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The SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) were one of the teams to watch out for in the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL). The Orange Army played an extremely exciting brand of cricket throughout the tournament and reached the final, where they went down to the Kolkata Knight Riders.
SRH are now in a good position ahead of the IPL 2025 auction. They have an enviable core with several retention options, both Indian and overseas. In such a situation, it might be tough for Hyderabad to arrive at the key players with simply cannot let go of at any cost.
While there is definitely the chance that the SunRisers will look to use all of their six retention slots ahead of the auction, it might also be prudent for them to keep hold of only three main players to give themselves some purse flexibility at the event.
On that note, here are three players SRH must retain ahead of IPL 2025.
#3 Abhishek Sharma
A player who has been with SRH for a while now, Abhishek Sharma reached his blistering best in the 2024 edition of the league. Given a free hand at the top of the order alongside Travis Head, the left-hander came up with some scintillating displays that nailed down his status as one of the country's most dangerous batters.
Abhishek's prowess against spin stood out throughout the tournament. He is excellent against both off-spin and leg-spin, making it very tough for teams to bowl to him. While there are a few niggling issues against hard lengths and swing, the 24-year-old is on course to become one of the IPL's most successful openers.
Abhishek's handy left-arm spin hasn't been tapped into yet, although he got the odd over in IPL 2024. Given his all-round prowess, age and obvious potential, it's a no-brainer for Hyderabad to keep hold of him.
#2 Travis Head
Travis Head was in high demand at the IPL 2024 auction, and he didn't disappoint. The Aussie opener ransacked opposition bowlers in the powerplay, often getting the SunRisers off to winning starts very early in matches.
Head has also carried his form into international cricket post the IPL. He has been a consistent performer across all white-ball cricket for Australia and is showing no signs of slowing down. He has very few holes in his game, and a player of his destructive ability is a massive asset to any T20 side.
Head's bowling has also been on the rise lately. His part-time off-spin could prove useful for certain matchups. As one of the most valuable limited-overs players in the world, he needs to be locked down by SRH.
#1 Heinrich Klaasen
Reports from certain quarters have suggested that Heinrich Klaasen will be SRH's first retention ahead of the IPL 2025 auction. And it's not hard to see why.
Klaasen is one of the most destructive batters in T20 cricket right now and dons a role that is very tough to master. The South African is often tasked with taking on spin in the middle overs, and he plays that style of bowling with a brutality and assurance that is rarely associated with overseas players. He is, of course, more than solid against pace and has the ability to bat at any position in the order.
Klaasen would also ensure that SRH have a keeping option in their ranks ahead of the auction, something which is always valuable. His experience and power mean that he simply cannot be released by the franchise.
