NEW DELHI: When a sporting career is teetering on the edge, raw ability is rarely enough to keep it alive. Survival often comes down to conviction—something you gain from watching the game at the highest level and understanding how quickly fortunes can turn. That kind of support is what Glenn McGrath, renowned for building his own reputation on persistent seam movement and razor-accurate lines, brought to a young Praful Hinge when a back problem threatened to derail his dream before it could properly take off.
Hinge marked his Indian Premier League debut in memorable fashion for Vidarbha and Sunrisers Hyderabad, striking at exactly the right moment to keep his side firmly in control. During the chase of 217 at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad, he helped restrict the unbeaten Rajasthan Royals to 1 for 3 in their pursuit of the target. The left-arm seam-bowling prospect made an immediate impact in his opening spell, dismissing Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Dhruv Jurel and handing a debut scalp to Lhuan-dre Pretorius. On his second over, he struck again by removing Royals captain Riyan Parag. His figures from the spell read 4 overs, 0 maidens, 34 runs, and 4 wickets—an arrival that looked far bigger than a first outing.
The performance carried extra weight because just over two-and-a-half years earlier, Hinge had faced a career-threatening back injury. At a time when it looked like the sport might have to be put on hold permanently, he found crucial assistance from Varun Aaron and from McGrath himself, whose involvement helped turn recovery into momentum rather than resignation. Aaron, the Sunrisers Hyderabad bowling coach, was visibly delighted as Hinge tore through the Royals’ top order, a reaction that reflected how much this breakthrough has meant for the entire group around him.
Praful Hinge’s father, Prakash Hinge, described the moment with the kind of relief that only comes after a long period of uncertainty. Speaking from Nagpur, he said dreams do not always stay as dreams, and that Varun Aaron became a turning point in his son’s journey. In his words, it was hard to watch the number of injuries Praful endured, especially when a stress fracture appeared to threaten the end. He added that when Praful was struggling, Aaron effectively took him under his wing and supported his return, guiding him through what he called a dark phase “hand-held” rather than from a distance.
After the recovery, McGrath—now the Director of Coaching at the MRF Pace Foundation in Chennai—extended an opportunity that helped sharpen Hinge’s craft. The Australian great invited him to Australia, where Praful trained for three weeks at Cricket Australia’s National Cricket Centre in Brisbane. Prakash Hinge said McGrath’s role went beyond encouragement: he noted that the MRF Pace Foundation covered all expenses, meaning the family did not have to pay a single penny for the training that followed the injury setback.
Even with the transformation that came through rehabilitation and coaching, those close to Hinge insisted his talent had never truly been in doubt. Former Vidarbha cricketer Ranjit Paradkar, who worked with Praful at the Under-16 and Under-23 levels, pointed out that the youngster’s skill was always present. He suggested the missing piece had been opportunity—explaining that after age-group cricket for the state, the next step often requires someone to push a player toward the India Under-19 pathway. In Praful’s case, he felt that push came through Varun Aaron. Paradkar also credited the stress fracture period for making Hinge a better bowler, stating that the time away and the work afterward allowed for technical improvements, including adjustments to his run-up, elements of his action, and his follow-through. He added a special coincidence: Harsh Dubey, who had captained Praful during the U-16 Vijay Merchant Trophy, is now playing alongside him in the same franchise.
Back in Nagpur, Prakash Hinge said he is now simply thankful and busy with everyday life—receiving calls and guests at home—after seeing his son’s belief pay off. He explained that he worked as a government employee and that his daughter became a chartered accountant, which made education a central priority for the family. Yet from an early age, he said Praful was intensely devoted to cricket, spending long hours playing gully cricket. According to him, there was no stopping it, and the family eventually had to place him in an academy so he could develop properly. In his view, once Praful started training, the ground effectively became his home, and letting him pursue the sport became a decision he no longer regrets.
