Praful Hinge creates IPL history with 3 wickets in first over on dream SRH debut vs RR

Vidarbha pacer Praful Hinge announced himself on the biggest stage in style, picking up three wickets in his very first over on IPL debut for Sunrisers Hyderabad against Rajasthan Royals at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on Monday.

Hinge, who was signed by SRH at his base price of ₹30 lakh in the previous auction, delivered a sensational opening over that immediately turned the match on its head. He struck on his very first ball, dismissing teenage batting sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi for a golden duck.

He followed it up two deliveries later by removing Dhruv Jurel, who edged an angled bat to see his stumps disturbed. On the final ball of the over, Hinge struck again to dismiss Lhuan-dre Pretorius, leaving Rajasthan Royals in complete shock at 1/3 after the first over.

In doing so, Hinge created IPL history by becoming the first bowler ever to take three wickets in the opening over of an innings in the tournament’s history.

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The 24-year-old fast bowler, known for his ability to extract bounce and seam movement, has risen through steady progress in domestic cricket. He represents Vidarbha and made his senior debut across formats in the 2024–25 season.

Before the IPL, Hinge had featured in 10 first-class matches, taking 27 wickets at an average of 26.66, along with limited exposure in List A and T20 cricket. His only prior senior T20 appearance came in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy against Andhra, where he returned figures of 1/23.

Hinge’s development has been shaped by training at the MRF Pace Foundation in Chennai since 2022, where he came under the guidance of SRH bowling coach Varun Aaron. He also attended a training camp in Brisbane in 2024, further refining his skills.

His performances in the Vidarbha Pro T20 League, where he played a key role in Neco Master Blasters’ title-winning campaign, had already marked him as a promising fast-bowling talent.

Hinge, who began playing cricket at the age of 12, has often spoken about drawing inspiration from India pacer Umesh Yadav and SRH skipper Pat Cummins, whom he idolises.

For now, his record-breaking IPL debut has instantly made him one of the standout stories of the season, with his explosive first over etching his name into the tournament’s history books.