One-time IPL champions SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) have named their retained players before the mega auction. 

Starting the IPL journey in the 2013 edition, SRH have impressed with their performances. They won the IPL 2016 after beating Royal Challengers Bangalore in the final. They also finished as the runners-up two times, including the last season. 

While Chennai Super Kings beat the SRH in the IPL 2018 final, Kolkata Knight Riders defeated them in the IPL 2024 final. After finishing the previous three seasons in the league stage, captain Pat Cummins’ record-value joining opened their luck in the last season. Although they finished as the runners-up, cricket fans heavily enjoyed their aggressive batting attitude. 

SunRisers Hyderabad player retention

SRH utilised INR 75 crore to secure five capped retentions. The franchise will use the remaining INR 45 crore in the upcoming mega auction.

(Capped)

Heinrich Klaasen (South African): INR 23 Crore

Pat Cummins (Australian): INR 18 Crore

Abhishek Sharma (Indian): INR 14 Crore

Travis Head (Australian): INR 14 Crore

Nitish Kumar Reddy (Indian): INR 6 Crore

(Uncapped)

None

Right-to-Match (RTM) card availability for the mega auction

1 uncapped player

The IPL retention deadline is less than 24 hours away, and the SunRisers Hyderabad’s (SRH) possible retention has been revealed, including two new additions.

October 31 is the deadline for the IPL retention. Earlier, ESPNcricinfo reported that Heinrich Klaasen will be the top retained player for SRH, along with Pat Cummins and Abhishek Sharma. That report also suggested that Klaasen will be valued at INR 23 crore, while the captain Cummins’ value will be INR 18 crore. Abhishek Sharma will earn INR 14 crore. 

SEE ALSO: CSK’s retention hints spark IPL 2025 buzz

Travis Head and Nitish Kumar Reddy are the other retentions for SRH

Now, ESPNcricinfo has brought another information about SRH retention. Without any surprise, Australian cricketer Travis Head and Indian cricketer Nitish Kumar Reddy will complete the capped player retention for SRH. The report further added that Head will earn INR 14 crore, while Reddy will be signed for INR 6 crore.

While there is no news about any uncapped player retention by SRH, the IPL 2016 winners can use the only Right-to-Match (RTM) card for an uncapped player during the mega auction.

SRH players shined in the IPL 2024

SRH stormed in the IPL 2024, where they set a new example of T20 cricket aggressiveness. It was the third time when SRH played an IPL final, where they suffered a defeat against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to finish the season as the runners-up.

Head was the leading run-scorer for SRH and the fourth-leading run-scorer in the IPL 2024. He scored 567 runs in 15 innings with an average of 40.50 and a strike rate of 191.55, including one century and four half-centuries.

Abhishek Sharma and Heinrich Klaasen were the next two most run-scorers for SRH in the IPL 2024. Sharma scored 484 runs with a strike rate of 204.21, and Klaasen scored 479 runs with a strike rate of 171.07. Sharma also took two wickets.

Captain Pat Cummins was the joint ninth leading wicket-taker for SRH in the IPL 2024 by finishing with 18 wickets in 16 matches. However, the Indian left-arm pacer T Natarajan was their leading wicket-taker in the IPL 2024 season with 19 wickets. 

Nitish Kumar Reddy scored 303 runs in 11 innings with an average of 33.66 and a strike rate of 142.92. He also took three wickets in that season. 

This means that SRH can’t retain their most successful bowler Bhuvaneshwar Kumar. The only 100 wickets taker for SRH has taken 157 wickets in 145 matches. In the last season, Kumar took 11 wickets in 16 matches. However, he was one of the most economical bowlers, especially in the powerplay. 

The final of the IPL 2024 season will be played between Kolkata Knight Riders vs Sunrisers Hyderabad at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Sunday, May 26, 2024. However, Sunrisers Hyderabad won the toss and opted to bat first.

