Ganesh Kendale
NEW DELHI: Indian Premier League franchise Sunrisers Hyderabad are set to spend a jaw-dropping Rs 23 crore to retain the services of South African swashbuckler Heinrich Klaasen ahead of the mega auction, an ESPNcricinfo report said.
Klaasen set the IPL on fire last year, where he amassed 479 runs for the finalists at a staggering strike-rate of over 171.
Alongside Klaasen, skipper Pat Cummins is also set to be retained by the franchise and they are willing to shell out Rs 18 crore for the Australian all-rounder.
Among Indians, Abhishek Sharma is third on the list and the franchise is set to spend Rs 14 crore for the 24-year-old.
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IPL’s all time biggest buy is Australia’s Mitchell Starc, who was bought by Kolkata Knight Riders for a record sum of Rs 24.75 crore in the 2024 mini auction.
With the deadline for retention set to expire on October 31, SRH are also lining up to lock Travis Head and Nitish Kumar Reddy.
Last season in IPL, Head was the top run-getter for the franchise, smacking 567 runs in 15 innings. Abhishek (484 runs in 16 games) was second highest scorer for the side followed by Klaasen.
Riding on strong performances from Head, Klaasen and Abhishek, SRH went on to smash the highest-ever team total in IPL — 287 for 3 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
In the same season, the side also smacked 277 for three against Mumbai Indians.
