As Punjab won the toss and opted to bowl, Sunrisers Hyderabad will bat first
Praful Hinge is set to make his IPL debut for Sunrisers Hyderabad against Punjab Kings, offering a fresh pace option in their bowling attack.
He was bought by Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) for the 2026 IPL season for a price of INR 30 lakh.
The 24-year-old right-arm medium-fast bowler from Vidarbha comes in after a strong domestic season, where he played a role in his side's Vijay Hazare Trophy triumph. Known for hitting the deck hard and extracting bounce, Hinge has built a reputation as a bowler who can trouble batters on subcontinental surfaces.
Domestic rise earns IPL chance
Hinge's performances in the 2025-26 domestic circuit brought him into the spotlight. He made his T20 debut in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, even taking the new ball alongside Umesh Yadav. His training at the MRF Pace Foundation and exposure to overseas camps have added to his development.
Opportunity knocks at the top level
With established names around him, Hinge starts as a backup option but now gets his first opportunity on the big stage. For SRH, this match presents a chance to test a young fast bowler under pressure.
All eyes will be on how he adapts to IPL intensity and whether he can make an immediate impact against PBKS.
Sunrisers Hyderabad Playing XI: Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan (c & wk), Heinrich Klaasen, Salil Arora, Aniket Verma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harsh Dubey, Shivang Kumar, Harshal Patel, Eshan Malinga
Punjab Kings Playing XI: Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Priyansh Arya, Cooper Connolly, Shreyas Iyer (c), Shashank Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Marco Jansen, Xavier Bartlett, Vyshak Vijaykumar, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal
Impact Player Substitutions:
Sunrisers Hyderabad: Kamindu Mendis, Jaydev Unadkat, Praful Hinge, Liam Livingstone, Shivam Mavi
Punjab Kings: Nehal Wadhera, Vishnu Vinod, Suryansh Shedge, Yash Ravisingh Thakur, Harpreet Brar