KKR won nine games so far and lost three in the league stage as well. However, they won the Qualifier 1 and reached the final. On the other hand, SRH won eight games so far and lost five games in the league stage. They then beat RR in the Qualifier 2 and reached the final. However, both teams will try to win the final and lift the coveted trophy as well. This is going to be an exciting match for sure.

ALSO READ: Zaheer Khan shares MS Dhoni’s plans after IPL 2024

IPL 2024: KKR vs SRH, Final: Who said what at the toss?

Pat Cummins – We will bat first. Looks like a good wicket, played on a different wicket the other night. There was no dew on the other night’s game, but when it does, it’s verydamaging. We’ve had now dew the other night, I don’t feel there’ll be any today, I want to crack withthe batfirst. We have a style that doesn’t work always, but when it does work, it’s very damagiing. We have done well defending scores. Pretty much the same, Shahbaz comes in for Samad.

Shreyas Iyer – We would have bowled, we’ll get a fair idea about how the pitch will play. It;s a red soil and we played our last game on a similar surface. We need to stay with the present, stick to the basics and execute all our plans. Every individual is taking responsibility, this is a big game, we’ve plenty of people who’re playing in a final for the first time, nervous, but this is also a good chance. We’re going with the same team

Playing XIs:

Kolkata Knight Riders: Rahmanullah Gurbaz(w), Sunil Narine, Venkatesh Iyer, Shreyas Iyer(c), Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh, Mitchell Starc, Vaibhav Arora, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakaravarthy

Kolkata Knight Riders Impact Subs: Anukul Roy, Manish Pandey, Nitish Rana, KS Bharat, Sherfaine Rutherford

Sunrisers Hyderabad: Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Rahul Tripathi, Aiden Markram, Nitish Reddy, Heinrich Klaasen(w), Shahbaz Ahmed, Pat Cummins(c), Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jaydev Unadkat, T Natarajan

Sunrisers Hyderabad Impact Subs: Umran Malik, Glenn Phillips, Mayank Markande, Abdul Samad, Washington Sundar

Sunrisers Hyderabad’s skipper, Pat Cummins, has consistently batted at number 8 in the batting order. However, given his impressive strike rate and ability to contribute valuable runs, there is a growing argument that he should be promoted to a higher position in the lineup. In the ongoing IPL season, Cummins has scored 107 runs in 8 innings at a blazing strike rate of 150.

Pat Cummins’ Recent Performance

Cummins’ strike rate of 150 is among the highest for a player batting lower in the order. His ability to score quickly can provide much-needed momentum, especially during the middle and late overs.

See Also: Dinesh Karthik hints at IPL retirement, receives Guard of Honour from teammates

In the first Qualifying Match against Kolkata Knight Riders, SRH could have been all-out for under 130. Cummins, coming in after a poor start by SRH’s top order, scored 30 crucial runs off 24 balls at a strike rate of 125. His innings helped SRH post a competitive total of 159.

Breaking Records

Cummins’ performance against KKR also saw him enter the history books, breaking a 16-year-old record for the highest individual score while batting at number 9 or lower in IPL knockout rounds. The previous record was held by Ramesh Pawar, who scored 28* for Punjab Kings against Chennai Super Kings in IPL 2008.

Strategic Advantages of Promoting Cummins

If Cummins bat at number 6 or 7, he could stabilise the middle order. His ability to hold one end and build partnerships could prevent collapses and ensure a steady flow of runs.

KKR has successfully employed a strategy similar to Sunil Narine, who was promoted to open the innings. Narine scored 482 runs in the season, showcasing that bowlers can make significant contributions with the bat when given the opportunity.

Cummins’ Perspective

When asked about his batting position, Cummins expressed contentment with his current role but acknowledged the importance of being prepared for all aspects of the game. “I’m pretty happy down at No. 8 or 9. I feel like my role in the team as a batsman is to try and survive, bat extra time, and hopefully, I’ve got a batsman at the other end who’s set and can cash in,” he said.

The Argument for Change

Promoting Cummins could increase SRH’s batting depth, making the lineup more resilient. This would allow other batters to play more freely, knowing there is a reliable player to follow.

