Praful Hinge is a 24-year-old right-arm medium-fast bowler from Nagpur, Maharashtra, who plays domestic cricket for Vidarbha and represents Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the IPL 2026.
On April 13, 2026, Hinge became the first bowler in IPL history to take three wickets in the opening over of an innings, finishing with 4/34 on debut against Rajasthan Royals.
Here is everything you need to know about Praful Hinge’s early life, career stats, domestic cricket journey, IPL auction price, and his record-breaking debut spell.
Praful Hinge: Quick Bio & Personal Details
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Praful Prakash Hinge |
| Date of Birth | January 18, 2002 |
| Age (as of April 2026) | 24 years |
| Birthplace | Nagpur, Maharashtra, India |
| Batting Style | Right-hand bat |
| Bowling Style | Right-arm medium-fast |
| Playing Role | Bowler |
| Domestic Team | Vidarbha |
| IPL Team | Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) |
| IPL 2026 Auction Price | INR 30 Lakh (base price) |
| Idol | Pat Cummins |
Early Life & Family Background
Praful Hinge was born on January 18, 2002, in Nagpur, a city with a deep cricketing legacy in the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra.
Interestingly, Hinge did not start out as a bowler. He initially preferred batting on the local grounds of Nagpur. However, his father, Prakash Hinge, insisted he try fast bowling instead.
That single piece of fatherly advice turned out to be a career-defining moment. In his early days, Hinge reportedly struggled with an illegal bowling action. Rather than giving up, he put in intensive training to develop a repeatable, legal bowling rhythm.
By his own admission, Hinge started playing cricket around the age of 13. He told ESPNcricinfo after his debut: “I didn’t initially know what leather ball cricket is.”
His sister, a Chartered Accountant, has been one of his biggest supporters throughout his journey. She helped him balance training and studies during the early years.
Coming from a modest family background, Hinge’s rise is a textbook example of what persistence, family support, and raw talent can achieve in Indian cricket.
Cricket Academy & Professional Training
Here is Info about Praful’s Cricket Academy and Professional Training:
Vidarbha Cricket Association Academy
At the age of 16, Hinge joined the Vidarbha Cricket Association (VCA) Academy, where he trained under coach Sanjeev. His talent was evident almost immediately.
During the Under-19 trials, he picked up an astonishing 36 wickets, a performance that marked him as a serious pace bowling prospect.
Watching Vidarbha win the Ranji Trophy in 2017-18 became a huge motivational turning point for the young pacer. From that moment, he set his sights on breaking into the senior red-ball squad.
MRF Pace Foundation, Chennai
Hinge has been training at the renowned MRF Pace Foundation in Chennai since 2022. This is the same academy that has shaped some of India’s finest fast bowlers over the decades.
At MRF, it was Varun Aaron (now SRH’s bowling coach) who first noticed Hinge’s potential. Hinge himself credited the foundation for supporting him through injuries.
Brisbane Training Camp (2024)
In 2024, Hinge attended a 15-day training camp at the Bupa National Cricket Centre in Brisbane, Australia. During this camp, he bowled alongside international stars like Josh Hazlewood and Jhye Richardson.
That overseas exposure gave him a technical edge that most domestic seamers at his level simply do not have. It also speaks volumes about his commitment to self-improvement.
Domestic Cricket Career
Here is Info about Praful’s Domestic Career:
First-Class Cricket (Ranji Trophy)
Hinge made his first-class debut for Vidarbha against Puducherry in October 2024. In his very first season, he was part of the Vidarbha squad that won the Ranji Trophy 2024-25, beating Kerala in the final.
He picked up 11 wickets in 4 matches at an average of 27.09 in that title-winning campaign.
In the following Ranji Trophy 2025-26 season, he became a more regular feature. Hinge played 6 matches and took 16 wickets in 11 innings at 26.37, with a best of 4/60.
List A Cricket (Vijay Hazare Trophy)
Hinge made his List A debut in January 2025 against Mizoram in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. He went on to take 5 wickets in 5 matches as Vidarbha won the 2025-26 Vijay Hazare Trophy title.
In one notable game against Baroda, he bowled an impressive spell and troubled Hardik Pandya in phases, even though Pandya went on to score a hundred.
T20 Cricket (Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy & Vidarbha Pro T20 League)
His T20 debut came in December 2025 against Andhra in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. He returned figures of 1/23 in 4 overs, dismissing Andhra captain Ricky Bhui.
Notably, he opened the bowling alongside Umesh Yadav, his Vidarbha senior and one of his biggest inspirations.
His T20 credentials got a further boost during the inaugural Vidarbha Pro T20 League. Playing for Neco Master Blasters, he took 8 wickets in 6 matches at an economy of 8.96, playing a key role in their title run.
Praful Hinge Career Stats (Updated April 2026)
| Format | Matches | Wickets | Average | Best Bowling | Economy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First-Class | 10 | 27 | 26.7 | 5/55 | – |
| List A | 6 | 5 | 56.60 | – | – |
| T20s (Domestic) | 1 | 1 | 23.00 | 1/23 | 5.75 |
| IPL 2026 | 1 | 4 | 8.50 | 4/34 | 8.50 |
| Vidarbha Pro T20 | 6 | 8 | ~25 | – | 8.96 |
IPL 2026 Auction & Journey to SRH
Hinge went unsold in the IPL 2025 mega auction. However, Sunrisers Hyderabad picked him up at his base price of INR 30 lakh during the IPL 2026 mini auction as a backup pace option.
