South Africa's Klaasen gets $2.73m in record IPL retention

South Africa's Heinrich Klaasen edged cricket superstar Virat Kohli to become the most expensive player retained in the Indian Premier League on Thursday.

Sunrisers Hyderabad re-signed the hard-hitting wicketkeeper-batsman for $2.73 million alongside skipper Australians Pat Cummins and Travis Head.

Presenting our retained Risers for #IPL2025 🧡 #PlayWithFire🔥💥 #SRH #OrangeArmy pic.twitter.com/S2xwqsWhb1
— SunRisers Hyderabad (@SunRisers) October 31, 2024

The 33-year-old Klaasen amassed 479 runs including four half-centuries at a strike rate of over 171 in this year's IPL as Hyderabad ended runners-up.

Klaasen surpassed the previous $2.02 million paid by Royal Challengers Bengaluru to Kohli in 2017.

MasterKlaas 2025: LOADING 🔥

Heinrich is all set and excited to be back in the Orange Armour! 🧡🤩 #PlayWithFire #OrangeArmy pic.twitter.com/FUdshYaaOe
— SunRisers Hyderabad (@SunRisers) October 31, 2024

Kohli kept up his bond with Bengaluru for $2.5 million in the lucrative T20 tournament as the retention deadline ended on Thursday at 5pm India time.

1️⃣8️⃣th year with RCB for our No. 1️⃣8️⃣. 🔥

Retention #1 Virat Kohli would have completed 20 years with RCB by the end of this upcoming 3-year cycle! 🤩 The only player to represent the same team since the inception of the IPL. 🤯

Presenting to you the King, Virat Kohli! 👑… pic.twitter.com/KwiFhkufBB
— Royal Challengers Bengaluru (@RCBTweets) October 31, 2024

Top Indian players including Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul have parted ways with their franchises to head into the mega auction, which is expected to be held next month.

Australia's Mitchell Starc holds the auction record after Kolkata brought him for $2.98 million in December last year.

Pant left Delhi Capitals after he led the team in this year's IPL following his return to competitive cricket from a serious car crash in December 2022.

Rahul was not among the list of players retained by Lucknow Super Giants, who kept West Indies' Nicholas Pooran for $2.5 million.

Say hello to your starting five, Lucknow 👋 pic.twitter.com/ZWdfjOJxR4
— Lucknow Super Giants (@LucknowIPL) October 31, 2024

Other top players on the auction table will be England's Jos Buttler, who was not retained by Rajasthan Royals, and South African Faf du Plessis, out of Bengaluru.

Defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders released their skipper Shreyas Iyer but held onto the West Indies duo of Andre Russell and Sunil Narine.

Five-time winners Chennai extended their association with 43-year-old MS Dhoni, who comes in as an uncapped player after he retired from international cricket in 2020.