Last Updated on April 14, 2026 by Khabr Bite
The IPL has found a new star in the form of Praful Hinge. The Sunrisers Hyderabad bowler made his debut against Rajasthan Royals on 13th April, 2026 and took three wickets in the very first over of his IPL career. He dismissed the dangerous Vaibhav Sooryavanshi on the very first ball. He also took the wicket of Dhruv Jurel and Lhuan-dre Pretorius. In his first match, he took 4 wickets and conceded 34 runs.
Praful Hinge had a dream debut for SRH against RR. He began by giving a single on the very first ball to Yashasvi Jaiswal. The wicket of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi came from a hard length delivery that rushed him into a mistimed pull shot. Against Dhruv Jurel, he bowled a tight length outside off, resulting in an inside edge on the stumps. To Lhuan-Dre Pretorius, he bowled a fuller on the legs and forced him to flick straight to the fielder.
His smart use of length, bounce, and seam movement helped him put constant pressure on the batting side. After this explosive start, the Rajasthan Royals never recovered. Early wickets shattered their momentum, and they failed to build partnerships, eventually losing the match against Sunrisers Hyderabad by 57 runs.
Who is Praful Hinge?
Praful Hinge was born on January 18, 2002. He is from Nagpur, Vidarbha, Maharashtra. He is a right-arm medium-fast bowler and made headlines by becoming the first bowler to take three wickets in his first-ever IPL over on April 13, 2026, against the Rajasthan Royals.
Praful Hinge enhanced his bowling from the age of 13. At the age of 19, he dominated the U-19 with 36 wickets, but unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic affected his momentum. He wanted to be a big match player, so he kept working hard and found his way to the SRH camp.
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As per My Khel, in yesterday’s interview after his dream debut, he said, “At the age of 19, I realized that I can be a professional. Played U19 and picked 36 wickets. COVID hampered preparation and then he realized, ‘If I try harder, I can play at a higher level. I am always ready to work hard and then I played U23. At MRF Pace Foundation, I realized how I need to improve and got a reality check, which helped in my development.”
Varun Aaron: The Man Who Discovered Praful Hinge
One Indian Star founds another. In the 10 first class matches, Praful took around 27 wickets and in November, 2024-25 in a clash against Tamil Nadu, Indian Pacer Varun Aaron asked Praful for an SRH trial. He said, Varun Aaron asked to execute some things during the trial.
In 2024, in the mega auction, he said he was not disappointed after not getting selected. He said, “I was not disappointed when my name was not picked in the IPL auction in 2024 (IPL mega auction). I knew that hard work would give me results. I never regret anything and I work twice for it. I am punctual and that is an important part of discipline for me. I like to respect all things, like cricketing gears and maintain little things.”
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Later, after the Ranji Trophy match against Tamil Nadu, his path changed completely.
In the interview, he said, “The Ranji match against Tamil Nadu was Live on Television. After finishing, he called me to come to the SRH trial. I executed the plans properly at the trial and maybe they liked me there.”
“At the trial, Varun bhaiya was asking me to execute certain things, and I did them well. My trial was pretty good, and I was happy the way it went.”
“I was hopeful about selection. Fortunately, SRH picked me and that has been the best moment of my life so far. There is nothing better than making your parents happy and that was special.”
The journey from domestic cricket to IPL dream debut is something different. Praful is a very young blood and is all set to give us some more thrillers in the IPL and with his ability to bowl consistently, he can represent India in the future as well.
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Umesh Yadav: The Inspiration Behind Praful Hinge’s Journey
Umesh Yadav was Praful’s Ranji teammate and mentor as well. He has also shared a dressing room with him and talked about his journey.
He said, “Umesh Yadav’s journey inspires me. When I shared a dressing room with him, I learned a lot of things. He used to share a lot of stories of his journey, and whenever he told his stories, I always wanted to be like him. The way he speaks is amazing. He reached great heights despite having nothing, and that’s inspiring.”
Behind His Success Lies His Sister’s Sacrifice
During his early years in Nagpur, his sister made various personal and professional sacrifices to ensure he could succeed. Her elder sister was pursuing her own career as a Chartered Accountant(CA). She frequently put her intense CA exam preparations on hold to drive him to practice at odd hours. To allow Praful to sleep early for his 4.00 AM practice sessions, she would study late at night using a shielded lamp to make Praful sleep well.
During the post-match interview, he said, “She used to study at night, and her academics are really strong. I wanted to do well at something and wanted to learn.”
He also appreciated and thanked Captain Akshay Wadkar’s motivation in Vidarbha’s Cutthroat setup.
Praful’s journey is really inspiring, and it shows his dedication to the game. All his setbacks and dedication have truly shown his worth on his debut.
FAQs
1. How rare is taking 3 wickets in the first over of an IPL match?
Ans. Taking three wickets in the first over of an IPL match is extremely rare. Most bowlers focus on control early on, so getting multiple wickets is unusual. Praful did it in his debut, which made it even more special and shows exceptional skill and confidence.
2. How many wickets did Praful Hinge take on his IPL debut?
Ans. Praful Hinge took 4 wickets on his IPL debut. He shocked everyone by picking three wickets in his very first over. He completed his spell with 4 wickets for 34 runs, which makes it one of the most memorable debut performances.
3. Who is Praful Hinge, and what is his background?
Ans. Praful is a young bowler from Nagpur, Maharashtra. He is a right-arm medium-fast bowler known for his swing and accuracy. He worked hard through domestic cricket and impressed in trials before earning a chance with Sunrisers Hyderabad.
4. What makes Praful Hinge’s IPL debut so special?
Ans. Praful’s Hinge debut is special because he took three wickets in his first over. He managed pressure brilliantly and showed great control. His performance helped his team dominate early, making it one of the most exciting debuts in IPL history.
IPL 2026 Points Table
| TEAMS | P | W | L | NR | NRR | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RR | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | +0.889 | 8 |
| PBKS | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | +0.720 | 7 |
| RCB | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | +1.148 | 6 |
| SRH | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 | +0.576 | 4 |
| DC | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | +0.322 | 4 |
| GT | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | -0.029 | 4 |
| LSG | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | -0.427 | 4 |
| MI | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | -0.772 | 2 |
| CSK | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | -1.532 | 2 |
| KKR | 4 | 0 | 3 | 1 | -1.315 | 1 |
