During the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 auction, Praful Hinge was nowhere to be found at his residence in Nagpur. Instead, he was at a nearby temple, watching the bidding process unfold.

“Last season, my name was on the auction list, but it didn’t come up. I told my father not to worry, next season, it will,” Hinge had assured him earlier, and it did.

Before he could even watch his bid close, Hinge knew he had been picked. “The stream was delayed, and I started getting calls before I could even finish watching,” he recalled.

Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) bought the Vidarbha fast bowler at his base price of Rs. 30 lakh. It was an emotional moment for the family, Hinge said, especially for his father, who had made him take up fast bowling.

“On the first day when I joined the academy, I picked up the bat because I thought, who wants to do fast bowling after coming this far? But my father was adamant. I started bowling. I used to chuck earlier, but gradually I trained and learned,” Hinge told Sportstar.

The 24-year-old was confident that 2026 might be the year he finally got his IPL breakthrough, knowing that his trials with SRH, Mumbai Indians and Gujarat Titans had gone well.

He made his debut against Rajasthan Royals and became the first bowler ever to pick three wickets in the first over of an IPL game, removing Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Dhruv Jurel, and Lhuan-dre Pretorius. In the next over, he got rid of RR captain Riyan Parag, finishing with four for 34.

Getting into the Hyderabad-based side has also fulfilled his wish to meet and learn from Australia and SRH skipper Pat Cummins. “I’ve watched him from the start–the way he bowls, the way he captains. I’m really blessed to be in his team. He’s someone who has silenced Indians in India,” Hinge said.

Hinge has also been training with the MRF Pace Foundation in Chennai since 2022 and went to Brisbane for a 15-day camp in 2024, his first international trip. “More to come hopefully, when I play for India,” he added with a smile. That experience of bowling alongside Josh Hazlewood and Jhye Richardson helped him a lot when he made his First-Class debut against Pondicherry later that year.

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“When I was younger, Vidarbha won the Ranji Trophy for the first time in the 2017–18 season. Since then, I wanted to be part of the Ranji Trophy squad. Everyone who plays age-group cricket there wants to play in the Ranji Trophy,” Hinge said.

In nine First Class games in so far, the right-arm quick has picked up 26 wickets at an average of 24.84. “Everyone is passionate and performing, but this team is packed, so it’s very difficult to break in. That’s why we have great bench strength; whoever gets a chance will do well,” he said.

Hinge (centre) believes more in hard work than luck and feels that will yield results in the long run. | Photo Credit: M. Periasamy

Hinge was also part of Vidarbha’s maiden Vijay Hazare Trophy title-winning squad–a campaign driven by collective belief, where he played his part, picking five wickets in as many games.

In the league game against Baroda in Rajkot, where India all-rounder Hardik Pandya scored 133 off 92 balls to take his side to 293 for nine, Hinge conceded just 47 and picked a wicket. “After the game, Hardik bhai came and told me that I bowled well. When someone like him says that, it gives you confidence that I am on the right path.”

After the final against Saurashtra in Bengaluru, Vidarbha didn’t have much time to celebrate as the focus immediately shifted back to the Ranji Trophy, with the match against Andhra in Anantapur looming within three days.

ALSO READ: Vidarbha’s breakthrough and what Vijay Hazare Trophy revealed about India’s road to 2027 ODI World Cup

“The game ended late at night, and we travelled the next morning. But everyone was really happy. If we had a three-to four-day break and gone home, that would’ve been special. Now we’ll go home 10 days after winning the title,” Hinge said.

Hinge wasn’t part of Vidarbha’s playing XI here at the Anantapur Cricket Ground, but he made sure to stay mentally involved in the game.

“I keep thinking about what’s going on in the middle and what I could’ve done had I been bowling. Whenever I watch games, even on TV, I observe what deliveries bowlers are using, how they approach tough batters, and what I could do in those situations.”

For now, he plans to keep polishing his skillset, develop new deliveries like the wobble, and continue working hard.

“I believe more in hard work than luck. I’ve done the hard work, and I’ve got the results. If I continue doing that, things will work just fine,” he concluded.

Published on Jan 26, 2026