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Having stood last in the Indian Premier League (IPL) in 2023, SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) made a sensational comeback to finish runners-up in the T20 league earlier this year. A change of guard made a huge difference as Pat Cummins took over from Aiden Markram and promoted an ultra-aggressive brand of cricket, which almost saw Hyderabad lift the trophy for the second time.
SunRisers Hyderabad finished second in the IPL 2024 points table, winning eight of their 14 league matches. SRH lost two of their first three games. However, they fought back with four consecutive wins, breaking a few batting records. They put up some strong performances to reach the final, but Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) proved too good for them in the summit clash.
With the mega auction coming ahead of the IPL 2025 season, Hyderabad can retain only six players from the current squad. As per the new retention rules for the T20 league, a maximum of five cricketers can be capped, while a maximum of two players can be uncapped. On that note, here's predicting the six players SRH could retain for IPL 2025 - either directly or via the Right to Match (RTM) option.
#1 Pat Cummins
SunRisers Hyderabad should retain their captain Cummins, who was instrumental in turning around the franchise's fortunes after they endured a few disastrous seasons. He is a proven leader, having captained Australia to glory in the 2023 World Test Championship (WTC) and the 2023 ODI World Cup. Under him, SRH faltered only at the final hurdle in IPL 2024.
Looking at his performance in IPL 2024, the right-arm pacer claimed 18 wickets in 16 matches, with a best of 3-43. Cummins is also a handy lower-order hitter, who contributed 136 runs at a strike rate of 143.16 in Hyderabad's run to the final. The franchise should back him to continue as captain of the ship.
#2 Heinrich Klaasen
South Africa's Heinrich Klaasen has been excellent for SunRisers Hyderabad with the bat over the last couple of seasons. His big-hitting, combined with his consistency, has single-handedly helped SRH fight back from tricky situations. As such, it would be a surprise if Hyderabad did not retain him.
Klaasen hammered 479 runs in 16 matches in IPL 2024, averaging 39.92 at a strike rate of 171.07, with the aid of four half-centuries. The Proteas batter was carrying on from where he left off in the previous season when he clobbered 448 runs in 12 matches at an average of 49.78 and a strike rate of 177.08. His stats included one hundred and two fifties.
#3 Travis Head
Australia's dashing opening batter Travis Head was one of the main reasons SRH had a fabulous IPL 2024 season. He took on bowling attacks from the word do and completely unsettled oppositions. Unfortunately for Hyderabad, the southpaw lost his rhythm towards the business end of the tournament, which massively hurt the team's fortunes.
Despite a lackluster finish to the season, Head was among the leading run-getters in IPL 2024. In 15 matches, he smashed 567 runs at an average of 40.50 and a strike rate of 191.55, with one hundred and four fifties. The left-hander clobbered 102 off 41 balls against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), 89 off 30 balls against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), and 89 off 32 versus Delhi Capitals (DC).
#4 Abhishek Sharma
Abhishek Sharma formed a sensational combination with Head at the top of the order for SRH in IPL 2024. The young Indian batter has been part of the Hyderabad franchise for a few seasons. However, in the company of Head, he flourished like never before.
The Head-Abhishek duo featured in three century stands in IPL 2024. They added 167* against LSG in Hyderabad, 131 against DC in Delhi, and 108 versus RCB in Bengaluru. Looking at Abhishek's performance, the 24-year-old smashed 484 runs in 16 matches at a superb strike rate of 204.22, proving to be the perfect foil for Head.
#5 T Natarajan
SRH have backed left-arm pacer T Natarajan through thick and thin. To his credit, the Tamil Nadu cricketer has delivered when fit more often than not. As such, he stands a more than decent chance of being retained by SunRisers Hyderabad for the IPL 2025 season.
If we talk about Natarajan's stats, the 33-year-old picked up 19 wickets in 14 matches in IPL 2024, averaging 24.47 at an economy rate of 9.06, with a best of 4-19.
In his IPL career, the 'yorker king' has picked up 67 scalps in 61 matches at an average of 29.39 and an economy rate of 8.84.
#6 Abdul Samad (Uncapped)
Ideally, SRH would also want to retain all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy from the current squad. However, since the 21-year-old has been picked in the Indian team for the T20Is against Bangladesh, there is a fair chance that he might become a capped player soon.
Among uncapped players, Hyderabad could retain batting all-rounder Abdul Samad, who has been with the franchise for quite a few years. The 22-year-old cricketer from Jammu and Kashmir has the experience of 50 IPL games and has scored 577 runs at a strike rate of 146.08. Samad is seen as someone handy at the death with the willow, given his big-hitting ability.
