The Team
Sunrisers Hyderabad had a promising show at the 2024 IPL season, most of the credit for the success goes to their marquee signing of Pat Cummins. The Australian captain transformed the team’s morale. Ahead of the 2025 mega auction, SRH have retained a strong core of players which includes their skipper Cummins, big-hitter Heinrich Klaasen, Young Indian batter Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head and Nitish Kumar Reddy. Going into this auction, SRH have all but broken their bank to retain their core.
Auction Purse and Strategy
SRH are heading into the auction with a purse of INR 45 cr, after spending INR 75 cr on their retention. The team already has a stable bowling lineup and a captain who has brought fresh confidence into the team. This time around, SRH can focus on bolstering their batting and finding game-changing players.
Areas they need to strengthen
Sunrisers’ top priority will possibly lie in strengthening their top-order. They would want to target a batter who is equally adept at handling pace and spin, providing balance to their line-up. Another option could be adding a dynamic all-rounder or finisher to the middle order to enhance their depth. The franchise’s bowling attack is as solid as it can get but they may want to get a death-over specialist. They could also secure a wrist-spinner who could provide crucial middle-order breakthroughs.
Players they would like to target
Looking at the auction pool, a few Indian batters stand out – Rahul Tripathi as a flexible top-order option, who could also step in as an opener when required. Venkatesh Iyer’s all-rounder abilities could make him a strong candidate for the team. Arshdeep Singh could be perfect for SRH, bringing variations and value as a new-ball and death-over specialist. Other targets can be Phil Salt, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Yuzvendra Chahal and Avesh Khan.
Players they would like to buy back
It seems as though SRH might want to acquire the services of Shahbaz Ahmed, Abdul Samad and Washignton Sundar, all of whom have contributed to the team in the past. Washington’s consistency as a spinner and solidity as a batter could make him a strong target. Whereas Shahbaz’s all around skills and Samad’s finishing potential could also make them favourable picks. Retaining two of these players could fill in the gaps of the team.