Kavya Maran Addresses Viral IPL Reactions: 'Cameraman Always Finds Me'

Kavya Maran on Viral Memes: 'Cameraman Manages to Find Me'

Kavya Maran

Kavya Maran, CEO and co-owner of Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), has addressed the viral phenomenon surrounding her reactions during IPL matches. These moments, frequently captured by broadcasters, have turned her into the subject of countless internet memes.

In a recent interview with Fortune India, Maran explained that her emotional responses are a direct result of her deep personal investment in the team's performance. The cameras, she noted, seem to consistently find her regardless of her location in the stadium.

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 presence at SRH matches has become a fixture, with her on-field reactions providing fodder for social media engagement.

"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. "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 further 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 a rollercoaster of performances in the IPL.

The 2023 season saw the franchise languish at the bottom of the points table, a disappointing outcome despite a roster considered to be strong on paper. However, the team bounced back remarkably in 2024, finishing second in the league and making a run to the final.

The 2025 season ended with a mid-table finish for SRH, securing six wins out of fourteen matches. Their playoff aspirations were extinguished relatively early in the tournament.

Despite the recent fluctuations, SRH boasts one IPL championship, won in 2016. Kavya Maran's tenure as CEO has been characterized by both triumphs and setbacks.

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