Praful Hinge might have had the biggest heartbreak in his short cricketing career so far after the Vidarbha fast bowler didn't not make his Indian Premier League (IPL) debut despite being named at the coin toss on Saturday.
Bought by Sunrisers Hyderabad for ₹30 lakhs in the mega auction last year, Hinge was all set to make his IPL debut as mentioned by skipper Ishan Kishan before the game.
"Yeah, there are two changes. Salil (Arora) comes in in place of (Liam) Livingstone and Praful Hinge, it's his debut game, in place of Jaydev Unadkat," said Kishan after losing the toss Punjab Kings skipper Shreyas Iyer. Both Hinge and Unadkat were in the impact players list at the start.
However, to everyone's surprise, it was Unadkat, who came out as a impact substitute for Travis Head during the break after Sunrisers Hyderabad posted 219/6 in 20 overs, following a 26-ball 76 from Abhishek Sharma. While it is yet to be ascertained why Hinge didn't come out for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the second innings, it is believed to have been a change in plan.
The inclusion of Unadkat didn't work for Sunrisers Hyderabad as the Saurashtra pacer conceded 26 runs in his two overs, without success. Punjab Kings eventually won the game by six wickets.
Who is Praful Hinge? All you need to know
Born in Nagpur, the 24-year-old Hinge is a tall right-arm fast bowler, who made his senior Vidarbha debut across formats in the 2024-25 season. So far, Hinge has played 10 first-class matches, taking 27 wickets at an average of 26.66. In six List A games, Hinge has taken five wickets and played just a single T20, claiming a wicket.
To add ore to that, Hinge has been training at the MRF Pace Foundation in Chennai since 2022 and also went to Brisbane for a 15-day camp in 2024. Hinge was a part of the Vidarbha side that won the Vijay Hazare Trophy (2025-26) and the Ranji Trophy (2024-25).
The right-arm pacer impressed the IPL scouts with eight wickets in six games in the inaugural Vidarbha Pro T20 League. His ability to bowl long and disciplined spells and extract bounce even from flat pitches have made him a prized possession in the Sunrisers Hyderabad line-up.
What's next for SRH in IPL 2026?
With this loss, Sunrisers Hyderabad remained at sixth position in the points table with two points from four games. Sunrisers Hyderabad's only win came against Kolkata Knight Riders. The Ishan Kishan-led side will play their next three matches at home, against Rajasthan Royals (April 13), Chennai Super Kings (April 18) and Delhi Capitals (April 21).
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