In one unforgettable IPL night, Praful Hinge turned a debut outing into a headline-making spell, firing a record four-wicket haul to all but seal the game for Sunrisers Hyderabad against Rajasthan Royals on April 13. With the target set at 217 in Hyderabad, the visitors were left chasing a mountain, and Hinge’s rapid strikes dismantled their top order before the chase could truly gather momentum.
Debut fireworks: the four wickets in a flash
Hinge’s impact was immediate. Playing his first IPL match—and just his second T20 appearance overall—the Vidarbha fast bowler struck three times in his opening six deliveries. Among those early breakthroughs was the prized wicket of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, a dismissal that quickly turned the match into a one-sided contest.
- He removed Vaibhav Sooryavanshi off the second ball of the Rajasthan innings.
- Next, he struck again by dismissing Dhruv Jurel.
- He then finished the over by taking Lhuan-dre Pretorius as well, leaving the three batters dismissed for ducks.
- In his second over, he also got the better of captain Riyan Parag, reducing Rajasthan to 9 for five within three overs.
Plan executed: how Hinge built pressure
SRH’s “Fearless Prodigy” spoke about how he kept his focus on the process rather than the occasion. He said he had tried to clear the noise from his mind first, and that he relied on execution—having bowled extensively in the nets to line up his strategies.
He also explained that the bowling plan against Sooryavanshi was deliberate. Hinge noted he had faced the youngster in an Under-23 contest earlier and had dismissed him with a bouncer. With Sooryavanshi attacking from the start, Hinge chose to challenge him with a back-of-a-length delivery instead, which he said the batter couldn’t handle.
Confidence, calmness, and the ‘baby step’ mindset
Even as the spell went viral and drew major attention online, Hinge stressed that it hadn’t changed his outlook. He described the performance as the beginning rather than a finished chapter, adding that he still had plenty to work on and that fame was not something he felt he had earned or needed to chase.
He further remarked that opportunities like this come when you work hard, and that the right approach is to give your best effort whenever the moment arrives.
Match result and the turnaround for SRH
SRH ultimately won the match by 57 runs, a margin that immediately shifted the tone of their campaign. Following that victory, the franchise went on to register consecutive wins, climbing into the upper half of the table.
Hinge’s own wicket haul drew particular focus for how the dismissal of Sooryavanshi played out. The young batter, rushed by the pace and timing of the delivery, attempted a big shot but ended up only providing a top edge, which was then safely collected in the deep.
What the nets prepared him for
Hinge credited SRH’s training environment for sharpening his skills for a high-pressure stage. He highlighted that the net work involves simulating match conditions, especially against aggressive batters, so bowlers get used to being tested ball after ball.
He specifically pointed to the way SRH nets prepared him against hitters like Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, and Heinrich Klaasen. In his view, facing that kind of intent helps him stay composed—because he already understands what it feels like to be targeted with power-hitting, and he can therefore focus on delivering his best ball instead.
Additional fixture note: Catch Sunrisers Hyderabad in action against Rajasthan Royals in TATA IPL 2026 on April 25, with coverage beginning at 7:30 PM onwards, live on JioHotstar and Star Sports Network.
