Batters with Most Runs Against SRH in IPL History

Sunrisers Hyderabad have built much of their IPL identity around bowling. From Bhuvneshwar Kumar swinging the new ball to Rashid Khan controlling the middle overs, SRH have regularly fielded attacks capable of making even elite batters work for their runs. That makes repeated success against the Hyderabad franchise especially valuable.

Sanju Samson holds the record for the most IPL runs against Sunrisers Hyderabad. The right-hander has scored 901 runs in 26 innings against SRH, becoming the first batter to cross 900 against the franchise.

Virat Kohli is close behind with 889 runs, while Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant and Faf du Plessis complete the top five. The leaderboard includes a mixture of long-term consistency and memorable one-off attacks. Pant’s unbeaten 128 remains the highest individual score against SRH, while Shane Watson’s 117 not out in the 2018 final is arguably the most important innings anyone has played against them.

Most Runs Against SRH in IPL History

The table below lists the leading run-scorers against Sunrisers Hyderabad through the completed 2026 IPL season.

The top of the table is particularly competitive. Samson and Kohli are separated by only 12 runs, while the next group is tightly packed between 540 and 641.

Sanju Samson – 901 Runs Against SRH

Sanju Samson has been the most productive batter against Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL history.

He has scored 901 runs in 26 innings at an average of 42.90.

Samson’s success against SRH is not based on one exceptional season. He has repeatedly scored against different versions of their attack.

He has faced Bhuvneshwar Kumar with the new ball, Rashid Khan in the middle overs, T Natarajan at the death and later attacks built around Pat Cummins and newer bowlers.

His highest score against SRH is 102 not out.

That innings came for Rajasthan Royals in Hyderabad in 2019.

Samson faced only 55 balls and struck 10 fours and four sixes. He controlled the innings beautifully, accelerating after settling and carrying Rajasthan to 198/2.

Unfortunately for RR, even 198 was not enough.

David Warner and Jonny Bairstow launched SRH’s chase aggressively, and Hyderabad reached 201/5 to win with an over remaining.

Samson has also produced several half-centuries against SRH, making the matchup one of the strongest opponent-specific records of his IPL career.

Virat Kohli – 889 Runs Against SRH

Virat Kohli sits only 12 runs behind Samson.

The Royal Challengers Bengaluru legend has scored 889 runs against SRH at an average of 38.65.

Kohli has one century and six half-centuries against the franchise.

His century came during the 2023 season in Hyderabad.

RCB were chasing 187, and Kohli produced one of his finest modern IPL innings.

He scored exactly 100 from 63 balls and shared a 172-run opening partnership with Faf du Plessis.

The pair almost completed the chase by themselves.

Kohli’s innings included 12 fours and four sixes and helped RCB win by eight wickets.

He continued adding to his SRH record in later seasons, including an unbeaten 69 during the opening match of the 2026 campaign.

Because Kohli has remained with RCB throughout his career, his entire record against SRH has been built in one of the IPL’s longest-running franchise rivalries.

Shreyas Iyer – 641 Runs Against SRH

Shreyas Iyer ranks third with 641 runs from 21 matches.

His average of 40.06 is impressive, particularly because much of his work has come in the middle order rather than as a permanent opener.

Iyer has scored five half-centuries against SRH.

His highest score is 82.

He has represented Delhi Capitals, Kolkata Knight Riders and Punjab Kings while facing Sunrisers, giving him experience against their bowling attack from several different team setups.

Iyer’s strength against SRH has often come through controlled middle-over batting.

He is particularly comfortable using his feet against spin and targeting the straight boundary once set.

Rather than relying entirely on power, he builds innings through strike rotation and then accelerates later.

His position above several famous IPL openers underlines how consistent he has been against Hyderabad.

Rishabh Pant – 626 Runs Against SRH

Rishabh Pant may rank fourth for total runs, but he owns the most famous statistical record against SRH.

His 128 not out remains the highest individual IPL score against Sunrisers Hyderabad.

Pant has scored 626 runs from 19 matches at an average of 44.71.

Only a few batters in the leading group average more.

His unbeaten 128 came in Delhi in 2018.

Delhi Daredevils were struggling at 43/3 before Pant completely changed the innings.

He smashed 128 from only 63 balls, hitting 15 fours and seven sixes.

The second half of the innings was brutal.

Pant repeatedly attacked Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Siddarth Kaul at the death and carried Delhi to 187/5.

