On April 13, Praful Hinge announced himself in the IPL with a spell that will be remembered for a long time. On his debut for Sunrisers Hyderabad against the Rajasthan Royals, he struck with a historic first-over burst—becoming the first bowler in league history to take three wickets within the opening over of a match. The run started with a breakthrough against Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, setting the tone for a memorable introduction at the highest level.
Hinge’s debut milestone and the Sooryavanshi dismissal
In that opening burst, Hinge’s pace and planning looked beyond his age and experience. The first wicket he claimed was Sooryavanshi’s, and the way the dismissal came was even more striking. By using a shorter delivery, Hinge hurried the batter into a pull attempt, and the end result was a duck.
Sooryavanshi’s struggles in that phase stood out even more because this IPL season has generally looked difficult for many batters—especially those facing the kind of bowling that dares them to challenge. Hinge’s spell, however, was the rare example of a debutant forcing control immediately, turning the first over into a statement.
Sooryavanshi’s “clear plan” in Jaipur
Twelve days after that setback, Sooryavanshi made sure the story moved in his favour. When he returned to the crease in Jaipur, he did so knowing Hinge would be deployed in the first over again. The batter said he arrived with a “clear plan”—but he also made it clear that his motivation was not only cricketing strategy.
Speaking on the Rajasthan Royals’ social media platform, the batter from Bihar explained that after the dismissal in the previous match, a number of comments were directed at him. He said he wanted to silence those critics with his bat rather than engaging with the noise.
- He described having a defined plan specifically against the bowler.
- After getting out in the prior game, he checked his phone and noticed multiple things being said about him.
- While he usually doesn’t focus on such chatter, personal remarks impacted him.
- His goal became responding only through his innings.
Four sixes, a fast century, and injury update
That “clear plan” turned into an emphatic opening statement. Sooryavanshi struck Hinge for four consecutive sixes in the first over, after which the bowler was removed from the attack. The aggressive start became the base for a dominant innings—his 36-ball century, which was the third fastest in IPL history, and his second IPL hundred overall.
The batter’s previous century also arrived in Jaipur. In IPL 2025, he struck a 35-ball ton against the Gujarat Titans at the same venue.
Sooryavanshi also detailed how he approached the day’s batting. He said it was important for him to execute the same ideas he had practised recently, adding that he went for a free-flowing approach from the first ball and aimed to reproduce the same plan in match conditions.
He further provided an update on a hamstring issue, confirming that he would be available for the next fixture. The batter said he was feeling better and explained that his foot had become stuck during the incident. He also noted that he already had an ankle problem, and to avoid placing excessive strain, he pulled his hamstring. He concluded that he expects to recover in time for the upcoming match.
- Sooryavanshi hit four straight sixes off Hinge in the first over.
- Hinge was taken off after that explosive sequence.
- Sooryavanshi went on to a 36-ball century, the third fastest in IPL history.
- It was his second IPL century; his earlier ton was a 35-ball knock in Jaipur in IPL 2025 vs Gujarat Titans.
- He said his hamstring is improving and that he will be fit for the next game.