Here is where the story gets fun. When the auction result was announced, Hinge was reportedly in a temple in Nagpur. Not a bad place to receive life-changing news, if you think about it.
Joining SRH meant sharing the dressing room with the likes of Pat Cummins, Harshal Patel, and Jaydev Unadkat. For someone who has openly called Cummins his idol, this was a dream come true.
He told Sportstar: “I’ve watched him from the start – the way he bowls, the way he captains. I’m really blessed to be in his team.”
IPL Debut: The Historic Spell Against Rajasthan Royals
Hinge was actually first named in the playing XI for SRH’s Match 17 against Punjab Kings on April 11, replacing Jaydev Unadkat. However, due to the impact player rule, he did not actually take the field in that game.
So technically, his actual IPL debut came two days later on April 13, 2026, in Match 21 against Rajasthan Royals at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad.
The Record-Breaking First Over
Captain Ishan Kishan handed the new ball to Hinge, asking him to open the bowling against RR’s feared top-order: Yashasvi Jaiswal and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.
What followed was pure carnage, but from the bowling end.
| Ball | Batter | Result | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.1 | Yashasvi Jaiswal | Single to deep backward point | 1/0 |
| 0.2 | Vaibhav Sooryavanshi | OUT – caught Salil Arora (golden duck) | 1/1 |
| 0.3 | Dhruv Jurel | Dot ball | 1/1 |
| 0.4 | Dhruv Jurel | OUT – chopped on, bowled (duck) | 1/2 |
| 0.5 | Lhuan-dre Pretorius | Dot ball | 1/2 |
| 0.6 | Lhuan-dre Pretorius | OUT – caught NKR at deep backward sq leg (duck) | 1/3 |
First-over figures: 1-0-1-3. That is not a typo. Three wickets, one run, zero wides, zero no-balls.
The Complete Spell
Hinge did not stop at three. In his second over, he came back and dismissed RR captain Riyan Parag, who slashed at a wide delivery and edged to the slip cordon.
His first spell read: 3 overs, 0 maidens, 18 runs, 4 wickets, 13 dot balls. His final figures for the match were 4 overs, 0 maidens, 34 runs, 4 wickets (4/34).
IPL Records Created
First bowler in IPL history (across 19 seasons) to take three wickets in the opening over of an innings. Previously, there had been 32 instances of a bowler taking two wickets in the first over, but never three.
Hinge also became the 7th bowler in IPL history to take a 4-wicket haul on debut, joining names like Alzarri Joseph, Andrew Tye, Shoaib Akhtar, and David Wiese.
Additionally, RR’s score of 1/3 after 1 over was the lowest aggregate for the top order in an IPL innings, breaking CSK’s 3/4 against MI in 2020.
SRH vs RR Match 21 Result Summary
| Detail | SRH | RR |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 216/6 (20 overs) | 159 all out (19 overs) |
| Result | Won by 57 runs | Lost |
| Top Scorer | Ishan Kishan – 91 (44) | Donovan Ferreira – 69 (44) |
| Best Bowler | Praful Hinge – 4/34 | Jofra Archer – 2/37 |
| Player of the Match | Praful Hinge | – |
Praful Hinge’s Bowling Style & Strengths
Hinge is a right-arm medium-fast bowler who has been clocking speeds of 140+ km/h consistently. He is tall and uses his lanky frame to generate extra bounce off the surface.
Here are some of his key bowling traits:
| Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Pace | Consistently hits 140+ km/h |
| Style | Hit-the-deck seamer, extracts bounce and seam movement |
| Strength | Effective in powerplay and death overs |
| Variations | Working on the wobble seam delivery |
| Key Skill | Precise yorkers and disciplined line-and-length bowling |
| Frame | Tall and lanky; uses height to generate steep bounce |
He is not just about raw pace, though. Away from matches, Hinge constantly studies bowling strategies and analyses how top bowlers approach different batters.
Inspirations & Role Models
Pat Cummins is Hinge’s biggest idol. Now, they share the same dressing room at Sunrisers Hyderabad, even though Cummins is currently recovering from a lumbar back injury.
Hinge has also drawn inspiration from Umesh Yadav, another Vidarbha pacer and one of India’s most experienced fast bowlers. Umesh was alongside Hinge when he opened the bowling on his T20 debut against Andhra.
Additionally, SRH bowling coach Varun Aaron has played a crucial role in his development. Hinge credited Aaron after his debut: “The bowling coach Varun Aaron helped me a lot.”
What Lies Ahead for Praful Hinge?
With just one IPL match under his belt, it is early to make bold predictions. However, the signs are incredibly promising.
He is already a Ranji Trophy winner and a Vijay Hazare Trophy winner with Vidarbha. He has trained at MRF Pace Foundation and in Brisbane with international stars.
If he continues to perform like this, a higher IPL price tag and a possible India A call-up could be on the cards. The IPL has always been about opportunity meeting preparation, and Hinge ticked both boxes on debut.
Suggested Reads:
Final Thoughts: Praful Hinge Made Iconic Debut vs RR in IPL 2026
Praful Hinge’s story is one of patience, family support, and relentless self-improvement. From fixing an illegal action to training in Brisbane to scripting IPL history on debut, his journey is as inspiring as his bowling.
Keep an eye on this Nagpur boy. He is just getting started.