The performance would normally have been enough to win.

Instead, Shikhar Dhawan and Kane Williamson produced an unbeaten partnership as SRH chased the target with nine wickets remaining.

Pant’s innings therefore remains one of the greatest IPL knocks in a losing cause.

Faf du Plessis – 624 Runs Against SRH

Faf du Plessis completes the top five with 624 runs.

He has faced SRH while representing Chennai Super Kings, Rising Pune Supergiant and Royal Challengers Bengaluru.

His highest score against them is 73 not out.

Faf’s success has come from consistency rather than centuries.

He has produced six fifty-plus scores against Sunrisers and maintained a strike rate above 140.

That is an important combination.

SRH have traditionally been difficult to attack during the Powerplay because of bowlers such as Bhuvneshwar, but Faf has often been willing to take calculated risks early.

His footwork against seam and ability to hit straight have helped him counter swing while still maintaining a strong scoring rate.

Highest Individual Scores Against SRH in IPL

Rishabh Pant’s 128 not out remains the highest score by any batter against Sunrisers Hyderabad.

Ryan Rickelton moved into the upper part of the list in 2026 with an unbeaten 123 for Mumbai Indians.

Several of these innings came during an extraordinary period in 2018, when SRH conceded multiple centuries despite possessing one of the strongest bowling attacks in the competition.

Rishabh Pant’s 128 Not Out

Pant’s 128 not out deserves separate attention because of the quality of his finishing.

He reached his century from 56 balls and then accelerated further.

During the closing stages, he played scoops, one-handed sixes and powerful shots through the leg side.

Pant was only 20 at the time.

His 128 was also the highest IPL score by an Indian batter at that point.

Although Delhi lost the match, the innings established Pant as one of the league’s most destructive young players.

Jos Buttler’s 124

Jos Buttler scored 124 from 64 balls for Rajasthan Royals against SRH in 2021.

He struck 11 fours and eight sixes.

After a relatively controlled beginning, Buttler accelerated dramatically and helped Rajasthan reach 220/3.

This time the century led to a comfortable victory.

SRH finished well short of the target.

Buttler’s innings remains the second-highest individual score against the franchise.

Ryan Rickelton’s 123 Not Out

Ryan Rickelton added his name to the list in 2026.

The Mumbai Indians opener smashed an unbeaten 123 from 55 deliveries at Wankhede Stadium.

He struck 10 fours and eight sixes and helped MI post 243/5.

It was his maiden IPL century.

Yet even 243 did not guarantee victory.

Sunrisers produced an extraordinary chase, reaching 249/4 in 18.4 overs.

The match therefore joined Pant’s 128 among the rare huge individual scores against SRH that came in defeat.

Centuries Against Sunrisers Hyderabad

Several batters have reached three figures against SRH since the franchise entered the IPL in 2013.

The 2018 season stands out immediately.

Four different batters scored centuries against SRH that year: Gayle, Pant, Rayudu and Watson.

That is remarkable because Hyderabad eventually reached the final and remained one of the tournament’s strongest bowling sides.

Shane Watson’s 117 Not Out in the IPL Final

The most important century against SRH came from Shane Watson.

Chennai Super Kings faced Sunrisers Hyderabad in the 2018 IPL final at Wankhede Stadium.

SRH made 178/6.

Watson then began the chase slowly.

He did not score from his first 10 balls.

Rather than panic, he waited.

Once he found his timing, the match changed completely.

Watson attacked Sandeep Sharma, Siddarth Kaul and the rest of the SRH attack and finished unbeaten on 117 from 57 deliveries.

He struck 11 fours and eight sixes.

CSK chased the target with nine balls remaining and won their third IPL championship.

Watson’s knock remains one of the greatest innings in an IPL final.

Ambati Rayudu’s 100 Not Out

Ambati Rayudu also enjoyed major success against SRH during the 2018 season.

He scored an unbeaten 100 from 62 balls in Pune.

Chennai were chasing 180.

Rayudu and Shane Watson gave CSK a dominant start, and Rayudu stayed until the end to complete his maiden IPL century.

CSK reached 180/2 with one over remaining.

Rayudu would later finish his career with 549 runs against SRH at an average above 42.

Chris Gayle’s 104 Not Out

Chris Gayle became the first centurion of the 2018 IPL season when Punjab Kings faced SRH at Mohali.

He smashed 104 not out from 63 balls.

