Former RCB pacer appointed as bowling coach for Sunrisers Hyderabad from IPL 2026

Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) has been inconsistent in their bowling coach’s role since Dale Steyn parted ways before the 2025 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. That led them to hire the former New Zealand all-rounder, James Franklin, for the last edition, where their work didn’t go as planned. Steyn’s decision came after he got the work for the Sunrisers Eastern Cape in the SA20.

Franklin, who played for the Mumbai Indians in 2011 and 2012, didn’t earn much success in the franchise, where he linked up with the former Kiwi captain and the current Australian head coach, Daniel Vettori, who was also appointed the head coach of the Orange Army. The decision to change James has perhaps come on the back of the last edition’s unsuccessful campaign.

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The news from the camp, as they revealed on social media, is that the former Indian and the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) fast bowler, Varun Aaron, has shaken hands with the 2016 champions. The 35-year-old was also part of the Kolkata Knight Riders, Delhi Capitals, and the Rajasthan Royals in the IPL.

Virat Kohli’s former teammate joins SRH as the new bowling coach

It wasn’t a great and successful national career for the right-arm pacer, who picked up only 18 wickets in 14 Test innings at an average of over 52 and a strike rate of nearly 66, thanks to the best figures of 3/97 in an innings. In the 50-over format, Aaron has bagged 11 wickets in nine innings at an average of over 38 with the best figures of 3/24 in an innings. He was always known for his expressive pace to hurry the batters at the crease and create immense pressure on them.

A fiery addition to our coaching staff! Welcome Varun Aaron as our new bowling coach 🔥🧡#PlayWithFire pic.twitter.com/qeg1bWntC5

— SunRisers Hyderabad (@SunRisers) July 14, 2025

The Jharkhand-born finished his FC career with 173 wickets at an average of nearly 33. For the shortest format, Aaron has 93 wickets in as many innings at an average of almost 30 and an economy rate of 8.53. In 50 innings of the IPL for five various sides, the pacer picked up 44 wickets at an economy rate of below nine.

Aaron will join the camp from the next season, where he will get the chance to work with Pat Cummins, Mohammed Shami, Harshal Patel, and others. It wasn’t a positive show from the side after they ended up as the runners-up in 2024, and development will be very important.