Sunrisers Hyderabad speedster Praful Hinge has been turning heads with his pace and knack for breakthroughs, and after his side’s triumph in IPL 2026 on Monday, he chose a playful way to recreate a moment that had gone viral earlier in the tournament. Hinge had already made a massive statement in his Indian Premier League debut against Rajasthan Royals, producing a spell so explosive that it instantly set the tone for the innings. In his opening over, he struck with three wickets and then continued to pile on the pressure, ultimately finishing with figures of 4 for 34 from his four overs.
The damage started right at the beginning for the Royals, with Hinge removing Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Dhruv Jurel and Lhuan-dre Pretorius inside that first over. He did not ease up after that first burst either, as the fast bowler went on to take the wicket of Rajasthan captain Riyan Parag as well, reinforcing how decisive his spell was in controlling the contest.
After the win, one of Hinge’s teammates, Nitish Kumar Reddy, shared a video featuring the bowler. In the clip, Reddy made light of the “fake account” trend that often follows popular players, saying that any account connected to “bhai log” that is not genuine is fake, while the one that appears “below” as a tag would be real. The conversation around that video was tied to an earlier piece of social media content involving India fast bowler Mohammed Siraj. In that earlier video, Siraj had also mentioned his Instagram handle and reminded people not to trust or follow impersonating accounts.
Hinge’s own caption, posted as part of the same theme, underlined the message that he would rather focus on cricket than be distracted by online misinformation. While the viral “recreation” drew attention off the field, his performances have been the main story—he has kept his mindset firmly on doing everything required whenever he gets his chance.
Speaking about his approach, Hinge stressed that his priority is always to help his team win, match after match, and to give his best effort regardless of the stage. He also revealed a personal goal beyond just taking wickets: he wants to have an impact in the field by pulling off a standout catch and then pushing his case for the Best Fielder award.
“I didn’t prepare anything special as such. Whenever I watch a match, I ask myself, ‘What would I do in that situation? How would I bowl?’ So, even if it’s a World Cup match and I imagine bowling to the best batsman in the opposition, I think through my approach. That’s always been my thought process; it keeps me constantly thinking about being in a match situation,” Hinge said. He added that his first objective is to win and lift the trophy, and if the opportunity comes, he will try to contribute as often as possible to help his side secure as many victories as he can with a full commitment.
Hinge concluded by pointing to his fielding ambition, saying he would love to take one of the top catches in the IPL and target the Best Fielder honour as well.
