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Praful Hinge was acquored by Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL 2026 auction for ₹30 lakhs. On his IPL debut against Rajasthan Royals, Hinge became the first player in the history of the league to take three wickets in the first over of an innings.
Sunrisers Hyderabad's Praful Hinge creates history in IPL. (REUTERS)Praful Hinge couldn't have asked for a more dreamy Indian Premier League (IPL) debut after the Vidarbha pacer struck three times in his very first over against Rajasthan Royals on Monday. Defending 200-plus total, the Sunrisers Hyderabad pacer dismissed Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Dhruv Jurel and Lhuan-dre Pretorius to become the first player ever in the history of the tournament to take three wickets in an opening over of an innings.
Hinge was to make his IPL debut in Sunrisers Hyderabad's last game against Punjab Kings after being named at the coin toss by captai Ishan Kishan. But the 24-year-old endured a heartbreak when he found out that Jaiydev Unadkat would be taking the field instead of him.
After his first ball was glided by Yashasvi Jaiswalto towards third man, Suryavanshi went for a pull in the first ball that he faced. The ball took a thick top edge only for Salil Arora to complete the catch. Two balls later, Dhruv Jurel played on to his stumps before Pretorius was caught by Nitish Reddy at the deep backward square-leg region.
That's not all. Hinge returned in his second over to get better of rival captain Riyan Parag to make it four wickets in his first two overs to leave Rajasthan Royals at 9/5 after three overs in the chase.
What's Praful Hinge's IPL salary?
Having impressed with the red ball in his 10 first-class matches, Hinge played a crucial role in Vidarbha's maiden Vijay Hazare Trophy triumph. The domestic grind proved worthy for Hinge as he was picked up for base price of ₹30 lakhs during the auction last year in December.
Picked as a back-up option to the seniors in the side, Hinge proved to be one of the cost-effective scouting finds for the 2016 champions in the ongoing season. In addition to his ₹30 lakhs contract, Hinge will be significantly benefitted by the BCCI's 2025-27 cycle pay structure.
Under the new pay structure, posted on the IPL's official website, Hinge will be getting a match fee of ₹7.5 lakhs per game, in addition to his contracted amount. That means, if Hinge plays the remaining nine games for Sunrisers Hyderabad, he will pocket a total of ₹75 lakhs only as match fees in this season. Although players are eligible for performance-based bonuses, but that gets divided among the whole team.
About the Author
Koushik Paul
Koushik lives and breathes sports. After transitioning from his own aspirations of becoming a professional athlete, he successfully channeled that lifelong passion into a prolific career, documenting the action both from the sidelines and the editorial desk. With over eight years of industry experience, Koushik joined LiveMint as a Deputy Chief Content Producer in 2024, following impactful stints at Outlook India, India.com, Sportskeeda, Women’s CricZone, and OrissaPOST. A 2017 Journalism and Mass Communication graduate from Maharaja Manindra Chandra College, Kolkata, Koushik has reported on high-profile events including the FIFA U17 World Cup 2017, Ranji Trophy, FIH Pro League, FIH World League finals, the Indian Premier League, and Lionel Messi’s historic visit to Kolkata in 2025. <br><br> While he possesses a versatile command over all sports, he finds his niche in cricket, specializing in breaking news, long-form interviews, global sporting updates, and high-energy live blogs. Koushik’s professional perspective was further sharpened through the 2020 AIPS Young Reporters Programme, where he gained invaluable insights from renowned international journalists, including Keir Radnedge and Riccardo Romani from the United Kingdom, and Martin Mazur from Argentina. Currently based between Kolkata and Delhi, Koushik remains at the forefront of the breaking developments that shape the public sporting discourse. When he isn't tracking scores or deconstructing plays, he can be found exploring new landscapes on his travels or channeling his creative energy into the kitchen. <br><br> If you have a compelling story to share or know an individual who deserves the spotlight, please reach out via email at <a href="koushik.paul@htdigital.in">koushik.paul@htdigital.in</a>.
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