Praful Hinge arrived for his IPL debut as a little-known domestic pacer, but by the end of the night, he had become one of the biggest talking points of IPL 2026. The Sunrisers Hyderabad youngster not only ripped through Rajasthan Royals’ batting order in a stunning spell, but also saw his social media following explode from around 4,000 to nearly 1.85 lakh within hours.
It was the kind of rise that perfectly matched the chaos he created on the field. What made Praful Hinge’s performance even more remarkable was how quickly it changed the game. In just one over, he tore apart RR’s chase, removed three batters, and completely shifted the momentum in SRH’s favour.
For a player signed as a backup for ₹30 lakh, this was far more than a debut. It was a statement that announced his arrival on the biggest stage in Indian cricket.
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Praful Hinge’s dream start came with just his second delivery, when he dismissed Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, and he did not stop there. Dhruv Jurel and Lhuan-dre Pretorius followed in the same over, both dismissed for ducks, as Rajasthan Royals collapsed before they could even settle into the chase.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi ✅
Dhruv Jurel ✅
Lhuan-dre Pretorius ✅A dream start for Praful Hinge on his #TATAIPL debut 🧡
Updates ▶️ https://t.co/xGTDdKbXpY#KhelBindaas | #SRHvRR | @SunRisers pic.twitter.com/wLOPGPCqgR
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 13, 2026
It was the kind of opening spell that instantly turns an unknown name into a headline act. He later returned to remove RR captain Riyan Parag as well, finishing with outstanding figures of 4 for 34.
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At one stage, Rajasthan were reduced to 9 for 5, and the contest was effectively over long before the finish line. For Hinge, this was the kind of IPL debut that can define a career. He had built his reputation in domestic cricket with 27 wickets in 10 first-class matches at an average of 26.7, earning recognition as a disciplined seamer who rarely gave batters easy runs.
SRH picked him as a promising option rather than an immediate star. After this spell, that perception has changed completely. In the IPL, one special over can alter everything. Hinge just proved it.
