Praful Hinge is a 24-year-old right-arm fast bowler from Vidarbha who made history on 13 April 2026 by becoming the first player in IPL history to take three wickets in the opening over of an innings on debut. Playing for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) against Rajasthan Royals, he dismissed Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Dhruv Jurel, and Lhuan-dre Pretorius in his very first over, finishing the match with exceptional figures. Hinge's debut was a record-breaking spell at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium. He became the first bowler in 19 years of IPL history to take three wickets in the first over of a match.
He dismissed the 15 year old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi for 1 run and then clean bowled Dhruv Jurel in the same over. He returned in his second over to dismiss RR captain Riyan Parag, ending his first two overs with four wickets.
Praful Hinge was born in Nagpur, Maharashtra. Initially a batter, he switched to fast bowling on his father's suggestion. His sister, a Chartered Accountant, famously put her studies on hold to drive him to practice sessions.He considers SRH captain Pat Cummins his idol and draws inspiration from fellow Vidarbha pacer Umesh Yadav. He was named in the starting XI against Punjab Kings on 11 April 2026, but was replaced by an Impact Player before taking the field, delaying his official debut by two days.
Praful Hinge's impressive domestic stats
Praful Hinge has established himself as a "hit-the-deck" specialist for Vidarbha in domestic cricket, known for his persistence and ability to extract bounce even on flat pitches. His breakthrough came during the 2025–26 season, where he played a pivotal role in Vidarbha's maiden Vijay Hazare Trophy title win.
Across 10 First-Class matches, primarily in the Ranji Trophy, he has claimed 27 wickets at an impressive average of 26.67, with personal best figures of 4/60 achieved against Tamil Nadu. His red-ball success was a key factor in Vidarbha's strong 2024–25 campaign. In the List A format, Hinge has featured in 6 matches, taking 5 wickets with an average of 60.60 and a best of 2/54 recorded during a crucial quarter-final win over Delhi in the 2025–26 Vijay Hazare Trophy.
