Who is Praful Hinge?: For Prafull Hinge, who stepped out to play his very first match of IPL 2026, it turned out to be a 'dream debut.' Batting first, Sunrisers Hyderabad had posted a formidable total of 216 runs. Rajasthan Royals, too, had begun to place their faith in Vaibhav Suryavanshi—so much so that they sent him out to open the innings as their 'Impact Player.' But who could have possibly imagined that a bowler named Prafull Hinge would create such a sensation in his very first IPL match?
Who is Praful Hinge? He made history by taking three wickets in the very first over of the IPL
Prafull Hinge came on to bowl the first over. On the very first delivery, Yashasvi Jaiswal took a single; however, on the very next ball, the aggressive batsman Vaibhav Suryavanshi was dismissed for a duck (without scoring a single run) while attempting to play a big shot. Within the next four deliveries, Dhruv Jurel and Luan de Pretorius were also dismissed. In a remarkable coincidence, all three of these batsmen were dismissed for a score of 'zero.'
Prafull Hinge has etched his name in history as the first-ever bowler to claim three wickets in the very first over of an IPL innings. While there have been other bowlers who have taken two wickets in the opening over of an innings, Prafull stands at the very top as the first to achieve the feat of taking three wickets.
Who is Prafull Hinge?
24-year-old Prafull Hinge hails from Nagpur, Maharashtra. He plays for Vidarbha in Indian domestic cricket. His sister played a pivotal role in giving wings to Prafull's career. His sister is a Chartered Accountant and used to study late into the night. Witnessing his sister's hard work and dedication, Prafull, too, began to dream of becoming the very best in his chosen field.
Initially, Prafull did not receive much support from his father—this was back when Prafull was just 12 years old. However, following trials at a summer camp, his father finally gave him the green signal to continue playing cricket.
Prafull Hinge did not have a keen interest in academics, but he developed a deep passion for the game of cricket. Prafull regards India's veteran fast bowler, Umesh Yadav, as his idol. In fact, the two have even shared a dressing room while playing for Vidarbha. Umesh—who has claimed 288 wickets in international cricket for the Indian team—was the true inspiration behind Prafull's aspiration to carve out a distinct identity for himself as a star fast bowler.
Watching the Auction from a Temple—
When the IPL 2026 auction was underway, players typically keep their eyes glued to their television screens. Like everyone else, Prafull was also watching the live auction; however, he was not at his home in Nagpur, but was instead sitting in a nearby temple to watch the proceedings. His name had appeared in the auction list during the previous season as well, but no team had placed a bid on him. At that time, Prafull had promised his father that he would definitely secure a bid in the very next season—and indeed, his hard work paid off.
