IPL 2026: Praful Hinge becomes instant sensation
Praful Hinge's dream IPL debut saw him rewrite the record books with a stunning three-wicket opening over, catapulting him to instant fame and securing a crucial win for Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Praful Hinge made a sensational IPL debut for Sunrisers Hyderabad, taking three wickets in his opening over against Rajasthan Royals. Hinge's performance led to a massive surge in his social media following, highlighting the impact of a successful IPL debut.
Hinge's figures of 4-34, supported by Sakib Hussain's 4-24, helped Sunrisers Hyderabad secure their second victory of the season. The victory lifted Sunrisers Hyderabad to fourth place in the IPL standings.
Praful Hinge woke up on match day as a relatively unknown domestic pacer. By the end of the night, he was the name everyone was searching for.
Making his IPL debut for Sunrisers Hyderabad, the 24-year-old didn’t turned the game on its head. And while his performance lit up the stadium, it also set social media buzzing, with his Instagram following jumping from a few thousand to over two lakh in just hours.
Defending a big total against Rajasthan Royals, Hinge was handed the new ball -- a moment that could make or break a debutant. He chose to make it unforgettable.
First ball, first wicket. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was gone for a golden duck. Before Rajasthan could even settle, Hinge struck twice more, removing Dhruv Jurel and Lhuan-dre Pretorius in the same over.
In just six balls, he had done something no one had ever done before in the IPL -- three wickets in the opening over of a match.
Hinge struck again in his second over to send back Royals captain Riyan Parag, finishing with figures of 4-34 as Rajasthan were bowled out for 159 to suffer their first defeat in five matches.
From an unknown name to a record-breaker in minutes, Hinge’s debut wasn’t just good -- it was the kind of moment that can change a career overnight.
Hinge, playing only his second senior T20 match, was well supported by fellow debutant Sakib Hussain, who returned 4-24.
The victory was Sunrisers’ second in five games and lifted them to fourth in the standings.
