Praful Hinge is an Indian right-arm medium-fast bowler who plays domestic cricket for Vidarbha and Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL. On April 13, 2026, he became the first player in IPL history to take three wickets in an opening over, registering his name in the record books. This achievement was unlocked in the match against the Rajasthan Royals at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad.
Who is Praful Hinge?
Praful Hinge is a 24 year old right arm seamer who belongs to Nagpur in Maharashtra. He plays for Vidarbha in Ranji Trophy and was bought by Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2026 at INR 30 lakh. He hit the headlines for registering the record of the three wickets in his first over in IPL.
Early Life and Domestic Success with Vidarbha
Praful Hinge was born on 18 January 2002 in Nagpur. He initially started his cricket journey as a batter. Prakash Hinge, his father, urged him to start fast bowling. This was a hard to come by transition. At the beginning of his career, his bowling action was reported to be illegal. Hinge had to put a lot of efforts to re-develop his technique.
Another blow to his career was the fact that he had a severe back stress fracture. At this bad time, he was mentored by former India pacer Varun Aaron. He also had the opportunity to train under the Australian legend, Glenn McGrath at the MRF Pace Foundation. This and other experiences led to the development of a style of hitting the deck that relies on accuracy and bounce.
In 2024, Hinge debuted in the First-Class for Vidarbha. He has taken 27 wickets in 10 First-Class games with an average of 26.67. He played an important role in the Vidarbha team in the 2025-2026 Ranji Trophy season.
Record-Breaking IPL 2026 Debut
Praful Hinge was auctioned in the IPL 2026 to Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at INR 30 lakh. He was included in the playing XI to replace the veteran pacer, Jaydev Unadkat. His first game was against the Rajasthan Royals (RR), and he created history in his first outing.
Hinge dismissed Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Dhruv Jurel, and Lhuan-dre Pretorius in his first over in IPL. This scoreboard for the Rajasthan Royals was displaying 1/3. He completed the game with a record of 4/34; it was his opening burst that removed the in-form batters of the Rajasthan Royals and enabled SRH to win the game by 57 runs.
Career Statistics and Performance
Praful Hinge has shown consistency across formats, though his red-ball record remains his strongest foundation.
Bowling Statistics (As of April 2026)
| Format | Matches | Wickets | Best Bowling | Average |
| First-Class | 10 | 27 | 4/60 | 26.67 |
| List A | 6 | 5 | 2/54 | 60.60 |
| Domestic T20 | 2 | 5 | 4/34 | 11.40 |
| IPL | 1 | 4 | 4/34 | 8.50 |
Source: Espncricinfo
His T20 career has just started. He had only participated in a single match at the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy before the IPL. He ended with a decent show of 1/23 in four overs in that game against Andhra Pradesh.
Bowling Action and Mentorship
Hinge’s bowling is characterized by a high arm action and the ability to bowl long spells. He attributes his recovery and technical development to a large degree, to his three weeks training at the National Cricket Centre in Brisbane. His association with Varun Aaron, the current bowling coach at SRH, played a key part in his IPL selection.
Which state does Praful Hinge play for?
Praful Hinge represents Vidharba in the domestic tournaments. He is a native of Nagpur, Maharashtra, and has represented Vidarbha in Ranji Trophy, Vijay Hazare Trophy, and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
What record did Praful Hinge set in the IPL?
He becomes the only bowler to take three wickets on his debut in the IPL. He achieved this feat when he took three wickets in his debut match in the IPL in the first over against the Rajasthan Royals.
What was Praful Hinge's price in the IPL 2026 auction?
Sunrisers Hyderabad bought Praful Hinge at his base price of INR 30 lakh. He was put in the list as the alternative pacer, but he made it into the playing XI early in the season as a replacement for Jaydev Unadkat.
Check out some more interesting articles from the general knowledge section to boost your knowledge of national and international topics. Stay connected with Jagran Josh for more topics like this.
ALSO READ
-1776185832341_t.webp)