Shikhar Dhawan

Lore & Background

Dhawan arrived in Hyderabad in 2013 as a young, electric opener who had already made a name for himself in the IPL, and the Sunrisers project immediately found its front-line identity in him. The early seasons were about building: the partnership with David Warner at the top, the chaos of a young squad, the long wait for a trophy. Fans remember those years as the 'Dhawan years of almost'—close calls, near-misses, and a captaincy that hadn't quite arrived yet. But the dressing room already knew what he was: a man who would hit a bouncer over the bowler's head in the second over and then grin at the fielder.

The 2016 season changed everything. Under Dhawan's captaincy, Sunrisers played a brand of cricket that was almost reckless in its confidence—Warner and Dhawan at the top, a middle order that could clear the stadium, and a fielding unit that ran like it was being chased. The final against Mumbai Indians in Bangalore remains the single most referenced match in SRH folklore. Dhawan's unbeaten century in that game is not merely a score; it is the emotional anchor of the franchise's golden era. The way he played, the way the crowd at Uppal erupted when the title was confirmed, the way he lifted the trophy with that particular grin—these are the images that define what Sunrisers Hyderabad *was* at its best.

The 2017, 2018, and 2019 seasons saw the team struggle to replicate that magic, and Dhawan's captaincy was tested by injuries, form slumps, and the relentless pressure of a fanbase that had tasted glory. Yet the affection never wavered. In the pub, in the Twitter threads, in the chants at the ground, Dhawan remained the face of the orange. His departure after 2019 was felt less as a transfer and more as a chapter closing. For many, the Sunrisers of the Dhawan era are the Sunrisers, full stop.

In Their Own Story

The air at Uppal in May 2016 was thick with the particular electricity of a final, the kind that makes the grass smell sharper and the floodlights feel closer. Dhawan walked out with Warner, and the stadium exhaled as one. The first ball came in a touch short, and before the bowler had even reset his run, Dhawan had launched it into the second tier, the leather ball vanishing into the orange sea of shirts. The noise was not a cheer; it was a physical force, a wall of sound that you felt in your sternum. He turned, looked back at the stands, and that grin—wide, almost mischievous—told every single person in that ground: *this is going to be a good night.* And it was. By the time he walked off on 100 not out, the trophy was already in his hands, and Hyderabad belonged to the Sunrisers in a way it never had before. The memory of that walk-off, the confetti catching the light, the way he held the cup up and let the noise wash over him—that is the image that lives in every SRH fan's chest, unshakeable, eternal.

Reader's Guide

Opening batsman and captain, 2013 to 2019. Seven seasons in the orange, and not one of them without at least one moment that made the stand behind the bowler lose their minds.

The moment that *is* Dhawan for us? 2016 final, Bangalore, Mumbai Indians bowling. He hits a six off the second ball, then another off the fourth, and by the time he's on 30 the crowd in Uppal is screaming like it's a World Cup. But the real one—the one that still gets people emotional at the pub—is the 100. Unbeaten. In the *final*. He walks off, the trophy's already in his hand, and he's just… grinning. Not triumphant. Grinning. Like he's saying, 'Yeah, I told you.'

And the dressing room stories? Oh, you've heard them. The way he'd walk into the huddle, slap the table, and go, 'Boys, we're not playing cricket tonight, we're playing *Dhawan*.' The way he'd defend a bad call from the third umpire by simply shrugging and saying, 'Next ball, next ball.' The way he treated a 150-run chase like a warm-up.

His legacy in one line: he made Sunrisers Hyderabad feel like a team that *meant* it, and for a generation of fans in that city, that's worth more than any trophy cabinet.

Did You Know?

• Dhawan's unbeaten century in the 2016 IPL Final is one of the most celebrated individual innings in IPL history and the defining moment of Sunrisers Hyderabad's title-winning campaign.
• He shared the opening partnership with David Warner for several seasons, a combination known for its aggressive, six-hitting approach that set the tone for SRH's brand of cricket.
• Dhawan captained Sunrisers Hyderabad from 2016 through 2019, leading the side to the 2016 IPL championship before steering the franchise through a transitional period.
• His batting style—characterised by fearless power-hitting from the very first delivery—became synonymous with the Sunrisers' identity and was a major draw for crowds at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium.