Sunrisers Hyderabad

Captain: Pat Cummins
Coach: Daniel Vettori
Home ground: Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium, Hyderabad
IPL titles: 1 (2016)
Owners: Sun TV Network

Sunrisers Hyderabad entered the IPL in 2013, after the previous Hyderabad-based franchise, Deccan Chargers, was dissolved due to prolonged financial issues. The SRH franchise was bought by Sun TV Network for Rs 85.05 crores (about US$15.9 million) per year for a five-year deal.


Sunrisers Hyderabad history

Despite inheriting a team (the new owners retained 20 players from the Chargers squad, including Kumar Sangakkara as captain) Sunrisers took some time to form a stable core. In the first two years they trialled four captains, Sangakkara, Cameron White, Daren Sammy and Shikhar Dhawan. While their bowling proved their stronger suit in general, they struggled to find their best XI.

Sunrisers began to shape their own identity in 2015, when David Warner was made captain. The team finished sixth that year, but unlike his predecessors, Warner retained the captaincy on the back of his own strong performances. In 2016 he led Sunrisers to their maiden title, and the quartet of Warner, head coach Tom Moody, mentor VVS Laxman and bowling coach Muthiah Muralidaran worked like a well-oiled machine over the next few years. During this period Rashid Khan too became an integral part of the side.

In 2020, Trevor Bayliss replaced Moody as head coach. However, he left at the end of a dismal 2021 season during which Warner was dropped from the side and Kane Williamson took over the captaincy. The season marked the end of Sunrisers' association with Warner and Rashid. Laxman, meanwhile, left to take charge at the BCCI's National Cricket Academy. Moody, who had returned as director of cricket ahead of the 2021 season, took over as head coach again in 2022, but was replaced by Brian Lara later that year.

Sunrisers Hyderabad highs

In 2016, after finishing third on the points table, Sunrisers won three knockout games on the trot to clinch their maiden title. They also reached the final in 2018 despite the absence of Warner, their captain and best batter.

Sunrisers Hyderabad lows

In 2021, SRH won just three of 14 games and finished at the bottom of the points table, beating their previous lows in 2014 and 2015, when they took sixth place. Two years later they finished tenth again.

Sunrisers Hyderabad season by season


2023 - tenth
M14 W4 Win% 28.5
A third dismal season in a row for Sunrisers, who won just four of their 14 games (including two of their last ten) under new captain Aiden Markram. They even lost a game where Heinrich Klaasen made 104 off 51 balls for them. Apart from that display and Bhuvneshwar Kumar's 16 wickets, the team's year was singularly awful.

2022 - eighth
M14 W6 Win% 42.8
After losing their first two games, Sunrisers registered five consecutive victories, with their fast bowlers restricting opponents to below-par totals. But once the pitches eased out, their pace attack was no longer such a point of difference. This, coupled with Williamson's poor form, meant they could win only one of their last seven games.

2021 - eighth
M14 W3 Win% 21.4
A season where little went right for Sunrisers. Warner struggled with the bat and lost his place in the side midway through the tournament. Williamson took over the captaincy but couldn't turn things around. They lost eight of their first nine games and finished the season with the wooden spoon.

2020 - third
M16 W8 Win% 50
With Warner back at the helm, Sunrisers overcame a spate of injuries to qualify for the playoffs for the fifth straight season. They lost to Capitals in the second qualifier but found new heroes in Jason Holder, Sandeep Sharma, Wriddhiman Saha and T Natarajan, who helped them bounce back after six defeats in the first nine games.

2019 - fourth
M15 W6 Win% 40
Warner returned - though not as captain - and finished as the leading run-scorer of the tournament for the third time. He and Jonny Bairstow were exceptional as openers, but the middle order and seamers couldn't quite build on their contributions. A superior net run rate helped them through to the playoffs, where they lost to Delhi Capitals in the eliminator.

2018 - runners-up
M17 W10 Win% 58.8
After Warner was barred from the tournament because of his role in the Newlands ball-tampering incident, Williamson stepped in and led admirably. He topped the run charts with the bat and led the side to the final, where SRH came up short against Shane Watson and Chennai Super Kings.

2017 - third
M14 W8 Win% 57.1
The defending champions went out in the eliminator, though Warner won the orange cap and Bhuvneshwar the purple. The season also saw the IPL debuts of Mohammad Nabi and Rashid - Nabi won the Player-of-the-Match award in his second game and finished the tournament with 17 wickets from 14 matches.

2016 - champions
M14 W11 Win% 78.5
Their maiden IPL title. Warner was once again at the forefront, and found support from Dhawan, and from Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Mustafizur Rahman with the ball. After finishing third in the group stage, SRH beat Knight Riders in the eliminator, Gujarat Lions in the second qualifier, and Royal Challengers Bangalore in the final.

2015 - sixth
M14 W7 Win% 50
Warner took over the captaincy, but it did little to change the team's fortunes, as SRH failed to qualify for the playoffs for the second successive year. This time they finished with seven wins from 14 matches. Warner himself was the top run getter in the tournament, though.

2014 - sixth
M14 W6 Win% 42.8
Sunrisers started the tournament with Dhawan as captain but handed over the reins to Sammy towards the end to allow Dhawan to focus on his batting. They couldn't quite find the right balance, with Warner mostly batting in the middle order, and finished with just six wins from 14 games.

2013 - fourth
M17 W9 Win% 52.9
Sangakkara's poor form led to him losing the captaincy midway to White and sitting out half of SRH's matches. However, Sunrisers' bowling, spearheaded by Steyn, ensured they finished mid-table in their debut season. They lost to Rajasthan Royals in the eliminator.

Sunrisers Hyderabad key players


Dale Steyn
Steyn was the lynchpin around whom Sunrisers emerged as a bowling team. In 2013, his 19 wickets from 17 matches at an economy of 5.66 were instrumental in the side winning nine games - either by defending totals under 150 or after restricting oppositions to that much.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar
When Steyn's form dipped after 2013, Bhuvneshwar picked up the baton. He was the leading wicket-taker for Sunrisers for four successive years, from 2014 till 2017, winning the purple cap in the last two. He also stood in as captain in 2019, when Williamson was injured.

David Warner
Warner was easily the most prolific run-scorer for Sunrisers, topping the 500-run mark in six of his seven seasons with them. They won their first IPL title under him, and if there was one player fans associated most with Sunrisers, it was Warner.

Rashid Khan
Since his debut in 2017 till his last season with them in 2021, Rashid was the MVP for Sunrisers, with batters struggling against his quick legbreaks and googlies. Even when teams tried to play him out, he remained as threatening. His haul of wickets for the franchise is second only to Bhuvneshwar's.

Kane Williamson
In his initial years with Sunrisers, Williamson didn't get to play every match, but whenever he got a chance, he did commendably, be it with the bat - only Warner and Dhawan have more runs for Sunrisers - or while leading the side. When Warner wasn't retained after the 2021 season, Williamson became the captain.

Sunrisers Hyderabad records


Top Run ScorersIn last one year
Heinrich Klaasen
448
Innings: 11Average: 49.77
Rahul Tripathi
SRH,  Rhb
273
Innings: 13Average: 22.75
Mayank Agarwal
SRH,  Rhb
270
Innings: 10Average: 27.00
Top Wicket TakersIn last one year
Bhuvneshwar Kumar
16
Innings: 14Average: 26.56
Mayank Markande
12
Innings: 10Average: 25.00
Marco Jansen
SRH,  Lmf
10
Innings: 8Average: 26.70