At 8:00 PM on
April 13, 2026, Praful Hinge had 6,000 Instagram followers.
At 8:07 PM, he
bowled the most extraordinary first over in the 19-year history of the Indian
Premier League.
By the next
morning, he had 387,000 followers.
Seven minutes. One
over. Six deliveries. A life changed forever.
The Over That
Made History
Sunrisers
Hyderabad debutant Praful Hinge etched his name into the record books, becoming
the first bowler in the 19-year history of the IPL to claim three wickets in
the opening over of an innings.
The
scorecard of that over reads like something from a dream: 1, W, 0, W, 0, W.
Hinge
got the big wicket of young sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi on the second ball —
a hard length delivery that rushed the left-hander into action and the ball
went straight up. He then dismissed Dhruv Jurel on a 2-ball duck on the 4th
delivery. Pretorius was caught on the
final ball.
Rajasthan
Royals — the table-toppers, unbeaten in the season — slipped to 9 for 5 inside
the first three overs. The game was over before it had begun.
Hinge
returned later to dismiss Riyan Parag and finish with 4/34 on debut. Player of
the Match. On his very first IPL game.
The Journey
Nobody Saw
Behind
that one magical over is a story that every young cricketer in India needs to
read.
Hinge
hails from Nagpur and represents Vidarbha in domestic cricket. His journey into
cricket was not straightforward — his father was initially reluctant about him
pursuing the sport seriously. It took a turning point at a summer camp trial to
change that perception.
Soon
after, at the age of 16, Hinge joined the Vidarbha Cricket Association academy.
His progress was evident early on, especially during the U-19 trials, where he
picked up an impressive 36 wickets.
But
the road was never smooth. Early in his development, Hinge struggled with an
illegal bowling action— a crisis that would have ended many careers before they
started. He fixed it. He kept going.
Since
2022, he has been training at the renowned MRF Pace Foundation in Chennai. In
2024, he attended a training camp in Brisbane where he bowled alongside
international stars like Josh Hazlewood and Jhye Richardson.
The Sister Who
Made It Possible
Every
great story has someone behind the scenes.
Behind
Hinge's success lies a strong support system, particularly his sister — a
Chartered Accountant — who played a crucial role in his journey. From driving
him to practice sessions to managing her own studies late into the night, her
sacrifices have been instrumental in shaping his career.
A
CA sister driving her brother to cricket nets at night while studying for her
own exams. That image says everything about what dreams cost before they come
true.
The Temple
Moment
Unlike
many players who closely track the IPL auction, Praful had a more spiritual
approach to the big moment. He was at a temple in Nagpur when his name came up
during the bidding process. SRH secured his services at his base price of ₹30
lakh — making it a deeply emotional moment for him and his family.
₹30
lakh. The minimum bid. A backup option. Nobody expected much.
On
April 13, 2026, he became an IPL immortal.
6k to 387k —
What One Moment Can Do
Before the match,
Praful Hinge's Instagram — @prafulhinge_140 — had 6,000 followers.
Teammates, family, a few local cricket fans.
By the next
morning — 387,000.
That is what one
over in the IPL can do. That is what years of unseen hard work looks like when
it finally gets its moment under the lights.
Rajasthan Royals
captain Riyan Parag, whose team was destroyed by Hinge's spell, paid the
ultimate tribute — "They bowled beautifully. The pressure they had, with
the home crowd chanting their name, the way they bowled — it was
beautiful."
IPL Bench
Verdict
Praful
Hinge did not arrive at the IPL with a ₹25 crore price tag or a fan following
or a viral social media moment behind him. He arrived with a ₹30 lakh base
price, a fixed bowling action, a sister's sacrifices, and years of quiet,
determined work in Nagpur and Vidarbha.
In
one over — six deliveries — he turned all of that into history.
The
next time you feel like your moment is never coming — remember April 13, 2026.
Remember the boy from Nagpur who was at a temple when the IPL called his name.
Remember the over that went 1, W, 0, W, 0, W.
Your
moment is coming. Keep bowling. 🧡 !!!
Follow Praful
Hinge on Instagram @prafulhinge_140 and stay with IPL Bench — iplbench.com —
for all IPL 2026 stories, match reports and analysis.
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