Gayle targeted Rashid Khan in particular, hitting the Afghan spinner for four sixes in one over.

That was unusual because Rashid was already one of the IPL’s most difficult bowlers to attack.

Punjab reached 193/3 and successfully defended the total.

The innings remains one of the best examples of a batter taking on SRH’s strongest bowling weapon rather than simply trying to survive him.

Virat Kohli’s 100 in a Run Chase

Kohli’s 2023 century was different from most others on this list because it came in a chase with significant playoff pressure.

RCB needed 187.

Kohli attacked from the beginning and reached fifty from 35 balls.

He then accelerated as the required rate remained manageable.

Faf du Plessis provided support at the other end.

Kohli reached his hundred with a six before being dismissed soon afterward.

The innings gave RCB an eight-wicket victory and remains one of his best IPL hundreds because of the context.

Famous Batting Performances Against Sunrisers

Not every great innings against SRH reached three figures.

AB de Villiers produced several aggressive performances against Hyderabad, including an unbeaten 89 during his RCB career.

Faf du Plessis repeatedly made fifties without reaching a hundred.

Shreyas Iyer’s five half-centuries have helped him climb above several more explosive batters in the career run list.

Ajinkya Rahane also built a substantial career record through consistency rather than one huge innings.

These examples show two different ways to dominate a franchise.

Pant, Buttler and Watson created unforgettable individual nights.

Samson, Kohli, Iyer and Faf built their records through repeated performances over many seasons.

Why Scoring Against SRH Has Often Been Difficult

For much of their history, Sunrisers built teams around bowling first.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar gave them swing and Powerplay wickets.

Dale Steyn provided high pace during the franchise’s early years.

Rashid Khan became a world-class middle-over weapon.

T Natarajan added left-arm yorkers at the death.

Later attacks included Pat Cummins, Mohammed Shami, Harshal Patel and several emerging quicks.

That balance meant batters rarely had one obvious weak phase to target.

If they survived the new ball, Rashid often waited in the middle.

If they reached the death overs with wickets remaining, Bhuvneshwar or Natarajan could still close the innings effectively.

That makes long-term records such as Samson’s 901 and Kohli’s 889 especially impressive.

Samson vs Kohli: The Race for the SRH Record

The gap at the top is now only 12 runs.

Samson leads with 901.

Kohli has 889.

Both remain active, which means the record can change quickly in future meetings.

Their methods have been different.

Samson has a higher average against SRH and has often attacked spin aggressively.

Kohli has accumulated more through a combination of Powerplay control, running between wickets and repeated fifty-plus scores.

Both have one century against Sunrisers.

The race gives future SRH matches an extra statistical storyline.

One strong innings from Kohli could move him into first place, while another Samson fifty could extend the gap.

Conclusion

Sanju Samson holds the record for the most IPL runs against Sunrisers Hyderabad with 901 runs from 26 matches.

Virat Kohli is close behind with 889, while Shreyas Iyer has 641, Rishabh Pant 626 and Faf du Plessis 624.

Pant owns the highest individual score against SRH with his spectacular 128 not out in 2018.

Jos Buttler’s 124 and Ryan Rickelton’s unbeaten 123 are next, while Shane Watson’s 117 not out remains arguably the most important because it came in the 2018 IPL final.

Sunrisers have regularly built their teams around strong bowling attacks, making repeated success against them particularly valuable.

Samson and Kohli have done it more consistently than anyone else.

With only 12 runs separating them, the battle for the all-time SRH run-scoring record remains very much alive.

FAQs

Who has scored the most runs against SRH in IPL history?

Sanju Samson holds the record with 901 IPL runs against Sunrisers Hyderabad through the completed 2026 season.

How many runs has Virat Kohli scored against SRH?

Virat Kohli has scored 889 runs against Sunrisers Hyderabad, including one century and six half-centuries.

What is the highest individual IPL score against SRH?

Rishabh Pant holds the record with an unbeaten 128 for Delhi against Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2018.

How many IPL centuries has Sanju Samson scored against SRH?

Samson has scored one IPL century against SRH, an unbeaten 102 for Rajasthan Royals in Hyderabad in 2019.

Who scored a century against SRH in the IPL final?

Shane Watson scored 117 not out for Chennai Super Kings against SRH in the 2018 IPL final.

Which batter has the best average among the leading run-scorers against SRH?

Among the top five career run-scorers, Rishabh Pant has the highest average at 44.71.