In what will be remembered as one of the most astonishing debut performances in the history of the Indian Premier League (IPL), Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) pacer Praful Hinge created history on Monday by picking up three wickets in his very first over against the Rajasthan Royals (RR). The 24-year-old right-arm seamer, who was making his IPL debut, produced a dream opening spell, removing Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Dhruv Jurel and Lhuan-dre Pretorius to leave the table-toppers reeling at 1 for 3 in the first over at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium.
A historic first over for Praful Hinge
Chasing a massive target of 217 set by SRH, the Royals began their innings under immense pressure. In the second ball of the innings, Hinge removed the in-form Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who was caught by wicket-keeper Salil Arora, for a golden duck. On the fourth delivery, he produced a beauty to castle wicketkeeper-batter Dhruv Jurel for another duck. The carnage continued on the last ball of the over when he dismissed Lhuan-dre Pretorius for a two-ball duck.
This remarkable feat made Hinge the first bowler in the 19-year history of the IPL to pick up three wickets in the opening over of a game.
Here’s the video:
Praful Hinge: The new hero of SRH
The debutant’s journey to IPL stardom is a testament to his hard work in domestic cricket. Hinge, a right-arm pacer from Vidarbha, was signed by SRH at his base price of INR 30 lakh. He made his senior debut across formats in the 2024-25 season and has impressed in red-ball cricket, claiming 27 wickets in just 10 First-Class matches at an average of 26.66. His limited T20 exposure includes just one appearance, where he claimed a wicket.
Hinge’s preparation for the big stage has been meticulous. He has been training at the MRF Pace Foundation in Chennai since 2022 and attended a 15-day camp in Brisbane in 2024. His debut on Monday was particularly sweet after he was denied a chance to play in the previous game against Punjab Kings, despite being named in the playing XI at the toss.
IPL 2026: Who is Praful Hinge? The debutant for SRH in today’s game against Punjab Kings
Ishan Kishan’s heroics help SRH in setting a massive total
The foundation for SRH’s victory was laid by their captain, Ishan Kishan. After losing Abhishek Sharma for a golden duck on the first ball of the match, Kishan took charge and smashed a magnificent 91 off just 44 balls, studded with eight fours and six sixes. His efforts propelled SRH to a commanding total of 216 for 6 in their 20 overs.
Also READ: IPL 2026 – Why Shimron Hetmyer is not playing today’s SRH vs RR match? Riyan Parag explains
For latest cricket news & updates, visit CricketTimes.com.
