sensation Abhishek Sharma are locked in at Rs 14 crore each. Rising star Nitish Kumar Reddy rounds out the retention list at ₹6 crore.
By spending an incredible Rs 75 crore to secure their core group, the Kavya Maran-owned team has shown their audacious vision for the IPL 2025 mega auction. SRH still have Rs 45 crore in their auction purse. However, they will enter the IPL 2025 mega auction with just one RTM card. Moreover, they can use this just for an uncapped players, due to the fact that all five of SRH’s retentions were capped players.
Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) IPL 2025 Retentions
| Player | Price (Crores) (INR) | Capped/Uncapped |
|---|---|---|
| Heinrich Klaasen | 23.00 | Capped |
| Pat Cummins | 18.00 | Capped |
| Abhishek Sharma | 14.00 | Capped |
| Nitish Reddy | 6.00 | Capped |
| Travis Head | 11.00 | Capped |
Will the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) exercise one Right To Match (RTM) cards and try to lure their young guns back? Well, we know as much as you do but still Insidesport has tried to analyze who could be SRH’s RTM card options. SRH can use their RTM card on just one uncapped player.
What is RTM card in IPL 2025?
The Right to Match (RTM) card gives teams a chance to reacquire their players by matching the highest bid placed on them during the auction. For instance, if the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) aim to bring Mayank Markande back, they can use their RTM card, enabling them to equal the top bid and secure his services.
However, there’s a catch here. According to the updated RTM rule, any franchise bidding on a player can continue raising their offer even after an RTM card is used. If the original team with the RTM card is willing to match the increased bid, the player will return to his former franchise.
RTM Card for SRH: Abdul Samad to be an ideal choice?
Leading the pack is the explosive Abdul Samad, whose journey from the valleys of Jammu & Kashmir to the vibrant IPL stage has been nothing short of remarkable. The 23-year-old power-hitter has been SRH’s go-to finisher, lighting up the 2024 season with a blazing strike rate of 168.51.
With 182 runs across 16 innings last season and a career tally of 577 runs in 50 games, Samad’s ability to clear the ropes at will makes him a valuable asset in modern T20 cricket. His uncapped status, coupled with his proven track record in Orange, could see SRH wielding their RTM card to bring their finisher back home. Samad recently hammered twin centuries in a Ranji Trophy game against Odisha. Moreover, SRH will almost have a complete batting unit if they get back Samad, with him operating in the lower-order.
RTM Card for SRH: Left-field choice, Akash Singh
Flying somewhat under the radar is left-arm quick Akash Singh, a promising talent who’s yet to don the Orange jersey in an IPL fixture. Despite not getting game time in IPL 2024, Akash’s credentials are intriguing. With previous stints at Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Rajasthan Royals (RR), and a current rich vein of form in Ranji Trophy cricket for Baroda, the youngster brings valuable left-arm variety to the pace attack.
His ability to swing the new ball into right-handers at decent pace could be particularly appealing to skipper Pat Cummins, who knows a thing or two about fast bowling. If SRH don’t get someone like T Natarajan back with normal bidding, they should try to bring Akash Singh, who is just 22-year-old talent.
More on IPL 2025
RTM Card for SRH: Uncapped or “capped” Mayank Markande?
Here’s another possible acquisition. Mayank Markande. While a joke has been going around that the new uncapped rule was made for MS Dhoni to play IPL 2025, SRH could also utilize the previously scrapped rule to bring back Markande. Leg-spinners are a must for every team. While the likes of Yuzvendra Chahal and Wanindu Hasaranga will be up for auction, someone like Markande will go under the radar.
The 26-year-old played his only T20 international back in February 2019, meaning it was more than five years ago. Hence, he will be considered an uncapped player now. Markande has played for three IPL franchises and has 37 wickets in as many games. Interestingly, he has been on song in the ongoing Ranji Trophy, scalping 16 wickets at a bowling average of 17.56 in just four matches.
Which players should SRH use RTM on?
- Abdul Samad, Mayank Markande, Akash Singh
Released players by SRH before IPL 2025 Auction
Abdul Samad, Aiden Markram, Marco Jansen, Rahul Tripathi, Washington Sundar, Glenn Phillips, Sanvir Singh, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mayank Agarwal, T. Natarajan, Anmolpreet Singh, Mayank Markande, Upendra Singh Yadav, Umran Malik, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Shahbaz Ahmed, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth, Jaydev Unadkat, Akash Singh, Jhathavedh Subramanyan, Wanindu Hasaranga.
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