Praful Hinge’s IPL debut on Monday has turned “manifestation” into a tangible cricketing story. The Vidarbha fast bowler, making his first appearance in the league for Sunrisers Hyderabad, finished with figures of 4/34 against Rajasthan Royals, including the kind of explosive start that changes a match in minutes. Three of his four wickets fell within the opening over, and he became the first bowler in the 19-year history of the IPL to claim a hat-trick of wickets in the very first over of a game. His overall performance is also the second-best return by an Indian on IPL debut.
How the match swung in the powerplay
- Hinge opened the bowling and struck immediately, producing a spell of 2-0-6-4 in the first over, as Rajasthan’s top order buckled under pressure.
- That early collapse effectively disrupted Rajasthan’s chase of 217, leaving the table-toppers struggling to even get going.
- With the innings firmly under control, Sunrisers capitalised on the momentum to register a convincing victory by 57 runs.
- For Rajasthan, the loss was a major break in form, handing them their first defeat in five matches.
After the game, Hinge explained how he had mentally planned dominance in the early stages. He said he had written down his intention to take four or five wickets on debut and believed in setting the tone during the powerplay, adding that his mindset was rooted in the idea of manifestation. He also spoke about his journey from a young age, recalling that he began playing cricket at 13, initially unfamiliar with leather-ball cricket, and that his father first thought he was too young before eventually taking him to a club where he continued to play. Hinge concluded by dedicating the achievement to his family.
The bowler also revealed the specific plan behind one of his breakthrough moments: he had targeted Rajasthan’s young batter Vaibhav Sooryavanshi with a bouncer to engineer a first-ball dismissal. Hinge said Sooryavanshi’s wicket was the best, noting that he had told a few people that he would bowl a bouncer to get him out on the first ball. He added that the plan was supported by their bowling coach, Varun Aaron, who helped him map out the approach.
Hinge’s four-wicket effort did not come alone. Another debutant, pacer Sakib Hussain, provided strong support from the other end, finishing with impressive figures of 4/24. Hussain said that every player dreams of a debut like this and that he was genuinely happy with how it turned out. He also explained that the SRH bowling coach had informed him a day before the match that he would be in the playing XI, after which his focus narrowed to performing to the best of his ability. Mentally, he prepared himself to deliver his best performance.
Hussain further credited the work done with Varun Aaron over a long stretch. He said “Varun (Aaron) bhai” had been working with him for the past four years, and that the improvements visible in his bowling were a result of that guidance. He added that having such a performance on debut felt “amazing” and very special.
