When Sunrisers Hyderabad handed Praful Hinge his debut in IPL 2026, it took just one over to make people notice.
Facing Rajasthan Royals, the Vidarbha pacer picked up three wickets in his very first over. Match reports by Sportstar and MyKhel confirm the dismissals of Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Dhruv Jurel and Lhuan-dre Pretorius.
It was a moment that instantly stood out. But it did not come out of nowhere.
It is one of the most notable starts to an IPL career.
But the story behind that moment starts much earlier.
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The Sister Who Powered His Journey
At the centre of Praful Hinge’s story is his elder sister.
A chartered accountant, she played a quiet but defining role in his early years. She balanced her own studies while helping him reach practice sessions and stay consistent with training.
Hinge has said that watching her study late into the night stayed with him. It pushed him to bring the same discipline into cricket.
At home, effort was visible. And it set the standard.
Growing Up In Nagpur And Finding His Path
Hinge grew up in Nagpur without a clear roadmap into professional cricket.
He started structured training around the age of 13. At the time, he did not fully understand how selections worked or how players moved up the system.
He figured it out gradually.
Club cricket came first. Then trials. Then age-group matches.
There was no shortcut. Just repetition.
He travelled for practice on his own, sometimes cycling, building a routine that slowly became part of his game.
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Parents Who Built Routine, Not Pressure
His parents kept things simple.
His father, a former government employee, introduced him to cricket but did not interfere much. He gave him space to figure things out.
His mother focused on the everyday details. Meals, timings, making sure he showed up.
It was not loud support. It was consistent.
And that consistency gave Hinge something to build on.
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The Long Road Through Vidarbha Cricket
His progress through Vidarbha cricket was steady.
He broke through at the Under-16 level, then had a strong Under-19 season where he picked up 36 wickets. From there, he moved into Under-23 cricket and eventually into the senior side.
In first-class cricket, he has taken 27 wickets in 10 matches, according to Sportstar.
He also spent time at the MRF Pace Foundation, working on pace, control and execution.
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Setbacks That Stayed With Him
The journey was not smooth.
The COVID-19 period slowed his momentum. He missed out on earlier IPL opportunities. Injuries interrupted parts of his domestic seasons.
But those phases did not pull him away from the game. They pushed him to work more on fitness and sharpen his skills.
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When The Opportunity Came
His chance with Sunrisers Hyderabad came after trials where he was tested in match situations.
He bowls at around 140 to 145 kmph and relies on yorkers, natural inswing and variations depending on the batter.
On debut, everything clicked.
Three wickets in one over.
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