Praful Hinge had a dream start to his IPL career on 13 April 2026, as the SRH vs RR IPL 2026 clash delivered one of the game’s most incredible debut moments at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad. Defending a big total of 216, Sunrisers Hyderabad gave Hinge the new ball, and he responded with an over that left Rajasthan Royals reeling.
He dismissed the teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi for a golden duck with a sharp, rising ball that forced a top-edge, then cleaned up Dhruv Jurel just two balls later. To cap it off, he trapped Lhuan-dre Pretorius on the final delivery as the South African missed a full, swinging ball. Fellow debutant Sakib Hussain chipped in with four wickets of his own, and RR eventually folded for 159, giving SRH a 57-run win.
From an illegal action to IPL history, the making of Praful Hinge
Born in Nagpur on 18 January 2002, Praful Hinge actually started as a batsman, but his father convinced him to try fast bowling instead, which was a move that changed his life. However, the path to a packed stadium in Hyderabad was anything but smooth. Early on, Praful Hinge dealt with an illegal bowling action, and fixing it was a massive hurdle.
Instead of walking away, he put in the hard work to completely rebuild his technique. Through months of gruelling practice, he fixed his mechanics to create the smooth, consistent action he has now, eventually earning spots at the MRF Pace Foundation in Chennai and the Bupa National Cricket Centre in Brisbane, Australia.
That hard work paid off in domestic cricket. He picked up 27 wickets in 10 first-class matches at an average of 26.33, played six List A games, and was a key part of Vidarbha’s Ranji Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy teams. Coaches liked how he hit the deck hard to find bounce even on flat tracks, making him the perfect fit for a team like SRH.
Is It True? Sherfane Rutherford Blames RCB Star Behind MI vs RCB IPL 2026 Loss
Sunrisers Hyderabad picked up Praful Hinge for just INR 30 lakh at the IPL 2026 auction, a price that, following this SRH vs RR IPL 2026 game, looks like a massive bargain. Praful Hinge is now the first bowler in IPL history to take three wickets in the very first over of an innings. It’s a record that proves his long journey to fix his action was worth it, resulting in the most historic opening over the league has ever seen. The rise of Praful Hinge during SRH vs RR IPL 2026 is a story that will be told for years.
