Kavya Maran, SRH CEO, Addresses Viral IPL Reactions and Meme Status

Kavya Maran Addresses Viral IPL Reactions and "Queen of Memes" Title

Kavya Maran

Kavya Maran, CEO and co-owner of Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), has spoken out about her often-viral reactions during IPL matches, which have led to her being dubbed the "queen of internet memes." In a recent interview, she explained the reasons behind her expressive displays of emotion.

Maran told Fortune India that her reactions are a direct result of her deep personal connection to the team's performance. She noted that broadcasters' cameras consistently capture her reactions during matches, leading to widespread sharing and meme creation online.

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

"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 explained. "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 elaborated, "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 successes and setbacks in the IPL. The team's performance has fluctuated considerably from season to season.

In 2023, despite having a team considered to be strong on paper, the franchise finished at the bottom of the points table. However, they rebounded impressively in 2024, finishing second in the league and reaching the final.

The 2025 season saw SRH finish in the middle of the pack, winning six of their fourteen matches, and missing out on the playoffs.

SRH secured their sole IPL championship in 2016. The team's trajectory under Maran's guidance has been characterized by both triumphs and challenges.

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