One over. Three wickets. A record that would have been unblemished for 18 years of IPL cricket, and that was to be broken by a 24-year-old nobody heard of a month ago. Basically, the Praful Hinge saga is that of a boy who hails from Nagpur, and had a knack for hitting balls in his childhood, but was transferred to fast bowling, on his father’s advice and kept under the wing of Vidarbha and MRF Pace Foundation. In just his second senior T20 game of 2026, on 13th April, he ripped through the top order of Rajasthan Royals and became a name that the cricketing world called upon. Here is his whole story-his age, background, family, education, public profile and career numbers — as verified so far.
Who is Praful Hinge
Praful Prakash Hinge is a 24-year-old Indian batsman, right-arm medium-faster bowler. A product of Nagpur, he made his debut in domestic cricket for Vidarbha and in IPL for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) on 18 January 2002. He played for NECO Master Blaster team in the Vidarbha Pro T20 League prior to his IPL stint. On 13 April 2026, he became a sensation by getting three Rajasthan Royals openers out during his first over and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is one of them. His maiden outing saw him pick up 4/34 and claim Player of the Match.
Praful Hinge Age
Praful Hinge was born in Nagpur, Maharashtra on 18 January 2002. This means that he will be 24 years old in 2026.
Height, Weight or Physical Attribute
There are no official statistics regarding Hinge’s height and weight, as they can be found on official databases such as ESPNcricinfo. Reports and profiles have called him a “lanky”, nippy pace bowler who has found his form well with his frame to bounce off the ball at around 135–140 km/h. This is based on unofficial records from the BCCI or ICC and is intended to be indicative rather than definitive and should be treated as an estimate by the media, not as a recorded figure. This section will be revised when an official measure is availableEarly Life
At the MRF Pace Foundation, coaches including former Tamil Nadu batter M. Senthilnathan and foundation director Glenn McGrath worked on fixing his technique and building up his fitness, laying the groundwork for his later breakthrough.
| Age / Period | Milestone |
| Around age 12–13 | Developed an interest in cricket in Nagpur; his father, Prakash Hinge, noticed his enthusiasm and enrolled him at a local Gymkhana club |
| Early years | Originally wanted to be a batter, but was encouraged by his father to focus on bowling instead |
| Age 16 | Joined the Vidarbha Cricket Association (VCA) academy under coach Sanjeev |
| U-19 trials | Picked up a striking haul of wickets, marking him as a serious pace-bowling prospect |
| 2017–18 season | Watching Vidarbha lift the Ranji Trophy is reported to have been a turning point, pushing him to target a place in the senior red-ball squad |
| Early academy years | Worked through an unorthodox bowling action and a back-stress problem that had been holding back his progress |
| 2022 onward | Began training at the MRF Pace Foundation in Chennai, on the recommendation of former India pacer Prashant Vaidya, then with the VCA |
| Covid-19 period | Training was disrupted by the pandemic, reportedly setting back his early progress before he found his rhythm again |
| 2024 | Attended a training stint in Brisbane, bowling alongside international pacers such as Josh Hazlewood and Jhye Richardson |
Praful Hinge Family Background
- Father: Prakash Hinge, who hails from Nagpur and is described in PTI reporting as a former accountant. He noticed Praful’s interest in cricket around age 13 and enrolled him at a local Gymkhana club, later giving him the freedom to choose his own path in the sport rather than pushing him.
- Mother: Publicly available, reliably sourced reporting has not named or detailed Praful’s mother beyond general mentions that she managed the household while he trained.
- Siblings: No sibling names have been confirmed through reliable, named sources at this time.
- Hometown: The family is based in Nagpur, Vidarbha, in the Indian state of Maharashtra, and comes from a middle-class background.
- Note: This section reflects only details confirmed through credible, named reporting (such as PTI-sourced interviews). It will be updated if further verified information about his mother or siblings becomes available.
Education
As with several young domestic cricketers, detailed information about Hinge’s formal schooling has not been widely reported. What is documented instead is his cricketing education: progressing through the VCA academy from age 16, and later refining his bowling at the MRF Pace Foundation in Chennai from 2022, including a training stint in Brisbane in 2024 where he bowled alongside international pacers such as Josh Hazlewood and Jhye Richardson. No verified details of a college or university background have surfaced publicly at this time.
