Cricket

Australia's Border-Gavaskar Trophy preparations have hit a snag as assistant coach Daniel Vettori is set to depart midway through the first Test to attend the IPL 2025 mega auction. Vettori, who is also the head coach of IPL runners-up Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), will need to be present for the auction, which clashes with the Test match days.The IPL 2025 mega auction is scheduled for November 24 and 25, coinciding with the first Australia-India Test in Perth, which runs from November 22 to 26. Vettori's absence will be a significant blow to Australia, who are looking to regain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy after losing it in India last year.Vettori is not the only Australian coaching staff member who will be leaving for the IPL auction. Ricky Ponting and Justin Langer, who are head coaches of Punjab Kings (PBKS) and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) respectively, are also expected to depart midway through the Perth Test.The IPL's growing stature and financial clout have made it increasingly difficult for players and coaches to prioritize international commitments. The league is now one of the richest and most-watched in the world, offering lucrative contracts and the opportunity to work with top players and coaches.Vettori's departure highlights the challenges facing cricket boards in balancing the demands of international cricket with the allure of the IPL. While the IPL provides financial benefits and opportunities for players and coaches, it can also disrupt national team preparations and create scheduling conflicts.Despite the challenges, Australia will be determined to put on a strong performance in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. They will be led by Pat Cummins, who is also retained by SRH along with Travis Head. The team will be looking to bounce back from their disappointing loss in India and reclaim the trophy on home soil.

Nitish Kumar Reddy, the rising star of Indian cricket, has expressed his gratitude to the Sunrisers Hyderabad franchise for their unwavering support and has pledged to repay their trust. Reddy, a fast-bowling all-rounder, was retained by SRH for INR 6 crore, marking a significant milestone for the Andhra Pradesh native.Reddy's journey to the IPL began in 2023 when he was acquired by SRH for INR 20 lakh. Despite limited opportunities in his debut season, he showcased his potential in IPL 2024, earning the Emerging Player of the Season award. His impressive performances, including a match-winning 64 against Punjab Kings and an unbeaten 76 against Rajasthan Royals, propelled him to the Indian national team.Reddy's retention by SRH is a testament to his rapid rise in the cricketing world. It also marks a significant moment for Andhra Pradesh, as Reddy becomes the first player from the state to secure an IPL retention.In an exclusive interview, Reddy expressed his pride in representing his region and his commitment to the SRH franchise. "Playing for Sunrisers Hyderabad fills me with pride. As a Telugu speaker, I'm proud to represent my region when playing for the team in the IPL," he said.Reddy credits the IPL with transforming his life. "Everything has just changed like a rapid fire. Like in one year from nowhere to being something, I really feel that IPL is a big stage where my talent came out and everyone knows me now," he said.The all-rounder emphasized the importance of hard work and preparation, particularly in developing his power-hitting game. He also highlighted the role of shadow practicing in improving his downswing.Reflecting on his journey, Reddy expressed gratitude for the sacrifices made by his father, Mutyala. "When he took the decision to retire early to focus on my cricket, everyone turned upon us. But once you don't have the government job, people treat you so differently and I saw that," he said.Reddy's father played a pivotal role in his development, traveling with him to matches and providing support. "I still remember all these things my father did for me in becoming what I am," he said.For Reddy, the joy of cricket lies in the nostalgia of his childhood days spent on the field. "For me, whenever you play cricket, you should not be feeling that you should take the pressure or something like that. You should just enjoy being in the game, as that's how everything started for me," he said.

The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 retention window witnessed a flurry of high-value deals, with franchises shelling out record sums to secure the services of their star players. Among the most notable retentions were Virat Kohli and Heinrich Klaasen, who commanded the highest and second-highest retention amounts in IPL history, respectively.Kohli, the talismanic batter for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), was retained for a staggering Rs 21 crore. However, his record was eclipsed by Klaasen, the wicketkeeper-batter from South Africa, who was snapped up by SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) for a whopping Rs 23 crore. Klaasen's retention fee shattered the previous record held by Kohli, who was retained for Rs 17 crore in the 2023 IPL auction.Other players who commanded high retention amounts included Nicholas Pooran (Lucknow Super Giants), Pat Cummins (SRH), Sanju Samson (Rajasthan Royals), Yashasvi Jaiswal (RR), Rashid Khan (Gujarat Titans), Jasprit Bumrah (Mumbai Indians), Ruturaj Gaikwad (Chennai Super Kings), and Ravindra Jadeja (CSK), all of whom were retained for Rs 18 crore each.Interestingly, Punjab Kings opted for a more conservative approach, retaining only two players: Shashank Singh for Rs 5.5 crore and Prabhsimran Singh for Rs 4 crore. They were the only franchise to pay less than Rs 10 crore for their first-choice retention.Defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) retained six players, including Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, and Rinku Singh, who was surprisingly picked for Rs 13 crore.Each franchise had a combined purse of Rs 120 crore for retention and the mega auction. Teams could make a maximum of six retentions, including the Right To Match (RTM) card option. Alternatively, they could release all their players and enter the mega auction with six RTM cards, allowing them to buy back players at an unrestricted amount.

Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) has finalized its core group for the upcoming 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) season by retaining Travis Head and Nitish Kumar Reddy as their final two capped players.Head, the Australian batter, is set to receive a hefty INR 14 crore, while Reddy, the Indian all-rounder, will earn INR 6 crore. These signings complete SRH's quota of five capped retained players, joining Heinrich Klaasen (INR 23 crore), Pat Cummins (INR 18 crore), and Abhishek Sharma (INR 14 crore).SRH's decision to retain Head is a testament to his impressive performance in the 2024 IPL season. The left-hander smashed 567 runs at a strike rate of 191.55, establishing himself as a key player at the top of the order. Head's ability to perform under pressure, as evidenced by his centuries in the World Test Championship and ODI World Cup finals, makes him a valuable asset for SRH.Reddy, on the other hand, has seen a significant increase in his value since joining SRH in 2023. The 21-year-old was named the Emerging Player of the Year in IPL 2024 for his all-round contributions. He scored 303 runs at a strike rate of 143 and took three wickets with his seam bowling. Reddy's international debut for India in October further enhances his value.With these retentions, SRH has secured the core group that led them to the IPL 2024 final. The franchise will now have INR 45 crore remaining in their auction purse, which they can use to acquire additional players.

Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) has made strategic decisions regarding player retentions ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 auction. The franchise has reportedly identified Heinrich Klaasen as their primary retention, followed by Pat Cummins and Abhishek Sharma.Klaasen, a South African wicketkeeper-batter, is set to receive INR 23 crore as the top-earning player. Cummins, the Australian all-rounder and former SRH captain, will receive INR 18 crore, while Sharma, the Indian all-rounder, will get INR 14 crore.Despite being SRH's highest-paid player last year, Cummins has reportedly taken a selfless approach by agreeing to Klaasen's higher salary. This decision reflects Cummins' commitment to team success over personal gain.The IPL allows franchises to retain up to six players, but SRH is opting for just three retentions. This strategy will give them a significant advantage in the auction, as they will have a larger purse to acquire new talent.Cummins' leadership and collaboration with coach Daniel Vettori have been instrumental in SRH's recent success. Under their guidance, young players like Sharma and Nitish Kumar Reddy have flourished.SRH is expected to finalize the retentions of Travis Head and Reddy soon. The franchise will have one Right-to-Match (RTM) card available at the auction, which can be used to retain an uncapped Indian player.Pat Cummins will continue as SRH captain in 2025, leading the team's charge for another successful season.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is planning to host the Indian Premier League (IPL) mega auction in the last week of November, with November 30 emerging as the likely date. The venue is yet to be finalized, but Dubai is a potential option.The ten franchises are actively preparing for the auction, with Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) leading the way in identifying their priorities. Heinrich Klaasen, Pat Cummins, and Abhishek Sharma are their top targets, while Travis Head and Nitish Kumar Reddy are also under consideration.Delhi Capitals have retained Rishabh Pant, Axar Patel, and Kuldeep Yadav as their top picks, but the captaincy is still undecided. They have made significant changes to their support staff, appointing Hemang Badani as head coach and Venugopal Rao as Director of Cricket, replacing Sourav Ganguly. Munaf Patel has been roped in as the bowling coach.Mumbai Indians, the most successful IPL franchise, have retained Hardik Pandya, Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, and Jasprit Bumrah. Pandya will continue as captain, and the team will aim to regain their winning ways under coach Mahela Jayawardene.The upcoming mega auction promises to be highly competitive, with new rules designed to keep the franchises on their toes. The modified Right To Match (RTM) card will allow the highest bidder to raise their bid before the team holding the RTM card can exercise their right. This is expected to lead to intense bidding wars.The IPL mega auction is a crucial event in the Indian cricket calendar, as it shapes the teams for the upcoming season. With a host of talented players available, the auction is likely to attract significant attention from fans and experts alike.

