Sunrisers Hyderabad produced a statement win against Rajasthan Royals on Monday, cruising to a 57-run victory powered by an unforgettable opening spell from debutant pacer Praful Hinge. The 24-year-old scripted IPL history with the most devastating first over ever recorded in the competition, striking three times as SRH piled up 216 for six and then dismissed RR for 159 in 19 overs. The result moved SRH back into the winners’ circle after consecutive defeats and lifted them to fourth in the IPL 2026 standings, while Rajasthan were left still sitting at the top despite the setback.
Hinge’s dream start and the decisive first-over burst
- Hinge began the innings by sending Vaibhav Sooryavanshi back for a golden duck.
- In the same over, he accounted for Dhruv Jurel, removing him with a ball that beat the outside edge and then struck the stumps after an inside edge.
- He completed the hat-trick in his opening over by dismissing Lhuan-dre Pretorius, who tried to flick but could not clear Nitish Reddy at deep backward square leg.
- With those three wickets in the first over, Hinge became the first bowler in IPL history to take a trio of scalps in the opening over of an innings.
SRH’s total gave them a commanding platform. Skipper Ishan Kishan struck 91 off 44 balls as Hyderabad set 216 for six, before the bowling attack ensured the chase never truly gained momentum.
RR’s chase derailed, but a late partnership delayed the damage
Rajasthan were unable to handle the pressure early. Sakib Hussain, also making his IPL debut, made an immediate impact with figures of 4/24 from four overs. Hussain took a wicket in his first over by dismissing Yashasvi Jaiswal, leaving RR reeling at 4/2, which quickly slid to 5/9 after Hinge struck again when Riyan Parag cut a ball that found slip.
At that point, the contest looked effectively decided. However, Donovan Ferreira and Ravindra Jadeja combined to resist the collapse, adding 118 runs for a partnership that kept RR within sight and reduced the eventual margin of defeat. Hussain returned to finish the job, removing Ferreira, Jofra Archer, and Ravi Bishnoi.
Together, Hinge and Hussain ripped through the innings, taking 8/58 in eight overs, a spell that encapsulated the night for SRH.
From near-miss to moment of glory
Hinge’s debut story contained a twist before it delivered its payoff. He had been scheduled to make his IPL bowing on April 11 against Punjab Kings, but last-minute changes robbed him of that chance. When the opportunity finally came, he seized the moment with a blistering start that will be remembered for years.
Earlier, SRH had also benefited from a strong finish to their batting card. Kishan led from the front, and a late push by Nitish Reddy and Salil Arora helped the team cross the 210-run mark.
Kishan’s dominant innings and SRH’s march towards 216
Kishan looked in sublime form throughout his stay, smashing eight fours and six sixes. He built an 88-run stand with Heinrich Klaasen, who made 40 off 26 balls, before further acceleration near the end.
Reddy’s late hitting included a 13-ball 28, while Arora remained unbeaten on 24 off 13 balls to provide the finishing touches that helped SRH post 216 for six.
Key moments from SRH’s innings
- SRH began aggressively: Abhishek Sharma tried to go big on the first ball but sliced a delivery from Jofra Archer, allowing Ravi Bishnoi to take a clean catch in the deep.
- Kishan then found boundaries quickly, flicking Archer over short fine leg for four and smashing another over deep mid wicket for six.
- In the next over, Kishan cleared third man for a maximum against Nandre Burger, followed by a big hit over Sandeep Sharma’s head and another four through the midwicket region off Tushar Deshpande.
- While Kishan continued to score freely, Travis Head struggled to settle; RR skipper Riyan Parag dismissed him by catching him in the deep off Donovan Ferreira for a score of 18 off 18 balls.
- Despite Head’s departure, Kishan maintained complete control and reached his half-century in 30 balls, including a huge six over deep mid wicket off leg-spinner Bishnoi.
- SRH raced to 100 in 10.3 overs, helped by boundaries as Deshpande leaked 21 runs in that over.
- Klaasen struck Bishnoi for a six over long-on and followed it with a four off Archer.
- Kishan added further momentum with three straight boundaries off Archer to move to 91, with a brief lights interruption inside the stadium during the sequence.
- Kishan eventually went for one shot too many, mistiming a pull, and Sandeep Sharma held on to the catch off his own bowling after a collision involving wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel.
How Hinge and Hussain were shaped
Hinge’s pathway to the top level included strong grounding in Vidarbha’s age-group system. He trained under Varun Aaron and Senthilnathan at the MRF Pace Foundation, where Glenn Mcgrath, the director of cricket, arranged a training stint in Australia for the pacer.
With Hinge’s historic first over and Hussain’s debut fireworks backing it up, SRH delivered a top-to-bottom performance—one that not only secured their second win of the season, but also ensured the match would be remembered long after the final over.