A flexible batting order that can adapt to different match situations is crucial in T20 cricket. Cummins’ ability to score quickly and adjust to the problem can add flexibility to SRH’s lineup. Cummins is not just a bowler; he is a genuine all-rounder. Utilizing his batting skills more effectively could maximize his contribution to the team, enhancing SRH’s overall performance.

The Qualifier 1 of the IPL 2024 season will be played between Kolkata Knight Riders vs Sunrisers Hyderabad at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Tuesday, May 21, 2024. However, Sunrisers Hyderabad won the toss and opted to bat first.

KKR won nine games so far and lost three as well. On the other hand, SRH won eight games so far and lost five games as well. However, both teams will try to win the game and keep the momentum on. This is going to be an exciting match for both teams as well.

ALSO READ: Zaheer Khan shares MS Dhoni’s plans after IPL 2024

IPL 2024: KKR vs SRH, Qualifier 1: Who said what at the toss?

Pat Cummins: We gonna have a bat, looks like a good wicket and expect a high-scoring game. The batting group has been amazing for us and hopefully more of the same tonight. We are playing pretty much the same eleven as the last game.

Shreyas Iyer: I would have loved to bowl. I had a chat with the curator and he said it’s a mixed soil, let’s see how it plays, hoping for a good game. Important that we keep the momentum going and stay in the present. Great achievement (finising at the top of the table) and everyone is proud of it, we are taking one match at a time and we need to be positive about what’s going to happen here. We are going with the same team.

Playing XIs:

Kolkata Knight Riders: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (w), Sunil Narine, Venkatesh Iyer, Shreyas Iyer (c), Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh, Mitchell Starc, Vaibhav Arora, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakaravarthy

Kolkata Knight Riders Impact Subs: Anukul Roy, Manish Pandey, Nitish Rana, KS Bharat, Sherfaine Rutherford

Sunrisers Hyderabad: Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Rahul Tripathi, Nitish Reddy, Heinrich Klaasen (w), Abdul Samad, Shahbaz Ahmed, Pat Cummins (c), Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth, T Natarajan

Sunrisers Hyderabad Impact Subs: Sanvir Singh, Umran Malik, Glenn Phillips, Washington Sundar, Jaydev Unadkat

The 69th match of the IPL 2024 season will be played between Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Punjab Kings at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Sunday, May 19, 2024. However, Punjab Kings won the toss and opted to bat first.

SRH won seven games so far and lost five as well. On the other hand, PBKS won five games so far and they lost eight games as well. However, both teams will try to win the game and keep the momentum on. This is going to be an exciting match for both teams as well.

ALSO READ: Zaheer Khan shares MS Dhoni’s plans after IPL 2024

IPL 2024: SRH vs PBKS, Match 69: Who said what at the toss?

Pat Cummins: The fans have been awesome this season here. We are pretty well set-up for both (bat first or ball first. I’m a terrible reader of wickets, looks like a nice wicket. Looks dry and firm. Only one change for us. Rahul Tripathi comes in for a bowler.

Jitesh Sharma: We would like to bat. I think wicket is looking good, we want to score big and put SRH under pressure. Proud and grateful to captain my side today. We have few options because all the overseas have gone gone. Only Rilee Rossouw is gonna play. We have exciting talent waiting for their opportunity and they are gonna give their best today. Nothing to lose today, we are here to play some good cricket.

Playing XIs:

Sunrisers Hyderabad: Abhishek Sharma, Nitish Reddy, Rahul Tripathi, Heinrich Klaasen(w), Abdul Samad, Shahbaz Ahmed, Sanvir Singh, Pat Cummins(c), Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth, T Natarajan

Sunrisers Hyderabad Impact Subs: Travis Head, Umran Malik, Glenn Phillips, Washington Sundar, Jaydev Unadkat

Punjab Kings: Prabhsimran Singh, Atharva Taide, Rilee Rossouw, Shashank Singh, Jitesh Sharma(w/c), Ashutosh Sharma, Shivam Singh, Harpreet Brar, Rishi Dhawan, Harshal Patel, Rahul Chahar

Punjab Kings Impact Subs: Arshdeep Singh, Tanay Thyagarajan, Prince Choudhary, Vidhwath Kaverappa, Harpreet Singh Bhatia

The all-important match between SunRisers Hyderabad and Gujarat Titans (SRH vs GT) at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in the ongoing IPL 2024 has been abandoned due to rain (no toss).