The Indian Premier League (IPL) auction dynamics have taken a new turn, with reports suggesting that Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) are set to retain South African wicket-keeper batter Heinrich Klaasen for a whopping Rs 23 crore. This move highlights a crucial aspect of the IPL retention rules: franchises have the flexibility to distribute the retention fee among players as they deem fit, as long as the total amount remains within the designated Rs 75 crore retained purse.According to ESPN Cricinfo and Cricbuzz, the IPL rules stipulate that the first retention should be Rs 18 crore, the second Rs 14 crore, the third Rs 11 crore, the fourth Rs 18 crore, the fifth Rs 14 crore, and the uncapped Rs 4 crore. However, franchises are not bound to adhere strictly to these slabs. They can allocate the money among players in any way they choose, provided the total budget does not exceed the designated amount.This flexibility gives franchises significant leverage in negotiating retention fees with players. For instance, a franchise could opt to pay more than Rs 18 crore to their first retention and less than Rs 11 crore to their third retention, as long as the total budget adds up to Rs 43 crore (18 + 14 + 11), the designated amount for three retentions.Even if a franchise retains fewer than five players for an amount less than the designated Rs 75 crore, the designated amount will still be deducted from their overall purse. As per the retention rule quoted by Cricbuzz, "Retention deduction of overall amount instead of fee per player, in this case of 75 Crs irrespective of what amount is paid to 5 players. If the total amount exceeds 75 Crs then actual amount to be deducted. In case the amount is less than 75 Crs then 75 Crs to be deducted."This flexibility in distributing the retention fee provides franchises with greater flexibility in managing their budgets and retaining the players they value most. It also allows them to negotiate higher or lower fees for players they are keen on retaining, without disrupting the overall designated amount.

Dale Steyn Departs Sunrisers Hyderabad, Citing Personal ReasonsFormer South African fast bowler Dale Steyn has announced his departure from the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Sunrisers Hyderabad ahead of the upcoming season. Steyn, who served as the team's bowling coach since 2022, has cited personal reasons for his decision.Steyn's exit comes after he had previously made himself unavailable for IPL 2024. In a social media post, he expressed his gratitude to the Sunrisers franchise while confirming his continued involvement with the South African T20 franchise Sunrisers Eastern Cape in the SA20.During his playing career, Steyn represented several IPL teams, including Deccan Chargers, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Sunrisers, and Gujarat Lions. He last played for RCB in 2020 before transitioning to a coaching role with Sunrisers two years later.As Sunrisers' bowling coach, Steyn played a pivotal role in mentoring young Indian pacers, notably Umran Malik. Following Steyn's unavailability for IPL 2024, the franchise appointed New Zealander James Franklin as their new bowling coach.Sunrisers reached the final of the previous IPL season, where they narrowly lost to Kolkata Knight Riders. Steyn's departure marks a significant change in the team's coaching staff as they prepare for the upcoming campaign.

Sunrisers Hyderabad Retain Klaasen, Cummins, and Sharma Ahead of IPL 2025Sunrisers Hyderabad has made its first three retentions ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction, with South African power-hitter Heinrich Klaasen topping the list. According to ESPNcricinfo, Klaasen will receive INR 23 crore as the franchise's highest-paid retained player.Australian allrounder Pat Cummins, who captained Sunrisers in 2024, has been retained for INR 18 crore, while Indian allrounder Abhishek Sharma has been retained for INR 14 crore.Klaasen had a stellar IPL 2024 season, amassing 479 runs in 15 innings at a strike rate of 171.07. He was Sunrisers' second-highest scorer behind Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma. Sharma, who had the highest strike rate among the top-ten run-scorers last season, scored 484 runs in 16 innings with a strike rate of 204.21.Cummins led Sunrisers to the IPL 2024 final, where they narrowly lost to Kolkata Knight Riders. His leadership and all-round abilities were crucial to the team's success.Sunrisers are also expected to retain Travis Head and Nitish Kumar Reddy soon. The IPL has set October 31 as the deadline for retentions ahead of the mega auction.The retentions of Klaasen, Cummins, and Sharma signal Sunrisers' intent to build a strong team for IPL 2025. Klaasen's power-hitting and Sharma's all-round abilities will provide the team with a solid foundation, while Cummins' leadership and experience will be invaluable.