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From MRF Pace Foundation to IPL spotlight—Charting Praful Hinge and Sakib Hussain’s meteoric rise

“With the new ball, we should test the batters as much as possible. We play red ball cricket with patience. We should follow that. And we did that with success.”

Praful’s ambitions were born from the hard work of his father, Prakash, who was employed by the Maharashtra State Electricity Board in Nagpur. He also credits his elder sister as his inspiration.

“My father used to leave the house at 8am, and my sister would study well into the night. I would wake up at 4am, and she was still up. I, too, wanted to achieve something and make my family feel good. They are huge sources of motivation for me.

“I trained as a 13-year-old with my father. He would get tired, but I’d still want to keep going. I was stubborn. At that time, all I knew was I wanted to play for India. I didn’t know what domestic or club cricket was.”

He eventually climbed the ladder of age-group cricket, played the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, and got SRH’s attention. That helped him link up with his idol Pat Cummins, who is currently making his way back to the XI after a long injury layoff. Praful was admiringly starstruck, he remembered.

“When I met him for the first time, I told him I am his biggest fan and that I’ve been watching all his bowling videos and following everything he does. He was warm and said he’d be there to help me out.”

Cummins had a simple funda for Praful.

“During training sessions, he would say, ‘Do whatever you’re doing with your heart. Everyone knows T20 is a batter’s game. Enjoy the game, smile and win.’”

Published on Apr 23, 2026

#Cummins #funda #family #support #redball #lessons #Praful #Hinges #rise #SRHs #pace #ace"> Cummins’ funda, family support, red-ball lessons: Into Praful Hinge’s rise as SRH’s pace ace  Every pacer dreams of scooping up a wicket in the first over they bowl. Few actually get to do it. Fewer still get to do it thrice, and that too on the biggest stage in the format – the Indian Premier League. Vidarbha quick Praful Hinge had a debut to savour with Sunrisers Hyderabad recently, removing the Rajasthan Royals top order in his opening over.“I played a Under-23 game against Vaibhav Sooryavanshi,” Praful said during a        Jiostar Press Room interaction on Thursday. “I got him out on the same bouncer. I thought that if I bowl the same ball, he would hit it, because he was hitting everyone on the first ball.”The 15-year-old, we now know, took the bait.Praful has an envious battalion of big hitters to train with in the nets, so Sooryavanshi was not entirely out of syllabus.“Their style of playing is like that. They hit every ball. Their approach in the nets is like that (too). When we bowl to them, we think of it as a match.”Funnily, the 24-year-old relies on a tried and tested red-ball approach to succeed in the fast-paced life in T20s.ALSO READ | From MRF Pace Foundation to IPL spotlight—Charting Praful Hinge and Sakib Hussain’s meteoric rise“With the new ball, we should test the batters as much as possible. We play red ball cricket with patience. We should follow that. And we did that with success.”Praful’s ambitions were born from the hard work of his father, Prakash, who was employed by the Maharashtra State Electricity Board in Nagpur. He also credits his elder sister as his inspiration.“My father used to leave the house at 8am, and my sister would study well into the night. I would wake up at 4am, and she was still up. I, too, wanted to achieve something and make my family feel good. They are huge sources of motivation for me.“I trained as a 13-year-old with my father. He would get tired, but I’d still want to keep going. I was stubborn. At that time, all I knew was I wanted to play for India. I didn’t know what domestic or club cricket was.”He eventually climbed the ladder of age-group cricket, played the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, and got SRH’s attention. That helped him link up with his idol Pat Cummins, who is currently making his way back to the XI after a long injury layoff. Praful was admiringly starstruck, he remembered.“When I met him for the first time, I told him I am his biggest fan and that I’ve been watching all his bowling videos and following everything he does. He was warm and said he’d be there to help me out.”Cummins had a simple        funda for Praful.“During training sessions, he would say, ‘Do whatever you’re doing with your heart. Everyone knows T20 is a batter’s game. Enjoy the game, smile and win.’”Published on Apr 23, 2026  #Cummins #funda #family #support #redball #lessons #Praful #Hinges #rise #SRHs #pace #ace
Sports news

From MRF Pace Foundation to IPL spotlight—Charting Praful Hinge and Sakib Hussain’s meteoric rise

“With the new ball, we should test the batters as much as possible. We play red ball cricket with patience. We should follow that. And we did that with success.”

Praful’s ambitions were born from the hard work of his father, Prakash, who was employed by the Maharashtra State Electricity Board in Nagpur. He also credits his elder sister as his inspiration.

