Former Indian Test opener Aakash Chopra reckons Sunrisers Hyderabad won’t retain their skipper Pat Cummins for INR 18 crores. Cummins, who was sold for a whopping amount of INR 20.50 crores in IPL 2023 mini-auction, played a key role in taking the Orange Army to the final of IPL 2024.

However, according to reports in ESPN Cricinfo, SRH is all set to retain Heinrich Klaasen, Pat Cummins, Abhishek Sharma, Nitish Reddy and Travis Head. 

Cummins scalped 18 wickets in 16 matches of the previous season at an average of 31.44 and an economy rate of 9.27.

Chopra reckons SRH might not retain Cummins after his recent comments about his IPL participation.

“Pat Cummins has said that he doesn’t know whether he will come for the IPL or not because other things are there, that it’s a non-stop treadmill, it is difficult, the priorities are different, the tentpoles are the Ashes and World Cups, and it’s okay if the IPL fits in somewhere in between. He also said that new rules have come,” Aakash Chopra said on his YouTube Channel.

“Although he even added that he hasn’t ever missed, he has never gone back after putting his name in the auction. However, Mitchell Starc and other players have gone. I feel the SunRisers Hyderabad won’t retain him. They won’t give him 18 crores. I am getting a feeling like that although he bowled and captained well,” Chopra added.

The renowned commentator feels SRH will release Pat Cummins and the Australian captain might not even put his hat in the auction ring.

“He is going to be released and he might not put his name in the auction as well. That is also a real possibility, that whether you want to come after six months because you have taken a franchise to the final. You may not want to actually be retained. You may want to go,” he said.

The IPL retention deadline is set for October 31.