Sunrisers Hyderabad Make Big Move, Appoint Former India Pacer As Bowling Coach For IPL 2026

The Pat Cummins-led Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), who finished the last edition in sixth place, have appointed a new bowling coach ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season.

Pic credit: X (Twitter)

Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) have appointed former India pacer Varun Aaron as their new bowling coach ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season. The 35-year-old will replace former New Zealand left-arm pacer James Franklin in the role. 

The 2016 Indian Premier League (IPL) champions SRH announced the news of Varun's appointment on social media and welcomed the former India pacer to the coaching staff. 

"A fiery addition to our coaching staff! Welcome Varun Aaron as our new bowling coach," SRH wrote on X, formerly Twitter on Monday.

Notably, this is the first time Varun will be working in a coaching capacity. He will work with the group of support staff, which is currently headed by Daniel Vettori.

When it comes to his IPL career as a player, Aaron featured in nine seasons between 2011 and 2022, turning out for Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals), Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings), Kolkata Knight Riders, Rajasthan Royals, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, and Gujarat Titans. 

The tear-away pacer was part of the Gujarat Titans' title-winning campaign in 2022, which turned out to be his final season in the league. Overall, he played 52 IPL matches and claimed 44 wickets at an economy rate of 8.93. 

In total, Aaron has featured in 95 T20 matches, picking up 93 wickets. He has also donned the India jersey 18 times, with nine appearances each in ODIs and Tests. Aaron, whose career was stop-start due to multiple stress fractures, played nine Tests and nine ODIs for India. 

The Jharkhand fast bowler last turned out for his state side in the 2024–25 Vijay Hazare Trophy earlier this January. Following Jharkhand's exit from the tournament, the pacer announced his retirement from "representative cricket". 

A graduate of the MRF Pace Foundation, Aaron has been associated with the academy in Chennai as a consultant since mid-2024. Since his retirement, Aaron has also established himself as a cricket pundit, regularly appearing in media roles. 

The Pat Cummins-led Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) finished the last season in sixth place with six wins and seven defeats in 14 games.