IPL Auction 2025: Four players Sunrisers Hyderabad may target through RTM at Mega Auction

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With the IPL 2025 mega auction fast approaching, the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) have taken bold steps to bolster their squad. The Orange Army has made it clear they are aiming to rebuild their team around specific core talents.

They enter the auction with INR 45 crore remaining and one Right to Match (RTM) card, which they can use exclusively on an uncapped cricketer. In the IPL, retention guidelines are structured to maintain a balanced squad composition across all teams and ensure chances for fresh talents in the auction pool.

As per these rules, each team is allowed up to five capped player retention, either through direct retention before the auction or by using the Right to Match (RTM) during the auction. Additionally, teams can retain a maximum of 2 uncapped players, making 6 the maximum combined total of retained players for each team.

Also there is no restriction on whether these retained players are Indian or overseas, giving teams flexibility in building a diverse lineup. As far as SRH’s case is concerned, they have already retained five capped players namely Heinrich Klaasen (INR 23 crore), Pat Cummins (INR 18 crore), Abhishek Sharma (INR 14 crore), Travis Head (INR 14 crore) and Nitish Kumar Reddy (INR 6 crore).

As a result, they have reached the cap limit for retained players, and according to the guidelines, they cannot retain any more capped players. However, they do still have the option of using an RTM card, but only on an uncapped player.

Players released by Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH)

Abdul Samad, Aiden Markram*, Rahul Tripathi, Glenn Phillips*, Mayank Agarwal, Anmolpreet Singh, Upendra Singh Yadav, Marco Jansen*, Washington Sundar, Sanvir Singh, Wanindu Hasaranga*, Akash Singh, Shahbaz Ahamad, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Fazalhaq Farooqi*, Jaydev Unadkat, T Natarajan, Umran Malik, Mayank Markande, Jhathavedh Subramanyan, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth

Let's take a look at the four players whom SRH might target through RTM at Mega Auction.

1. Akash Singh: The 22-year-old Bharatpur-born didn’t feature in any IPL games in the last season. However, SRH will look to target the Baroda youngster, courtesy of his previous experience with both Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals. He showcased his potential in the Ranji Trophy 2024-25, where he took five wickets in four innings for Baroda. With the ability to swing the new ball back into right-handed batters, his left-arm angle and pace add variety to the team's bowling attack, which already includes Pat Cummins. As a result, securing Akash with the RTM would be a promising long-term investment. Overall, he took 5 wickets in 8 IPL appearances.

2. Abdul Samad: The 23-year-old power hitter from Jammu & Kashmir has been with SRH since his debut in 2020. Despite the fact that he was in and out of the scheme of things for a couple of years, he featured in all 16 games in the previous season, where he scored 182 runs at an impressive strike rate of 168.51. Given his value in striking at crucial moments, SRH may see him as a key figure to lock in through RTM. Having played 50 games, he scored 577 runs at a strike rate of 146.1.

3. Sanvir Singh: The versatile all-rounder joined SRH in 2023 but has only had limited opportunities, playing six games without standout spells. However, he has a healthy profile as a power hitter and a handy medium-pacer. He could serve as a lower-order hitter who can step in with the ball as well. While his numbers haven’t yet taken off, SRH might see him as a player worth developing further through an RTM option. He scored 25 runs in 6 IPL appearances. The 28-year-old Punjab-born scored 318 runs in 30 games including a fifty whereas he took five wickets to his name.

4. Upendra Singh Yadav: Another potential RTM target for SRH could be Upendra Singh Yadav, an uncapped Indian wicketkeeper-batsman valued at INR 25 lakh. Although he was released by SRH before the retention deadline, bringing him back could give the franchise a reliable backup for Heinrich Klaasen, who is their primary wicketkeeper-batsman. While Upendra has yet to make his IPL debut, his record in T20 cricket is promising. The 28-year-old has scored 947 runs in 37 T20s, including one century and four fifties, with a strike rate of 135.28. His experience and ability to score quickly could add depth to SRH’s batting lineup, providing a solid contingency option behind the stumps.