Praful Hinge Career and Stats
Domestic Cricket
| Period | Milestone |
| 2023–24 | Took 26 wickets at an average of 19.03 in the CK Nayudu Trophy (India’s Under-23 first-class tournament) |
| October 2024 | Made his first-class debut for Vidarbha against Puducherry in the 2024–25 Ranji Trophy |
| January 2025 | Made his List A debut for Vidarbha |
| 2024–25 season | Part of the Vidarbha squad that won the Ranji Trophy |
| December 2025 | Represented NECO Master Blaster in the Vidarbha Pro T20 League, taking 8 wickets in 6 matches as the franchise won the title |
| 2025–26 season | Played for the Nagpur Titans in the local Vidarbha Pro T20 League. |
| By early 2026 | 27 wickets from 10 first-class matches at an average of about 26.7 |
Indian Premier League (IPL)
| Date / Event | Detail |
| December 2025 | Signed by Sunrisers Hyderabad at his base price of ₹30 lakh in the IPL 2026 auction, as a backup pace option |
| April 2026 | Made his IPL debut against Rajasthan Royals, opening the bowling |
| Debut over | Dismissed Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Dhruv Jurel and Lhuan-dre Pretorius inside his very first over — the first time any bowler had taken three wickets in a single over on IPL debut, or in IPL history overall |
| Debut match figures | 4 wickets for 34 runs; also dismissed RR captain Riyan Parag |
| Debut match honour | Won Player of the Match on IPL debut |
Complete T20 & IPL 2026 Season Trajectory
| Format / League | Matches | Wickets | Best Bowling | Economy Rate | Average |
| IPL 2026 Season | 7 | 14 | 4/34 | 11.73 | 21.79 |
| Career T20 Overall | 8 | 15 | 4/34 | 10.93 | 21.87 |
Hinge has spoken about idolising his SRH captain Pat Cummins and drawing inspiration from fellow Vidarbha pacer Umesh Yadav, alongside whom he made his T20 debut for the state side.
Personal Life & Relationship
Praful Hinge keeps a low public profile away from cricket. There is no confirmed, publicly reported information about him being married, engaged or in a relationship, and he has not spoken about his personal or dating life in interviews so far. This section will be updated if verified information becomes available.
Praful Hinge Net Worth
| Detail | Estimate / Source |
| Estimated net worth (2026) | Varies by outlet, roughly ₹50 lakh to ₹2 crore |
| IPL contract | Signed by Sunrisers Hyderabad at his base price of ₹30 lakh (IPL 2026 auction) |
| Other income | Domestic match fees from BCCI tournaments such as the Ranji Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy |
| Brand endorsements | Not reported to have signed any major endorsement deals yet |
Because these figures come from media estimates rather than disclosed or audited financial records, they should be treated as approximate. The range is expected to shift as Hinge’s IPL profile and any future contracts or endorsements develop.
Social Media
| Platform | Handle / Status | Details |
| @prafulhinge_140 | His active account, with around 535,000 followers, 454 following and 109 posts as of 2026. | |
| X (formerly Twitter) | Not confirmed | No widely reported, officially confirmed personal account has surfaced in reliable coverage so far. |
| Not confirmed | No verified official page has been reported; any similarly named pages should be treated as unconfirmed. |
Follower counts change frequently and should be read as approximate rather than exact figures. This table will be updated if Hinge launches or confirms accounts on other platforms, or as his following grows.
Conclusion
It was a short but interesting journey so far for Praful Hinge, the Nagpur boy who gave up the idea of playing for the new ball, after going through a technical error at MRF Pace Foundation, winning Ranji and Vijay Hazare trophies with Vidarbha, and then debuting in the IPL with an IPL history on his maiden outing. The 24-year-old, who has just limited T20s and has been building up his reputation as a seamer who hits the ball hard, is a typical Indian cricket story that has been producing domestic-to-IPL breakthroughs after breakthroughs. Much of his personal history and life is concealed, at least in the eyes of the public, by his own wishes — but his on-field playing is speaking louder and louder.
FAQ’S
He was born on 18 January 2002 in Nagpur, making him 24 years old as of 2026.
He is from Nagpur, in the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra, India.
While he plays for Vidarbha and Sunrisers Hyderabad, he actually represented the Nagpur Titans in the local Vidarbha Pro T20 League, not the NECO Master Blasters (whom he bowled against).
He is a right-arm medium-fast bowler and a right-handed batter, primarily used as a new-ball seam option.
He is best known for becoming the first bowler in IPL history to take three wickets in a single over on his tournament debut, against Rajasthan Royals on 13 April 2026, finishing with figures of 4 for 34 and winning Player of the Match.
There is no confirmed public information about his relationship status. He has kept his personal life private.
SRH signed him at his base price of ₹30 lakh in the IPL 2026 auction.
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