“The Orange Army fan club and all SRH fans are excited as the IPL 2025 season kicks off. With the auctions setting the stage and the tournament beginning with a bang, today’s first league match for SRH against RR brings a lot of expectations. Pat Cummins leading from the front, alongside strong players like Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Mohammad Shami, Heinrich Klaasen, Travis Head, and Harshal Patel, makes for a solid lineup.
My journey as a cricket fan started in my school days. Watching matches with my dad, especially the Indian Premier League during summer, became a tradition. That’s when my love for Hyderabad’s team began. But after the Deccan Chargers were terminated and Sunrisers Hyderabad took their place, we felt the need for a dedicated fan club, just like other teams had.
In 2013, I, along with Ajay Thakur and Sathish Kumar, started @srhfansofficial, inspired by clubs like @cskfansofficial and @nammateamrcb.official It has been over a decade of hard work, but seeing the community grow has been worth every effort.
Back in 2016, I got the chance to be a bowler boy for Sunrisers at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium. That experience gave me the opportunity to interact with a few players, and when they appreciated my passion as a fan, it only motivated me further. In 2017, Ajay and I decided to expand our involvement beyond SRH and began engaging with Indian cricket fan activities in Hyderabad. That’s how we got the opportunity to join The Bharat Army, the official fan club of Team India.
Managing studies and my passion wasn’t easy. I pursued a B.Sc. in Agriculture from CSMSS College of Agriculture in Aurangabad. Even during my graduation, I would travel back and forth between Aurangabad and Hyderabad for IPL matches.
One of the biggest highlights of my journey was when I got featured in the Indian Sports Honours. Looking ahead, we want to build a dedicated fan experience space in Hyderabad, where cricket lovers can gather and celebrate the game of cricket, no matter which team they support.”
- Dharma Rakshith, Co-Founder @srhfansofficial