SRH CEO Kavya Maran Addresses Viral Memes, Explains Passion Behind Game-Day Reactions

Kavya Maran, SRH CEO, Addresses Viral Meme Status and Team Passion

Kavya Maran, the CEO and co-owner of Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), has spoken out about the viral reactions that have made her a familiar face in internet memes during IPL matches. In a recent interview, Maran explained that her highly visible emotional responses are a direct result of her deep personal investment in the team's performance. She noted that broadcasters' cameras frequently capture these moments.

Maran, daughter of Sun Group chairman Kalanithi Maran, first garnered significant public attention during the 2023 IPL auction, where she spearheaded SRH's strategic player acquisitions. Since then, her consistent presence at SRH games and expressive reactions to on-field events have become popular social media fodder.

"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," Maran stated. She acknowledged the inevitability of becoming a meme, noting the cameramen's uncanny ability to find her regardless of her location in the stadium.

Speaking about her commitment to the team, Maran 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."

Under Maran's leadership, SRH has experienced fluctuating fortunes in the IPL. The team's performance has varied considerably across seasons.

After finishing at the bottom of the points table in 2023, despite having a theoretically strong team, SRH rebounded impressively in 2024, finishing second in the league and reaching the final.

The 2025 season saw a mid-table result for Sunrisers Hyderabad, with six wins out of fourteen matches. Their playoff aspirations were cut short earlier than hoped.

SRH secured their sole IPL championship in 2016. The team's journey with Kavya Maran at the helm has been a story of both triumph and adversity.

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