Sunrisers Hyderabad was not part of the Indian Premier League until the 2012 season. They made their debut in the 2013 season with a brilliant bunch of cricketers. And it was Kumar Sangakkara who was their first captain. However, this team made the playoffs in their debut season itself, increasing the hopes of the fans. Since making their debut in 2013, it didn’t take long for SRH to get their hands on a trophy.
David Warner led the Orange Army to their maiden IPL title. And until now that is the only title the franchise has in this marquee league. Since their IPL debut, Hyderabad has played two finals and four playoffs. Out of two finals, they have won one and lost one. And here we will discuss the IPL final list for the Sunrisers in the league’s history.
Sunrisers Hyderabad Final match List
| Season | Against | Venue | Date | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Royal Challengers Bangalore | Bengaluru | May 29, 2016 | Champion |
| 2018 | Chennai Super Kings | Wankhede | May 27, 2018 | Runners-up |
1. 2016 season Final vs Royal Challengers Bangalore – Champion
Warner took over the captaincy in 2016, and the effect of his leadership was quite visible in the team. SRH made the playoffs after finishing third on the group table. They won 8 and lost 6 matches out of 14 group games. But to win the competition, they needed three wins out of three knockout matches. They started it with a win in the Eliminator against KKR by 22 runs, which helped them advance to Qualifier 2.
In their next game, they faced the Gujarat Lions, who were the table-toppers. But SRH won that game by 4 wickets as well to make their first IPL final. In the biggest game of the 2016, they faced Virat Kohli led-RCB. Virat was in the form of his life, and so was Warner. It was a high-voltage clash between two aggressive captains. SRH scored a big total of 208/7, with Warner taking charge with a 38-ball 69.
It was a tough target to chase, and the pressure of the final was immense. However, RCB got off to a flying start with a 114-run opening stand between Virat (54 off 35) and Chris Gayle (76 off 38). But after the first wicket fell, SRH came back into the game and restricted RCB to 200/7 to win by 8 runs and lift their maiden title.
2. 2018 season Final vs Chennai Super Kings – Runners-up
After winning the 2016 edition, SRH couldn’t defend their title in 2017 and lost in the playoffs. But in 2018, they got another chance to play in the IPL final, this time under Kane Williamson. Despite losing the last three group matches, SRH finished the group at the top with nine wins out of 14 games. They faced the Chennai Super Kings in Qualifier 1 and lost by two wickets.
The Orange Army faced KKR in Qualifier 2, and this time they won the game by 14 runs to advance to their second IPL final. But they had their biggest hurdle ahead of them. Before the final, SRH faced CSK three times in that season and lost all three times. The final was played at the Wankhede on May 27, 2018.
Batting first, SRH posted a challenging total of 178/6 in their 20 overs. Yusuf Pathan (45* off 25) and skipper Kane Williamson (47 off 36) played good innings. But the second inning saw carnage from the bat of CSK opener Shane Watson, who scored the highest score in an IPL final. He scored an unbeaten 117 off 57 to lead CSK to 181/2 in 18.3 overs. CSK won their third IPL title, and SRH ended as runners-up.