Who is Praful Hinge: Sunrisers Hyderabad's star player Praful Hinge created history by taking 3 wickets in the very first over of his IPL career

Who is Praful Hinge?

Praful Hinge, playing his first match of IPL 2026, got a 'dream debut'. Sunrisers Hyderabad, batting first, scored 216 runs. Rajasthan Royals must have been proud of Vaibhav Suryavanshi, so they called him up to open the innings as an impact player. But who would have imagined that a bowler named Praful Hinge would create a sensation in his IPL debut?

Praful Hinge came on to bowl the first over. Yashasvi Jaiswal took a single off the first ball, but on the second ball, the ferocious batsman Vaibhav Suryavanshi was dismissed without scoring while trying to play a big shot. Within the next four balls, Dhruv Jurel and Luan Drees Pretorius were also dismissed. It was a remarkable coincidence that all three batsmen were dismissed for zero.

Praful Hinge is the first bowler in history to take three wickets in the first over of an IPL innings. There have been bowlers who have taken two wickets in the first over of an innings, but Praful is the first to take three wickets.

Who is Praful Hinge?

24-year-old Praful Hinge hails from Nagpur, Maharashtra. He plays for Vidarbha in Indian domestic cricket. His sister played a major role in Praful's career. She is a chartered accountant and used to study late into the night. Seeing her sister's hard work and dedication, Praful also wanted to excel in some field.

Praful didn't initially receive his father's support, which was when he was 12 years old. However, after a summer camp trial, his father gave Praful the green light to continue playing cricket.

Praful was not good in studies

Praful Hinge wasn't interested in studies, but he developed a deep passion for cricket. Praful considers legendary Indian fast bowler Umesh Yadav his idol. The two even shared the dressing room for Vidarbha. Umesh Yadav, who has taken 288 wickets in international cricket for the Indian cricket team, inspired Praful to become a star fast bowler.

Sitting in the temple, watching the auction

When the IPL 2026 auction was underway, players usually kept their eyes glued to the TV. Like everyone else, Praful was watching the auction live, but not at his home in Nagpur, but in a temple nearby. His name was also in the auction last season, but no team bid for him. At that time, Praful promised his father that he would definitely be considered for the next season, and indeed, his hard work paid off.