SRH qualified for the playoff

With the match being abandoned, SRH qualified for the playoffs, but this washed out their hopes of a top-two finish as well. While they need to beat Punjab on Sunday, Rajasthan also need to lose their final group game as well. For Gujarat Titans, the win won’t change their fate as well as they are already knocked out of the playoff race. Now either Chennai Super Kings or Royal Challengers Bengaluru will qualify for the final 4, depending on the last few league matches as well.

However, GT had a poor show in this season. They have managed five wins and seven losses so far. Ahead of this game, Shubman Gill, the Gujarat Titans captain opened up on the team’s early exit in IPL 2024. The absence of key players, losing close matches and a below-par fielding performance in the season are a few reasons for their poor shows as well.

ALSO READ: Zaheer Khan shares MS Dhoni’s plans after IPL 2024

Gujarat Titans didn’t have a great season in IPL 2024

While Hardik Pandya moved to Mumbai Indians, Mohammed Shami was forced to miss the tournament due to an injury as well. Moreover, Rashid Khan just returned from an injury and wasn’t at his best of form. David Miller and Wriddhiman Saha also struggled with niggles as well.

“We’ve been a bit up and down this season. It’s important in a big season like this to be balanced as a team and as a performing unit, which we were not able to do this season,” said Gill. “It’s never easy. Some of our key players got injured before the season and in the season as well we have had some injuries. It’s never easy when you have had injuries in between and our team was such we had to completely change our team combination in between, because of some players getting injured. And then it’s not easy for some players coming in to be able to perform straightaway.”

“Apart from that I think it’s just a matter of one match… one match here and there. The match that we lost against Delhi by one run. A match like that could go either way, which I think in the first couple of years a lot of our matches like that went in our favour. At the end of the day, winning and losing, the margin is so close it’s hard to identify or pinpoint a moment or a particular area. But I think collectively as a fielding unit we let ourselves down in some of the key moments,” Shubman Gill concluded.

Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) are set to return to action after a seven-day break in the ongoing IPL season, which is a rarity among teams in this edition. Their last match, held on May 8, witnessed a dominant performance by openers Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma, who propelled SRH to victory against Lucknow Super Giants with an explosive display of batting, reaching 167/0 in just 9.4 overs. This victory not only boosted their confidence but also significantly improved their net run rate, leading to the elimination of Mumbai Indians from the playoffs race.

During SRH’s break, two more teams, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Rajasthan Royals (RR), secured their spots in the playoffs, with KKR also securing a place in the top two. SRH still has a chance to feature in Qualifier 1, but they need to win their next two matches and hope that Rajasthan Royals drop one, which would bring net run rate into play.

 “Yeah, it is a bonus to have a week’s break in an IPL tournament; I’ve been involved with SRH for just over a decade now and I think there’s never been a break like that before,” says Sunrisers’ assistant coach Simon Helmot. “It’s nice to refresh…nice to have the time to catch up with friends and family.”

“The most supporting crowd that I can ever remember…”

The return to action for SRH raises questions about whether they can maintain their aggressive form after the extended break. Throughout this season, SRH’s performances have ignited excitement among fans, resulting in sell-out crowds in Hyderabad, a phenomenon not seen in previous seasons. SRH will be eager to reciprocate this support with another victory, which would confirm their place in the playoffs.

“We remember the first years here at SRH when we were developing a fan base. There may have been some space in the crowd, there may have even been times when there was some support for the opposition as well. But hasn’t that changed?…I’ll say this year has been the most vocal, the nosiest, and the most supporting crowd that I can ever remember,” says Helmot, who calls the crowd their “13th impact player”. 

