Sunrisers Hyderabad set to retain Travis Head and Nitish Reddy ahead of the IPL mega auction.

 Travis Head and Nitish Kumar Reddy are expected to be retained by Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) as the final two capped players ahead of the 2025 IPL mega auction. With these retentions, SRH will have secured their five capped players, solidifying the core squad that reached the IPL 2024 final. This move will deduct INR 75 crore from their available INR 120 crore purse for the auction.  

The deadline for all ten franchises to submit their retained player lists is October 31. IPL franchises can retain up to six players, with a maximum of five capped internationals and two uncapped players. The IPL has set minimum deductions from the auction purse for each retained player, but franchises may pay above the minimum if they choose.

Pat Cummins will remain as SRH captain after guiding the team, along with head coach Daniel Vettori, to their first playoff appearance since 2020. Heinrich Klaasen, Cummins, and Abhishek Sharma were initially retained as SRH’s first three capped players.

Klaasen’s retention cost, INR 5 crore above the IPL’s minimum of INR 18 crore, raised some eyebrows, and the expected amount for Head is likely to do the same. Head had a breakout season for SRH in 2024, scoring 567 runs at an explosive strike rate of 191.55, and achieving a T20 milestone of over 1000 runs with a strike rate above 175 and an average over 40 in a single year. Although he didn’t make a big impact in the IPL final against Kolkata Knight Riders, Head’s record in high-stakes matches—like his hundreds in the 2023 World Test Championship and ODI World Cup finals—has boosted his value significantly. Originally bought for INR 6.8 crore, Head’s price tag has since doubled, with speculation that he could attract an even higher bid in the auction.

At just 21, Reddy’s value has also skyrocketed from the INR 20 lakh SRH paid for him in 2023. He was named Emerging Player of the Year in IPL 2024, with 303 runs at a strike rate of 143 and three wickets with his seam bowling. Reddy was picked for India’s T20I series in Zimbabwe but had to miss it due to injury; he later debuted in the T20Is against Bangladesh in October. Currently in India’s Test reserves against New Zealand, Reddy will soon join the India A squad for the Australia tour and be part of the Indian team for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy starting November 22.