IPL 2026: Praful Hinge's Calm Mindset Led to Stunning Four-For on Debut

The young fast bowler from Nagpur was just focused on executing what he had already rehearsed in the nets - nailing his line and length with precision. By blocking out the crowd, trusting the process, and staying calm, Hinge got a stunning four-fer, including three scalps in the opening over, to give SRH a memorable win over RR and etch his name into the history books.

Now nearly ten days since that magical night at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hinge recalled that, being at the top of his bowling mark, he just wanted to be calm in executing his plans to perfection.

"It was nothing like that. I had thought about getting the crowd out of my head and mind first, and I wanted to be as calm as possible. I had bowled under pressure when I was bowling in the practice sessions. So, I had to execute all those things in the match, and I felt really good when I did that," Hinge told IANS on 'JioStar Press Room'.

As he took out Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Dhruv Jurel, Lhuan-dre Pretorius, and Riyan Parag, Hinge said he didn't realise that he was making history. "I was just focused on bowling the ball. It's not in my hands to take a wicket or not. I just had to bowl well. So, that was it. I was just focusing on bowling well and helping my team win. Cricket is like, if you bowl well, you'll get the wicket."

Behind that calm composure and a little shy demeanour lies a journey rooted in stubborn ambition and a childhood dream stitched while growing up in Nagpur. "I started playing cricket at the age of 13. But I didn't know what leather ball cricket was. So, I used to play tennis ball cricket, and I used to play a match with it.

"Gradually, I told my dad that I wanted to start a club. So, he took me there. I said I would play at the age of 12, but he said that I was too young and he would take me there next year. So, when I turned 13, he took me to the club. I wanted to do a summer camp, as I wanted to see what happens after playing leather ball cricket.

"So, while I was playing, my dad said that the two-month camp was over. I said that I wanted to continue. So, my dad thought that I would go and go and if I continued, I would get tired, come home, and go to sleep. But I was stubborn - I knew that I wanted to play for India. I didn't know what domestic cricket was or what club matches were.

"I just knew that I wanted to play for India and that blue jersey. Obviously, everyone wants that. So, I slowly got to know about the process and worked hard according to it. Then in 2016, I played for the under-16s, under-19s, and for the VCA., I represented them in various age groups.

"Then, last year, I got my debut match against Pondicherry and took four wickets. Then, this year, I got my debut in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy - something like four overs, 23 runs, one wicket, I took. So, I'm happy, I'm doing well, it's all about hard work, and I'm doing that," he elaborated.

A key chapter in shaping this fearless prodigy has been his time at the MRF Pace Foundation in Chennai, where an exposure trip to Australia and being under bowling coach Glenn McGrath sharpened both his skills and his sense of where he stood among the country's best pacers.

"I got a lot of confidence there, and especially I got to know how much I can develop myself and my fitness when foreign fast bowlers came. I mean, fast bowlers from every state came there, and I got to know where I stand and where I have to be.

"So, then I started working on myself. After that, I went to Australia as well. It was a very good experience there. Every year, two boys are taken to Australia. So, when I bowled on their wickets and came to India, it was very good, and I enjoyed it."

While recovering from a stress fracture in the back, Hinge found a guide in Varun Aaron, the current SRH pace bowling coach and ex-India pacer, who himself had multiple stress fractures. Aaron's own experience as a fast bowler gives him a unique understanding of what Hinge needs - without overcomplicating things.

"He's been very good. Like, he was a fast bowler, and he understands fast bowlers. So, the mutual understanding between a fast bowler can only be understood by a fast bowler. He works on what I feel is right. He doesn't tell me anything extraordinary - like, you do this, you do that. He just tells me what my body needs and something that can help me in bowling."

"McGrath helped me a lot when I was at MRF. He helped me a lot in bowling and with my action as well. But Varun Aaron is like... he's the main thing. He's a big deal when it comes to small things. I enjoy working with Varun Aaron a lot. He's a great person. He has an idea of what is important in someone's bowling. He tells him what is important. He doesn't say anything wrong to anyone," concluded Hinge, who has well and truly arrived on the big stage.

Catch Sunrisers Hyderabad in action against Rajasthan Royals in TATA IPL 2026, April 25, 7:30 PM onwards, LIVE on JioHotstar and Star Sports Network.

- IANS