Washington Sundar Set to Enter IPL Auction as MI and CSK Show Interest
The SRH franchise is aiming to retain Heinrich Klaasen, who will be their top pick with an expected INR 23 crore deal, followed by captain Pat Cummins at INR 18 crore and Indian all-rounder Abhishek Sharma at INR 14 crore. Cummins, who led SRH to the finals in 2024, will continue as captain in the upcoming season but is taking a pay cut compared to his previous contract of INR 20.50 crore.
Indian all-rounder Washington Sundar is expected to enter the IPL 2025 mega auction next month in Riyadh, as SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) reportedly plans not to retain him. Despite Sundar’s impressive 11-wicket haul in the recent Test series against New Zealand, SRH is reportedly focusing on a core set of three players for retention, with Sundar likely headed to the auction. Mumbai Indians (MI), Chennai Super Kings (CSK), and Gujarat Titans (GT) have already shown keen interest in acquiring Sundar, according to a report in the Times of India.
The SRH franchise is aiming to retain Heinrich Klaasen, who will be their top pick with an expected INR 23 crore deal, followed by captain Pat Cummins at INR 18 crore and Indian all-rounder Abhishek Sharma at INR 14 crore. Cummins, who led SRH to the finals in 2024, will continue as captain in the upcoming season but is taking a pay cut compared to his previous contract of INR 20.50 crore. SRH’s focus on a smaller retention pool reflects their strategy to maximize resources for the auction, where they can use an RTM (Right to Match) card for an uncapped Indian player, possibly on Sundar.
Reports indicate that SRH is also expected to retain Australian batter Travis Head and Indian player Nitish Kumar Reddy to complete their roster of five retentions. With the retention deadline of October 31 approaching, teams are finalizing their lists, and Sundar’s entry into the auction could see a bidding war, particularly between MI, CSK, and GT, who value his versatile spin-bowling and batting skills.
