Kavya Maran, CEO and co-owner of Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), has addressed her viral reactions during IPL matches that frequently become internet memes. In a recent interview with Fortune India, she explained that her emotional responses stem from her deep personal investment in the team’s performance, with broadcasters’ cameras consistently capturing these moments during matches.Maran, who is the daughter of Sun Group chairman Kalanithi Maran, gained significant public attention in 2023 during the IPL auction where she led SRH’s strategic decisions. Since then, she has been a regular presence at SRH matches, with her reactions to on-field developments becoming a staple of social media content.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!“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.”“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 have experienced varying levels of success in the IPL. The team’s performance has shown significant fluctuations across different seasons.The franchise finished at the bottom of the points table in 2023, despite assembling what was considered a strong team. However, they showed remarkable improvement in 2024, securing the second position in the league and advancing to the final.The 2025 season saw a mid-table finish for SRH, with the team winning six out of their fourteen matches. Their playoff hopes were dashed relatively early in the tournament.SRH’s history includes one IPL championship, which they secured in 2016. The team’s journey under Kavya’s leadership has been marked by both highs and lows.Beyond the IPL, Maran also oversees the Sunrisers Eastern Cape franchise in South Africa’s SA20 competition. This venture has proven more consistently successful, with the team winning the first two seasons in 2023 and 2024 under Aiden Markram’s captaincy.