“My father used to leave the house at 8am, and my sister would study well into the night. I would wake up at 4am, and she was still up. I, too, wanted to achieve something and make my family feel good. They are huge sources of motivation for me.

“I trained as a 13-year-old with my father. He would get tired, but I’d still want to keep going. I was stubborn. At that time, all I knew was I wanted to play for India. I didn’t know what domestic or club cricket was.”

He eventually climbed the ladder of age-group cricket, played the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, and got SRH’s attention. That helped him link up with his idol Pat Cummins, who is currently making his way back to the XI after a long injury layoff. Praful was admiringly starstruck, he remembered.

“When I met him for the first time, I told him I am his biggest fan and that I’ve been watching all his bowling videos and following everything he does. He was warm and said he’d be there to help me out.”

Cummins had a simple funda for Praful.

“During training sessions, he would say, ‘Do whatever you’re doing with your heart. Everyone knows T20 is a batter’s game. Enjoy the game, smile and win.’”

Published on Apr 23, 2026

#Cummins #funda #family #support #redball #lessons #Praful #Hinges #rise #SRHs #pace #ace">Cummins’ funda, family support, red-ball lessons: Into Praful Hinge’s rise as SRH’s pace ace

Every pacer dreams of scooping up a wicket in the first over they bowl. Few actually get to do it. Fewer still get to do it thrice, and that too on the biggest stage in the format – the Indian Premier League. Vidarbha quick Praful Hinge had a debut to savour with Sunrisers Hyderabad recently, removing the Rajasthan Royals top order in his opening over.

“I played a Under-23 game against Vaibhav Sooryavanshi,” Praful said during a Jiostar Press Room interaction on Thursday. “I got him out on the same bouncer. I thought that if I bowl the same ball, he would hit it, because he was hitting everyone on the first ball.”

The 15-year-old, we now know, took the bait.

Praful has an envious battalion of big hitters to train with in the nets, so Sooryavanshi was not entirely out of syllabus.

“Their style of playing is like that. They hit every ball. Their approach in the nets is like that (too). When we bowl to them, we think of it as a match.”

Funnily, the 24-year-old relies on a tried and tested red-ball approach to succeed in the fast-paced life in T20s.

ALSO READ | From MRF Pace Foundation to IPL spotlight—Charting Praful Hinge and Sakib Hussain’s meteoric rise

“With the new ball, we should test the batters as much as possible. We play red ball cricket with patience. We should follow that. And we did that with success.”

Praful’s ambitions were born from the hard work of his father, Prakash, who was employed by the Maharashtra State Electricity Board in Nagpur. He also credits his elder sister as his inspiration.

“My father used to leave the house at 8am, and my sister would study well into the night. I would wake up at 4am, and she was still up. I, too, wanted to achieve something and make my family feel good. They are huge sources of motivation for me.

“I trained as a 13-year-old with my father. He would get tired, but I’d still want to keep going. I was stubborn. At that time, all I knew was I wanted to play for India. I didn’t know what domestic or club cricket was.”

He eventually climbed the ladder of age-group cricket, played the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, and got SRH’s attention. That helped him link up with his idol Pat Cummins, who is currently making his way back to the XI after a long injury layoff. Praful was admiringly starstruck, he remembered.

“When I met him for the first time, I told him I am his biggest fan and that I’ve been watching all his bowling videos and following everything he does. He was warm and said he’d be there to help me out.”

Cummins had a simple funda for Praful.

“During training sessions, he would say, ‘Do whatever you’re doing with your heart. Everyone knows T20 is a batter’s game. Enjoy the game, smile and win.’”

Published on Apr 23, 2026

#Cummins #funda #family #support #redball #lessons #Praful #Hinges #rise #SRHs #pace #ace

Every pacer dreams of scooping up a wicket in the first over they bowl. Few…

Prabhsimran Singh’s promise edges towards fulfilment at Punjab Kings

“We’ve got a strong batting line-up behind them, and they’ve stepped up when the opening stand hasn’t delivered. But when it clicks, it’s one of the best partnerships in the competition. Other teams play in a similar way, so we know how important it is and want them to keep that freedom.”

He also confirmed that Pat Cummins could make his first appearance of the season for SRH against the Rajasthan Royals on April 25.