In their upcoming match, SRH will face the Gujarat Titans, who have been knocked out of the playoffs race after rain disrupted their previous game in Ahmedabad. Despite a lacklustre season, the Shubman Gill-led Titans aim to end on a positive note and potentially disrupt SRH’s aspirations. In their last match before the abandonment, the Titans posted a formidable total of 231 against Chennai Super Kings, with contributions from Gill and Sai Sudharsan.

However, their middle order has struggled throughout the season, with only two fifty-plus scores and the lowest average among all teams. The Titans will rely on bowlers like Mohit Sharma and former SRH player Rashid Khan to contain SRH’s aggressive batting lineup.

SRH’s upcoming matches in IPL 2024

The match between SRH and GT is scheduled to take place on Thursday, May 16, at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad. SRH holds the advantage of playing on home turf, where they have secured four wins out of five matches this season. However, they faced a defeat against Royal Challengers Bangalore due to the effective combination of change of pace and spin on a slow surface. In head-to-head encounters, SRH has lost three matches in a row against GT, but this will be their first meeting in Hyderabad.

Both teams will be closely monitoring their lineups for the upcoming match. SRH has no fitness concerns, while GT may consider sticking to their recent combination, which includes Matthew Wade and Kartik Tyagi. Key matchups to watch out for include Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s success against Gill and the effectiveness of SRH’s spinners against GT’s top-order batsmen.

See Also: Sandeep Lamichhane gets clean chit by Patan High Court, likely to play T20 World Cup 2024

In summary, as SRH returns to action after a break, they aim to continue their aggressive form against the struggling Gujarat Titans. With playoffs hopes at stake, both teams will be eager to put their best foot forward and secure a positive result in their final league match of the season.

The 57th match of the IPL 2024 season will be played between Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Lucknow Super Giants at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Wednesday, May 8, 2024. However, Lucknow Super Giants won the toss and opted to bat first.

SRH won six games so far and lost five as well. On the other hand, LSG won six games so far and they lost five games as well. However, both teams will try to win the game and keep the momentum on. This is going to be an exciting match for both teams as well.

ALSO READ: Zaheer Khan shares MS Dhoni’s plans after IPL 2024

IPL 2024: SRH vs LSG, Match 57: Who said what at the toss?

Pat Cummins: Thank You (for the birthday wishes). My body feels 31. We would have batted as well. But we have won both ways here and hence not too upset. Hard to know (a good score) as it has been pretty high scoring. It is pretty tough and you have to keep winning till the end, we have not nailed it in the last couple of games and it is time to change that. We have a couple of changes – Sanvir comes in for Agarwal and Viyaskanth makes his debut and replaces Marco.\

KL Rahul: We will bat first. That plus a couple of games that have been played here. It is hard to complete forget how important this game for both the sides, but we have played enough cricket. We will focus one thing at a time, bat first and put up the runs on the board. Playing at home becomes a difference, but we play so much cricket that we know how the conditions will be. Quinton comes in, Mohsin misses out and there are a few other changes.

Playing XIs:

Lucknow Super Giants: Quinton de Kock, KL Rahul(w/c), Marcus Stoinis, Nicholas Pooran, Ayush Badoni, Deepak Hooda, Krunal Pandya, Krishnappa Gowtham, Yash Thakur, Ravi Bishnoi, Naveen-ul-Haq

Lucknow Super Giants Impact Subs: Manimaran Siddharth, Yudhvir Singh, Devdutt Padikkal, Ashton Turner, Amit Mishra

Sunrisers Hyderabad: Travis Head, Nitish Reddy, Heinrich Klaasen(w), Abdul Samad, Shahbaz Ahmed, Sanvir Singh, Pat Cummins(c), Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jaydev Unadkat, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth, T Natarajan

Sunrisers Hyderabad Impact Subs: Glenn Phillips, Umran Malik, Abhishek Sharma, Mayank Agarwal, Washington Sundar