Beware of debut bowlers like Praful Hinge who can explode

By K.R. Nayar

Mumbai. Bowlers who make their debut may well be handled with caution now. They give it their all in their first chance to bowl, as it marks the end of their wait to play in the prestigious Indian Premier League (IPL). Rajasthan Royals (RR) learned this the hard way when Sunrisers Hyderabad’s (SRH) debut bowlers, Praful Hinge and Sakib Hussain, both right-arm medium pacers, bagged four wickets each at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad. The most remarkable feat was 24-year-old Hinge’s world-record-breaking performance of bagging three wickets in his very first over in the IPL. It was a night that belonged entirely to the debutants. 

Never in the 19-year history of the IPL has any bowler taken three wickets in the very first over of an innings. The batters he dismissed were the dangerous and in-form Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (golden duck), Dhruv Jurel, as well as Lhuan-dre Pretorius. It is only in dreams that most pacers visualise such a spell, but Hinge made it happen. In fact, after receiving the Player of the Match award, he revealed that he had written down somewhere that he would take four to five wickets on his debut and also dismiss Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. This is an example of what happens when belief meets execution. 

Who is Hinge?

Who is Hinge, whom none imagined could produce such a spell? Born in Vidarbha, Maharashtra, this tall pacer is known for his ability to bounce the ball and bowl with discipline even on flat tracks. He was a key member of the Vidarbha team that lifted the Ranji Trophy in the 2024–25 season and the Vijay Hazare Trophy in 2025–26. He caught the attention of IPL talent scouts during the inaugural Vidarbha Pro T20 League, in which he bagged eight wickets in six games. From 10 first-class games, he has 27 wickets. Incidentally, he has been training at the MRF Pace Foundation in Chennai since 2022 and also attended a 15-day training camp in Brisbane in 2024. All these were the making of a bowler ready for the big stage, and when the moment arrived he dazzled.

Hussain’s past show

Hussain was the mastermind who sped up SRH’s win by taking four wickets. It was only two years ago that he made his Ranji Trophy debut for Bihar. He came into the news during his T20 debut for Bihar in the 2022–23 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. At just 17 years old then, he  registered figures of 4 for 20 in two overs in his second game. He produced his maiden five-wicket haul in the 2025–26 edition of the Ranji Trophy (6 for 41) against Arunachal Pradesh. Hussain was first signed by Kolkata Knight Riders for IPL 2024 but never got to play a match.

IPL  matches invariably have some remarkable feats. This was the first time in IPL history that two debutants from the same team bagged four wickets each, sharing eight wickets between them. Hinge also became the first bowler in IPL history to claim a four-wicket haul within the first three overs of an innings.

Debut spells in world cricket

Debut spells are always interesting and worth researching in world cricket. Australia’s Michael Kasprowicz, in his first T20 international in 2005, bagged wickets with the first and second deliveries against New Zealand. Shaminda Eranga holds the unique record of being the only bowler to take a wicket in the very first over of his debut match across all three international formats (Tests, ODIs, and T20Is).

This dream debut performance by these two bowlers has a special message to those waiting to debut. Dreams are not fragile; they are powerful. So dream big, write your script like Hinge did, and when the moment arrives go for the kill and dominate. Soon another debutant too might be waiting to produce a greater spell to create history.