Two fast-bowling teenagers from towns more than a thousand kilometres apart managed to steal the headlines in IPL 2026, turning their debut night into a milestone moment. In Hyderabad, Vidarbha’s Praful Hinge and Bihar’s Sakib Hussain combined to become the first bowling duo to claim four wickets each on an IPL debut, doing it against the Rajasthan Royals.
Four wickets each on debut as SRH strike first
Hinge led the charge with figures of 4 for 34, while Hussain followed with 4 for 24 as SRH put immediate pressure on the Royals. The impact wasn’t just in the numbers; it was a reminder that IPL success can be forged just as much by emerging bowlers as by explosive young batters such as Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Mukul Choudhary.
With the duo’s spells doing the heavy lifting, Rajasthan were restricted to 159, allowing Sunrisers Hyderabad to control the chase and ultimately win by 57 runs. SRH had backed both players in the auction as well, signing them for their base price of Rs 30 lakh.
Usman Ghani backs Hinge’s rise
Vidarbha head coach Usman Ghani spoke glowingly about Hinge after the debut, noting that he has been observing the right-arm pacer since his junior days. Ghani described him as “very promising” and pointed to a strong pipeline of fast bowlers arriving in the Vidarbha setup, along with healthy competition for places in the state team.
He also referenced Hinge’s Ranji Trophy performance in the 2025-26 season, where Praful took 16 wickets across six matches at an average of 26.37, including a best spell of four for 60. Ghani’s message was clear: the talent was already there, and the IPL merely provided the next stage.
Ghani explained that Hinge’s exposure before the IPL was limited in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy because the squad already included experienced pacers. With Vidarbha not qualifying for the knockout rounds, Hinge only got a run in the final league game—where he delivered 1 for 23 in four overs against Andhra—yet scouts still took notice after watching him in Lucknow.
Breaking down what makes Hinge effective, Ghani said the youngster bowls at good pace, creates movement off the pitch, and carries a bouncer that he has worked on carefully. He added that the bowler has trained on a “fair” bouncer—one that stays at a good height without going over the batter’s head—and has also spent time refining his yorkers. Ghani believes the learning curve has been steep, calling Hinge disciplined, receptive to coaching, and therefore ideally suited to T20 bowling demands.
MRF training and a comeback story
On the advice of former India pacer Prashant Vaidya, Hinge joined the MRF Pace Foundation in 2023. He then trained in Australia under Glenn McGrath, a phase Ghani and the development team would see as crucial to his technical growth.
An injury after Hinge returned kept him out of the Ranji Trophy knockouts, but he has since bounced back strongly. That ability to recover and return to form set the stage for the jump to IPL cricket.
Sakib’s breakthrough spotlights Bihar’s pace strength
Hussain’s debut also underlined that Bihar’s talent pipeline is producing more than just high-profile names. Bihar coach Vinayak Samant labelled Sakib as a complete fast-bowling option, praising his speed and also his ability to slow the game down with a strong slower delivery.
Samant further said Hussain is an excellent fielder and called him a genuine T20 specialist. He pointed to Hussain’s showing in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy, where the young pacer took five wickets in five matches, reinforcing why scouts and franchises were interested.
During the SMAT window, Varun Aaron made the trip from Kolkata to Ranchi specifically to watch Sakib. Samant said Aaron’s assessment left an impression, and soon after, SRH moved to secure Hussain in the auction.
More pacers from Bihar, including Mohammed Izhar
Samant added that Bihar continues to have a broad base of pace talent, including another young fast bowler, Mohammed Izhar, who is currently part of the Mumbai Indians squad. While Izhar is not as quick as Hussain, Samant described him as a capable bowler who deserves an opportunity at the top level.
He expressed hope that Izhar eventually gets a chance to debut for MI. Samant also noted Izhar’s impact in SMAT last season, where he was Bihar’s leading wicket-taker with nine wickets in five matches, including a best haul of 4 for 39.
Former Bihar Cricket Association official Anand Yalvigi echoed the sentiment about both Hussain and Izhar as promising fast-bowling prospects. Yalvigi said he had been tracking them closely and spoke with Bihar selectors—deputed by the BCCI, Chetan Sharma and Harvinder Singh—about the importance of featuring both players in the Ranji Trophy.
He highlighted that Sakib took six wickets for 41 in Patna in the opening Ranji Trophy match against Arunachal Pradesh in the Plate Group, underlining how early the wicket-taking form had appeared.
The immediate task for Hinge and Hussain is to convert dream starts into lasting performances. Ghani said, “Let’s see. There’s still a long way to go for Hinge. He has to keep performing consistently,” framing the debut as the beginning of a longer journey.
At a glance
- IPL 2026 debut match: Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Rajasthan Royals in Hyderabad.
- Praful Hinge (Vidarbha): 4 for 34 on IPL debut.
- Sakib Hussain (Bihar): 4 for 24 on IPL debut.
- Milestone: First bowling pair to take four wickets each on IPL debut.
- Rajasthan Royals scored 159; SRH won by 57 runs.
- SRH signed both players at their base price of Rs 30 lakh.
- Hinge’s Ranji Trophy 2025-26: 16 wickets in six matches (avg 26.37), best 4 for 60.
- Hinge in SMAT: 1 for 23 in four overs vs Andhra (played only the last league match).
- Hinge training: Joined MRF Pace Foundation in 2023; trained in Australia under Glenn McGrath.
- Sakib in SMAT: Five wickets in five matches.
- Varun Aaron watched Sakib during SMAT, and SRH picked him up in the auction.
- Bihar pace spotlight: Mohammed Izhar (Mumbai Indians squad) took 9 wickets in five SMAT matches, best 4 for 39.