Published on Apr 17, 2026

#IPL #Bowling #unit #tactical #tinkering #Praful #Sakib #brilliance #SRH #coach #Vettori"> IPL 2026: Bowling unit will need tactical tinkering despite Praful, Sakib brilliance, says SRH coach Vettori  Praful Hinge and Sakib Hussain announced themselves in emphatic fashion on their Sunrisers Hyderabad debuts, picking up four wickets each against Rajasthan Royals and easing long-standing concerns around the team’s bowling.Praful made an immediate impact with a searing opening spell, the 24-year-old dismantling the top order with three wickets in a single over. Sakib matched him with a composed, disciplined effort, ensuring the pressure never relented. Together, they provided the sharpness with the ball that Sunrisers had long been searching for.Head coach Daniel Vettori, while encouraged by the performance against the Royals, suggested that adjustments could still be made based on how conditions play out.“We’re playing on the same wicket as the last game. We’re anticipating it to be slightly different and that means we may have to make some tactical changes,” he said.Vettori also downplayed concerns over modest returns from openers Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma.“Every opening partnership aims to be ultra-aggressive, but it’s unrealistic to expect that to come off every time. We want to stick with that approach because when those two fire, we usually win,” he said.ALSO READ | Prabhsimran Singh’s promise edges towards fulfilment at Punjab Kings“We’ve got a strong batting line-up behind them, and they’ve stepped up when the opening stand hasn’t delivered. But when it clicks, it’s one of the best partnerships in the competition. Other teams play in a similar way, so we know how important it is and want them to keep that freedom.”He also confirmed that Pat Cummins could make his first appearance of the season for SRH against the Rajasthan Royals on April 25.Published on Apr 17, 2026  #IPL #Bowling #unit #tactical #tinkering #Praful #Sakib #brilliance #SRH #coach #Vettori
Sports news

Prabhsimran Singh’s promise edges towards fulfilment at Punjab Kings

“We’ve got a strong batting line-up behind them, and they’ve stepped up when the opening stand hasn’t delivered. But when it clicks, it’s one of the best partnerships in the competition. Other teams play in a similar way, so we know how important it is and want them to keep that freedom.”

He also confirmed that Pat Cummins could make his first appearance of the season for SRH against the Rajasthan Royals on April 25.

Published on Apr 17, 2026

#IPL #Bowling #unit #tactical #tinkering #Praful #Sakib #brilliance #SRH #coach #Vettori">IPL 2026: Bowling unit will need tactical tinkering despite Praful, Sakib brilliance, says SRH coach Vettori

Praful Hinge and Sakib Hussain announced themselves in emphatic fashion on their Sunrisers Hyderabad debuts, picking up four wickets each against Rajasthan Royals and easing long-standing concerns around the team’s bowling.

Praful made an immediate impact with a searing opening spell, the 24-year-old dismantling the top order with three wickets in a single over. Sakib matched him with a composed, disciplined effort, ensuring the pressure never relented. Together, they provided the sharpness with the ball that Sunrisers had long been searching for.

Head coach Daniel Vettori, while encouraged by the performance against the Royals, suggested that adjustments could still be made based on how conditions play out.

“We’re playing on the same wicket as the last game. We’re anticipating it to be slightly different and that means we may have to make some tactical changes,” he said.

Vettori also downplayed concerns over modest returns from openers Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma.

“Every opening partnership aims to be ultra-aggressive, but it’s unrealistic to expect that to come off every time. We want to stick with that approach because when those two fire, we usually win,” he said.

ALSO READ | Prabhsimran Singh’s promise edges towards fulfilment at Punjab Kings

“We’ve got a strong batting line-up behind them, and they’ve stepped up when the opening stand hasn’t delivered. But when it clicks, it’s one of the best partnerships in the competition. Other teams play in a similar way, so we know how important it is and want them to keep that freedom.”

He also confirmed that Pat Cummins could make his first appearance of the season for SRH against the Rajasthan Royals on April 25.

Published on Apr 17, 2026

#IPL #Bowling #unit #tactical #tinkering #Praful #Sakib #brilliance #SRH #coach #Vettori

Praful Hinge and Sakib Hussain announced themselves in emphatic fashion on their Sunrisers Hyderabad debuts,…

Sports news

Praful Hinge became the first bowler to take three wickets in the first over of…

SRH vs RR, IPL 2026: Hinge, Sakib too hot to handle as Sunrisers Hyderabad routs Rajasthan Royals

SRH captain Ishan Kishan credited the bowlers for the victory, saying, “What we were looking for from the bowlers to just come here, play freely, execute their plans and I think they did that today and credit goes to all the bowlers.”

