NEW DELHI: The moment Ishan Kishan handed the new ball to debutant Praful Hinge, it looked like just another start to an innings. But within minutes, the 24-year-old right-arm quick turned that first over into a statement. Hinge struck early and hard, blowing apart Rajasthan Royals\u2019 top order and shifting the momentum so decisively that the contest changed shape almost immediately.<\/p>\n
Hinge removed Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Dhruv Jurel and Lhuan-dre Pretorius in quick succession, with all three batters dismissed for ducks. The feat stood out not just for its impact, but for its rarity: it was the first time in IPL history that a bowler had claimed three wickets in the opening over of an innings. While there have been 32 occasions where a bowler managed two wickets in the first over, never before had anyone reached the three-wicket mark at that stage.<\/p>\n
Sunrisers Hyderabad have previously seen the two-wicket version of this dominance in the powerplay as well. The only earlier example for the franchise came through Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who took a pair of wickets against the same opposition at the same venue in 2024. Hinge\u2019s burst, though, went a step further and placed him among the most effective powerplay wicket-takers in the league.<\/p>\n
His spell also secured him a spot in an elite group of bowlers who have taken four or more wickets during the powerplay. With figures of 4\/18, Hinge now joins a list that includes Ishant Sharma\u2019s 5\/12 in 2011, along with spells by Shoaib Akhtar, Ajit Chandila, Dhawal Kulkarni, Pat Cummins, Deepak Chahar and Mohammed Shami\u2014names that have defined fear in the early overs for years.<\/p>\n
Praful Hinge, a young seamer from Vidarbha, was brought into the Sunrisers Hyderabad setup at the IPL 2026 auction, with the franchise investing Rs 30 lakh in him. Before this breakthrough, he had been building his case quietly through domestic cricket, especially in the longer format where rhythm and discipline matter as much as pace.<\/p>\n
He made his first-class debut in October 2024 and soon became a regular feature in the Ranji Trophy. In that season, he collected 16 wickets in 11 innings, showing the ability to sustain pressure over spells rather than rely on one moment. Across 10 first-class matches, he has taken 27 wickets at an average of 26.7, a return that reflects both consistency and control.<\/p>\n
In T20 cricket, however, Hinge\u2019s exposure had been limited. Before his IPL debut, he had played just a single match in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. In that game, he finished with 1\/23 against Andhra, sharing the new ball with Umesh Yadav\u2014an experience that, at the time, offered only a glimpse of what he could do under higher stakes.<\/p>\n
Even with that relatively small sample in the shortest format, SRH clearly believed the raw talent was ready to be tested. They included him in a bowling unit that also featured seasoned campaigners such as Pat Cummins, Harshal Patel and Jaydev Unadkat. On debut, Hinge not only matched the faith shown in him, but effectively announced himself as a rising talent\u2014one capable of turning an innings on its head from the very first over.<\/p>\n
Stay updated with the latest IPL Live Score, IPL news on Times of India. Follow the IPL Schedule, check the IPL Points Table, and track the race for the IPL Orange Cap and IPL Purple Cap.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
NEW DELHI: The moment Ishan Kishan handed the new ball to debutant Praful Hinge, it looked like just another start to an innings. But within…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":2518,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_title":"Praful Hinge Early Strike Rocks RR Top Order in IPL","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"Praful Hinge\u2019s debut burst dismantles RR\u2019s top order in IPL, with early wickets swinging momentum fast and setting up a dramatic turnaround.","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2519","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ipl"],"yoast_head":"\n