New Delhi: Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) are reportedly set to spend a whopping Rs 23 crore to retain South Africa batter Heinrich Klaasen ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 mega auction. SRH have decided on the five players that they want to retain ahead of the auction and have also finalised the price brackets for their top three retentions.
As per a report in ESPN Cricinfo, Klaasen is set to be SRH’s top retention for a jaw-dropping sum of Rs 23 crore followed by captain Pat Cummins, who is likely to be retained at Rs 18 crore. The finalists from IPL 2023 have decided to retain India all-rounder Abhishek Sharma for Rs 14 crore. They are also in talks with Travis Head and Nitish Reddy to finalise their retentions.
As per BCCI rules, a franchise can retain up to six players either via direct retentions, RTMs or a combination of retentions and RTMs. Each franchise can retain a maximum of five capped (Indians or overseas) and two uncapped Indian players. The BCCI has also set different retention slabs for the franchises. Mitchell Starc, who was bought for Rs 24.75 crore by Kolkata Knight Riders in the auction last year, is the most expensive player in IPL history.
Can a franchise retain a player for more than Rs 18 crore?
The slabs are Rs 18 crore, Rs 14 crore and Rs 11 for the first three capped retentions and Rs 18 crore and Rs 14 crore for the 4th and 5th retentions. An uncapped Indian player can be retained for Rs 4 crore. A franchise will have to shell out Rs 75 crore from the total purse of Rs 120 crore if they want to retain 5 capped players.
However, the franchises have been allowed the freedom to divide the total pot of Rs 75 crore among their five retained player as per their wish, which effectively means it’s at the sole discretion of the franchise how much they want to pay a particular player to retain him. The entire Rs 75 crore will be deducted from their overall purse even if they manage to retain 5 capped players at a combined salary of lower than the allotted amount.
For example, if SRH pay Rs 23 crore for Klaasen, Rs 18 crore for Cummins and Rs 14 crore for Abhsihek, they will have Rs 20 crore left from the Rs 75 crore pot which they can distribute as per their liking among their next two retentions. They can even choose to retain their next two players for a combined sum of Rs 15 crore by negotiating a lower salary. However, the Rs 20 crore will still be deducted from their purse for the mega auction.
How did Klaasen, Cummins and Abhishek perform in IPL 2023
Klaasen, Cummins and Abhishek played a key role in helping SRH dominate throughout the IPL 2024 and reach their first final since 2018. Klaasen smashed 479 runs for the franchise at a stunning strike rate of over 71. Abhishek formed a destructive opening pair with Head and amassed 484 runs in 16 matches at a strike rate of over 204.
Cummins, who was appointed as captain ahead of IPL 2023, did an excellent job as a leader and helped the team reach the final. The Australian pacer also picked up 18 wickets in 16 matches for the finalists. He is set to continue leading SRH in IPL 2025 if his retention goes through successfully.