“You have to see how hungry they are hungry to play these games, and I think they were working out throughout the season. They were working with fielding, our bowling coach Varun Aaron and they were just trying to give their best, talking to all the experienced players.

“So, I think that was something we were looking for and we had to give them a chance when we were playing in our home ground. They especially did well in the practice matches as well.

Published on Apr 13, 2026

#player #hopes #debut #SRHs #intrepid #debutants #Praful #Hinge #Sakib #Hussain #arrive #IPL #stage"> ‘Every player hopes for a debut like this’ – SRH’s intrepid debutants Praful Hinge and Sakib Hussain arrive on IPL stage  Sunrisers Hyderabad won its second match in IPL 2026 against Rajasthan Royals at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium in Hyderabad thanks to stunning performances by debutants Praful Hinge and Sakib Hussain.Up against a Rajasthan Royals in destructive form, Hinge and Sakib claimed eight wickets between them, reducing it to nine for five inside the PowerPlay and eventually bowling it out for 159.Hinge also made IPL history by becoming the first bowler to take three wickets in the first over of an IPL match, dismissing Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Dhruv Jurel, and Lhuan-dre Pretorius for ducks.“I had written this somewhere that I will take 4-5 wickets on my debut. I thought of dominating the PowerPlay,” Player-of-the-Match Hinge said in the post-match press conference.He also said that form batter Suryavanshi was his favourite wicket, saying, “I had told people that I would bowl a bouncer to him and get him out. I just wanted to get him out. Varun bhai (our bowling coach) helped me plan it, so thank you.”He also dedicated his award to his family and thanked the MRF Pace Foundation for supporting him.Sakib described his elation at his debut after the match by saying, “Every player hopes for a debut like this, so it feels really good. I’m very happy. The bowling coach informed me a day before the game that I would be playing. From then on, my focus was simply on performing well.”He also credited SRH bowling coach Varun Aaron for his improvements. “Varun        bhai has been working with me for the past four years. Whatever improvement you see in my bowling is because of him. I give him full credit,” the Bihar quick said.ALSO READ: SRH vs RR, IPL 2026: Hinge, Sakib too hot to handle as Sunrisers Hyderabad routs Rajasthan RoyalsSRH captain Ishan Kishan credited the bowlers for the victory, saying, “What we were looking for from the bowlers to just come here, play freely, execute their plans and I think they did that today and credit goes to all the bowlers.”“You have to see how hungry they are hungry to play these games, and I think they were working out throughout the season. They were working with fielding, our bowling coach Varun Aaron and they were just trying to give their best, talking to all the experienced players.“So, I think that was something we were looking for and we had to give them a chance when we were playing in our home ground. They especially did well in the practice matches as well.Published on Apr 13, 2026  #player #hopes #debut #SRHs #intrepid #debutants #Praful #Hinge #Sakib #Hussain #arrive #IPL #stage
Sports news

SRH vs RR, IPL 2026: Hinge, Sakib too hot to handle as Sunrisers Hyderabad routs Rajasthan Royals

SRH captain Ishan Kishan credited the bowlers for the victory, saying, “What we were looking for from the bowlers to just come here, play freely, execute their plans and I think they did that today and credit goes to all the bowlers.”

“You have to see how hungry they are hungry to play these games, and I think they were working out throughout the season. They were working with fielding, our bowling coach Varun Aaron and they were just trying to give their best, talking to all the experienced players.

“So, I think that was something we were looking for and we had to give them a chance when we were playing in our home ground. They especially did well in the practice matches as well.

Published on Apr 13, 2026

#player #hopes #debut #SRHs #intrepid #debutants #Praful #Hinge #Sakib #Hussain #arrive #IPL #stage">‘Every player hopes for a debut like this’ – SRH’s intrepid debutants Praful Hinge and Sakib Hussain arrive on IPL stage

Sunrisers Hyderabad won its second match in IPL 2026 against Rajasthan Royals at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium in Hyderabad thanks to stunning performances by debutants Praful Hinge and Sakib Hussain.

Up against a Rajasthan Royals in destructive form, Hinge and Sakib claimed eight wickets between them, reducing it to nine for five inside the PowerPlay and eventually bowling it out for 159.

Hinge also made IPL history by becoming the first bowler to take three wickets in the first over of an IPL match, dismissing Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Dhruv Jurel, and Lhuan-dre Pretorius for ducks.

