A 24 year old debutant from Nagpur just turned the IPL 2026 on its head in the most dramatic fashion possible. Praful Hinge, the Sunrisers Hyderabad pacer, announced himself to the cricketing world with a sensational bowling performance against Rajasthan Royals that left fans, pundits & even the RR camp completely stunned at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on April 13, 2026.
Who is Praful Hinge?
Praful Hinge is a right arm medium fast bowler who hails from Nagpur & represents Vidarbha in domestic cricket. The 24 year old has steadily built his reputation in red ball cricket claiming 27 wickets across 10 first class matches at an average of 26.7. It is a record that shows just how dependable he has been for his state team over a short period of time.
His journey into cricket was not straightforward. The age of 16 was when Hinge joined the Vidarbha Cricket Association academy where he trained under coach Sanjeev. It was during the U 19 trials that his early progress became most visible as he picked up an impressive 36 wickets which firmly marked him as a promising talent.
Hinge also considers Pat Cummins as his idol & the Australian legend now captains him at SRH once he returns to full fitness. This alone speaks volumes about the kind of cricketer Praful aims to be.
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Praful Hinge IPL Debut Bowling Performance: A Historic Night
This is where the story becomes truly extraordinary. Praful Hinge became the first bowler in the history of the Indian Premier League to pick three wickets in the first over of a match. It is a record that no bowler had ever achieved before in the long history of the IPL & it came on his very first appearance in the league.
These are the details of his devastating opening spell.
| Wicket | Batsman Dismissed | Mode of Dismissal |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | Vaibhav Sooryavanshi | Caught, golden duck |
| 2nd | Dhruv Jurel | Two ball duck |
| 3rd | Lhuan dre Pretorius | Two ball duck |
| 4th | Riyan Parag (captain) | Caught by Abhishek Sharma |
He then went on to pick up his fourth wicket by dismissing RR skipper Riyan Parag leaving Rajasthan Royals in complete disarray inside just three overs. It was a performance that no one in the stadium or watching from home had expected from a debutant playing his first IPL game.
In the very first dismissal it was a hard length ball that rushed onto Sooryavanshi. He tried a strong pull shot but only managed a top edge off the bat with Salil Arora taking a simple catch. The SRH camp erupted with celebrations & it was only the start of a memorable evening for Praful Hinge.
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Praful Hinge Domestic Cricket Journey
Before grabbing the IPL spotlight Praful Hinge had already been quietly building an impressive domestic career.
- He made his First Class debut for Vidarbha in October 2024 followed by his List A debut in January 2025.
- He played a part in Vidarbha 2024/25 Ranji Trophy title run during his debut first class season picking up 11 wickets in four matches. The following Ranji campaign saw him become an even more regular feature claiming 16 wickets across six matches with a best of 4 60.
- He also played a key role in Vidarbha historic Vijay Hazare Trophy triumph contributing five wickets in five matches.
- He also featured in the inaugural Vidarbha Pro T20 League taking eight wickets in six games with an economy of 8.96 which caught the eye of IPL scouts.
What is Praful Hinge IPL Price?
SRH secured his services at his base price of Rs 30 lakh at the IPL 2026 auction making it a deeply emotional moment for him & his family. It is worth noting that he was at a temple in Nagpur when his name came up during the bidding process. This spiritual moment has now become an iconic story as a young man was praying for his dreams only to have them answered in the most extraordinary way.
Praful Hinge has arrived on the biggest stage of Indian cricket in the most explosive fashion. With a historic four wicket haul on his IPL debut including a record breaking first over the Vidarbha pacer has firmly put his name on the map. They bought him for a modest Rs 30 lakh at Sunrisers Hyderabad & he has already delivered returns that money cannot measure. It is clear that this young man is only getting started & IPL 2026 may just be the beginning of a very special career.
