Kavya Maran on IPL Memes: SRH CEO Explains Viral Reactions and Team's Performance Rollercoaster

Kavya Maran, CEO and co-owner of Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), has addressed the viral internet memes spawned from her expressive reactions during IPL matches. In a recent interview with Fortune India, Maran explained that her emotional displays are a result of her deep personal connection to the team's performance, and the ever-present cameras of broadcasters.

Kavya Maran, deeply invested in her team's performance.

Maran, daughter of Sun Group chairman Kalanithi Maran, first garnered significant attention during the 2023 IPL auction, where she spearheaded SRH's strategic player acquisitions. Since then, her presence at SRH matches has become a fixture, with her reactions to the on-field action quickly becoming viral content on social media.

Regarding her often-memed reactions, Maran stated: "Those are my raw emotions that you're seeing because my job has brought me to the point that I have to put myself out there. In Hyderabad, I can't do anything; I have to sit there. That's the only place I can sit. But even when I go to Ahmedabad or Chennai, and I'm sitting many feet away, somewhere in the box, the cameraman manages to find me. So, I understand how it becomes memes."

She added, "When it comes to Sunrisers, I genuinely wear my heart on my sleeve. I think when you put your heart and soul into something, you naturally tend to get very personally attached to its successes and failures."

SRH's Performance Under Maran's Leadership

Under Maran's guidance, SRH has experienced a roller coaster of successes and setbacks in the IPL. The team's performance has fluctuated considerably from season to season.

In 2023, the franchise finished at the bottom of the points table, a disappointing result given the perceived strength of their assembled team. However, they rebounded impressively in 2024, securing the second position in the league and ultimately reaching the final.

The 2025 season saw SRH achieve a mid-table finish, winning six of their fourteen matches and missing out on the playoffs.

A Look Back at SRH's IPL History

• 2016: IPL Champions
• 2023: Finished at the bottom of the points table
• 2024: Runner-up
• 2025: Mid-table finish

Despite recent fluctuations, SRH's history includes one IPL championship, won in 2016. The team's journey under Kavya's leadership has been characterized by both triumphs and challenges.

Success in SA20

Beyond the IPL, Maran also oversees the Sunrisers Eastern Cape franchise in South Africa's SA20 competition. This venture has enjoyed greater and more consistent success, with the team winning the first two seasons in 2023 and 2024 under the captaincy of Aiden Markram.