“I had written this somewhere that I will take 4-5 wickets on my debut. I thought of dominating the PowerPlay,” Player-of-the-Match Hinge said in the post-match press conference.

He also said that form batter Suryavanshi was his favourite wicket, saying, “I had told people that I would bowl a bouncer to him and get him out. I just wanted to get him out. Varun bhai (our bowling coach) helped me plan it, so thank you.”

He also dedicated his award to his family and thanked the MRF Pace Foundation for supporting him.

Sakib described his elation at his debut after the match by saying, “Every player hopes for a debut like this, so it feels really good. I’m very happy. The bowling coach informed me a day before the game that I would be playing. From then on, my focus was simply on performing well.”

He also credited SRH bowling coach Varun Aaron for his improvements. “Varun bhai has been working with me for the past four years. Whatever improvement you see in my bowling is because of him. I give him full credit,” the Bihar quick said.

ALSO READ: SRH vs RR, IPL 2026: Hinge, Sakib too hot to handle as Sunrisers Hyderabad routs Rajasthan Royals

SRH captain Ishan Kishan credited the bowlers for the victory, saying, “What we were looking for from the bowlers to just come here, play freely, execute their plans and I think they did that today and credit goes to all the bowlers.”

“You have to see how hungry they are hungry to play these games, and I think they were working out throughout the season. They were working with fielding, our bowling coach Varun Aaron and they were just trying to give their best, talking to all the experienced players.

“So, I think that was something we were looking for and we had to give them a chance when we were playing in our home ground. They especially did well in the practice matches as well.

Published on Apr 13, 2026

#player #hopes #debut #SRHs #intrepid #debutants #Praful #Hinge #Sakib #Hussain #arrive #IPL #stage

Sunrisers Hyderabad won its second match in IPL 2026 against Rajasthan Royals at the Rajiv…

Hope, hunger and hard work — Vidarbha pacer Hinge looks to continue rise after realising IPL dream

In the 10 First Class matches, Hinge has picked 27 wickets at an average of 26.66; in List A, he has taken five wickets in six games. He has only played on T20 game and claimed one wicket.

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.

Published on Apr 11, 2026

#Praful #Hinge #Vidarbha #making #IPL #debut #SRH #PBKS"> Who is Praful Hinge? The Vidarbha making his IPL debut for SRH vs PBKS  Praful Hinge made his IPL debut for Sunrisers Hyderabad against Punjab Kings at the MYSI Cricket Stadium in New Chandigarh on Saturday.Hinge, a right-arm fast bowler, represents Vidarbha in State cricket. SRH got hold of his services at his base price of Rs. 30 lakh.The 24-year-old made his senior debut across formats in the 2024-25 season.His story | Hope, hunger and hard work — Vidarbha pacer Hinge looks to continue rise after realising IPL dreamIn the 10 First Class matches, Hinge has picked 27 wickets at an average of 26.66; in List A, he has taken five wickets in six games. He has only played on T20 game and claimed one wicket.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.Published on Apr 11, 2026  #Praful #Hinge #Vidarbha #making #IPL #debut #SRH #PBKS
Sports news

Hope, hunger and hard work — Vidarbha pacer Hinge looks to continue rise after realising IPL dream

In the 10 First Class matches, Hinge has picked 27 wickets at an average of 26.66; in List A, he has taken five wickets in six games. He has only played on T20 game and claimed one wicket.

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.

Published on Apr 11, 2026

#Praful #Hinge #Vidarbha #making #IPL #debut #SRH #PBKS">Who is Praful Hinge? The Vidarbha making his IPL debut for SRH vs PBKS

Praful Hinge made his IPL debut for Sunrisers Hyderabad against Punjab Kings at the MYSI Cricket Stadium in New Chandigarh on Saturday.

Hinge, a right-arm fast bowler, represents Vidarbha in State cricket. SRH got hold of his services at his base price of Rs. 30 lakh.

The 24-year-old made his senior debut across formats in the 2024-25 season.

His story | Hope, hunger and hard work — Vidarbha pacer Hinge looks to continue rise after realising IPL dream

In the 10 First Class matches, Hinge has picked 27 wickets at an average of 26.66; in List A, he has taken five wickets in six games. He has only played on T20 game and claimed one wicket.

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.

Published on Apr 11, 2026

#Praful #Hinge #Vidarbha #making #IPL #debut #SRH #PBKS

Praful Hinge made his IPL debut for Sunrisers Hyderabad against Punjab Kings at the MYSI…