"Strange things have happened" - Aakash Chopra reacts to rumors that SRH might release ₹23 crore star player ahead of IPL 2026 auction

Former India opener Aakash Chopra reckons that Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) are unlikely to release star player Heinrich Klaasen, who was retained by the franchise for a whopping ₹23 crore ahead of the IPL 2025 auction. He, however, added that strange things have happened in the IPL over the years.

As per a recent report in Cricbuzz, November 15 could be the deadline for all 10 franchises to announce their retentions ahead of the IPL 2026 auction. The report also claimed that the auction could take place sometime in mid-December. According to another report in The Times of India, the SRH management is pondering upon releasing Klaasen to free up ₹23 crore for the auction.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Chopra shared his thoughts on the report and opined that SRH might not be keen on releasing the Proteas star. He commented:

"There is a lot of discussion around Heinrich Klaasen. There are rumors that SRH might consider releasing him since it would free up ₹23 crore. I am thinking, you don't purchase a player for ₹23 crore to keep him for just one year. Then, you release him and buy him back. I don't that is going to happen. There is not going to be an RTM as well from what I understand since it's a small auction. "Why will they leave him? I think this is a rumor. I don't think Heinrich Klaasen will be released so easily and sent to the auction. But, strange things have happened in the past, so let's see. We'll wait and watch," the 48-year-old went on to add.

Klaasen (34) stunned world cricket when he announced his retirement from international cricket in June this year. The aggressive keeper-batter played 122 matches for South Africa across formats, scoring 3,245 runs at an average of 32.45 and a strike rate of 117.40, with four tons and 16 fifties.

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Klaasen has represented SRH in last three IPL seasons

Klaasen joined the SRH franchise in the 2023 IPL season. In 12 matches in IPL 2023, he scored 448 runs at an average of 49.77 and a strike rate of 177.07, with the aid of one hundred and two half-centuries.

The right-handed batter played 16 matches for the Hyderabad franchise in IPL 2024 as the Pat Cummins-led franchise finished runners-up. Klaasen contributed 479 runs at an average of 39.91 and a strike rate of 171.07, with four half-centuries. In IPL 2025, he scored 487 runs in 14 games, averaging 44.27 at a strike rate of 172.69, with one hundred and one fifty.

Edited by Renin Wilben Albert