NEW DELHI: The name Praful Hinge sparked rapid online chatter after the 24-year-old fast bowler from Vidarbha sent Rajasthan Royals’ top order reeling during Sunrisers Hyderabad’s IPL 2026 match at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad. In only his debut outing, Hinge struck early and often, removing Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Dhruv Jurel and Lhuan-dre Pretorius—each dismissed for a duck—to leave the visiting side in serious trouble.
Quick facts
At a glance
- Player in focus: Praful Hinge, 24-year-old pacer from Vidarbha
- Match: Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Rajasthan Royals, IPL 2026 at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad
- Debut impact: Dismissed Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Dhruv Jurel and Lhuan-dre Pretorius for ducks
- Resulting pressure: Rajasthan Royals slipped to 1/3 within a single over
- Auction price: Bought for Rs 30 lakh at the IPL 2026 auction
From domestic promise to IPL breakthrough
Handing Hinge his first IPL outing proved to be a decisive move for Sunrisers Hyderabad. The right-arm seamer had already earned a reputation in domestic cricket before stepping onto the IPL stage, and his domestic numbers backed up the faith shown in him. In 10 first-class games, he claimed 27 wickets at an average of 26.7, highlighting his knack for maintaining tight, long spells.
While he was still relatively fresh to the T20 format, his limited appearances had already shown his ability to trouble batters with control and rhythm. One of the notable cameos mentioned in the build-up was his work alongside Umesh Yadav, reinforcing that he could adapt quickly at a higher tempo.
Praful the destroyer: how the wickets fell
Hinge’s spell had the look of something planned from the first ball, with every dismissal coming from a clear attacking idea. In a matter of moments, he turned the Royals’ chase into a scramble and set the tone for the rest of the innings.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (duck): Hinge delivered a hard-length ball that came up slightly off the pitch. Sooryavanshi went for an aggressive pull, but the timing was off; the ball rose and the wicketkeeper stayed perfectly positioned to take an easy catch.
Dhruv Jurel (duck): Immediately after, Hinge bowled another ball outside the off stump. Jurel tried to defend, yet the delivery came back in just enough to catch the inside edge and crash into the stumps.
Lhuan-dre Pretorius (duck): For his third wicket, Hinge sent down a fuller delivery that swung away. Pretorius attempted to flick it through, but couldn’t get it under control, sending it high into the air where a fielder in the deep completed a straightforward catch.
With three wickets in quick succession, Hinge reduced Rajasthan Royals to 1/3 inside a single over—an emphatic statement for a debutant and a stark reminder of how quickly an IPL contest can swing when the strike is taken away.
