South African and SunRisers Hyderabad's bona fide six-hitter Heinrich Klaasen has become the costliest retained player as the ten franchises announced their retention list on October 31, 2024. The right-handed batter has even pipped Virat Kohli as Klaasen became one of the five retained players ahead of the mega auction, gaining ₹23 crore.
While Kohli is undoubtedly an established mega star when it comes to the IPL and draws fans for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), Klaasen has risen to be an equally reliable match-winner. The keeper-batter finished IPL 2024 with 479 runs in 16 matches at 39.92 alongside a strike rate of 171.07.
Kohli, meanwhile, has been retained by the Bengaluru-based franchise for ₹21 crore. The former RCB skipper earned the Orange Cap in IPL 2024, aggregating 741 runs in 15 games, averaging 61.75 and striking at 154.70.
Rinku Singh retained for a massive amount of ₹13 crore:
Meanwhile, the Kolkata Knight Riders have given Rinku Singh a significant upgrade, increasing his salary from ₹55 lakhs to ₹13 crore ahead of the 2025 edition. Rinku has been a fringe player with the Knight Riders for a few years and grabbed spotlight during the victory over the Gujarat Titans last year.
Needing 29 to win off the six deliveries, the left-hander carted left-arm seamer Yash Dayal for five sixes in the final over to stun the Titans. He finished the 2023 edition with over 450 runs.
