Right-arm quick Praful Hinge was handed the tough task of starting the bowling on his IPL introduction for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) against a Rajasthan Royals batting pair that has looked especially dangerous in the powerplay—Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Yashasvi Jaiswal. In front of an intimidating opening stand, the 24-year-old newcomer made an immediate impact, striking three times in the same over to send back Sooryavanshi, Dhruv Jurel and Lhuan-dre Pretorius.
Hinge’s burst of wickets turned heads because he was still early in his career at senior level—this was only his second T20 appearance in top-tier cricket. He removed Sooryavanshi with his very first delivery, then added two more scalps as the over progressed, becoming the first bowler in IPL history to claim a hat-trick of wickets in the opening over of an innings.
Hinge’s pathway to the franchise started with first-class cricket: he debuted for Vidarbha in October 2024 and then became a dependable presence during the most recent Ranji Trophy. In that campaign, he took 16 wickets across 11 innings, maintaining an average of 26.37. His only T20 before this IPL came in December 2025, when he featured against Andhra in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, finishing with figures of 1 for 23. His T20 reputation continued to rise during the inaugural Vidarbha Pro T20 League last year, where he played a meaningful role in Neco Master Blasters’ run to the title.
As a bowler, Hinge brings a sharp, seaming pace and an ability to make use of his long frame. He began playing cricket at around the age of 12 and has spoken openly about how Pat Cummins—his regular SRH captain—has been his idol, with a clear ambition to share the dressing room with him. He has also drawn inspiration from Umesh Yadav, a senior figure at Vidarbha, alongside whom he formed the new-ball partnership on his own T20 debut.
Overall, Hinge has appeared in 10 first-class matches, taking 27 wickets, and has played six List A fixtures, where he has accounted for five wickets.
