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The SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) had an excellent campaign in the 2024 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Pat Cummins was brought in as captain through a high-profile purchase at the auction, and the Aussie led the team to the final, where they lost to champions Kolkata Knight Riders.
Part of the reason behind SRH's run to the summit clash was the immense strength in all departments in their squad. In both the Indian and the overseas departments, the Orange Army have plenty of talent they will be keen on holding on to going forward.
However, Hyderabad will need to be careful when announcing their retentions, with concerns around the availability of some of their biggest stars. They have some key decisions to make ahead of the retention deadline.
On that note, here are the three best IPL 2025 retention combinations for SRH.
#3 Retain the entire core - Cummins (18) + Head (18) + Klaasen (14) + Abhishek (14) + Nitish (11)
There are five capped retention slots available, and SRH could use all five of them to keep hold of the entire core that took them to the IPL 2025 final.
Pat Cummins, whose leadership has come under immense praise lately, could stay as captain. Travis Head and Heinrich Klaasen are two of the world's best T20 batters right now and could give Cummins company in the overseas department.
Among the Indian picks, Abhishek Sharma will no doubt be retained. Nitish Kumar Reddy's recent involvement in the Bangladesh T20I series means that SRH will need to spend double-digit crores on him, but given how rare fast-bowling all-rounders are in the country, it would make sense to do so.
This would leave Hyderabad without much auction wiggle room, but their main men would be locked down for the next cycle.
#2 Get bold with it - Head (18) + Klaasen (14) + Abhishek (11) + Samad (4) + Markande (4)
Cummins is Australia's captain in two formats, and with high-profile tournaments like the Ashes on the cards, he might not be available throughout the upcoming campaigns. Moreover, his bowling isn't irreplaceable in the shortest format.
SRH could thus keep Klaasen, Head, and Abhishek with their first three slots and decide to buy back Cummins and Nitish at cheaper rates in the IPL 2025 auction. The latter won't come cheap, but the overall amount might still be less than shelling out another ₹18 crore on a fourth capped retention.
Hyderabad could decide to keep a couple of uncapped players in the form of Abdul Samad, who is showing signs of improving, and Mayank Markande, who played a big role in their run to the final. Markande qualifies since he last played an international game in February 2019.
#1 Retain just the essentials - Head (18) + Klaasen (18) + Abhishek (14) + Nitish (11)
Head, Klaasen, and Abhishek are indispensable to SRH. So is Nitish, who could become one of the cornerstones of the franchise going forward. The SunRisers could thus decide to retain all four, which would leave them with an enviable core that covers several bases.
This would take a considerable ₹18 crore out of their purse, but letting go of any of the quartet might not end well for the Orange Army. Explosive openers will be available in the market, but none as consistent and destructive as Head, who has been in impressive form with both bat and ball. Klaasen adds some much-needed weight to the middle order, with Abhishek and Nitish being two of India's brightest prospects.
