SRH Vs RR: Praful Hinge Creates Record, Becomes First Bowler In IPL History To Scalp 3 Wickets In Opening Over

Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) debutant Praful Hinge etched his name into the record books with a performance for the ages, becoming the first bowler in the 19-year history of the IPL to claim three wickets in the opening over of an innings.

During the Match 21 clash against the Rajasthan Royals (RR) at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on April 13, the 24-year-old pacer from Vidarbha produced a magical opening spell that left the league leaders in complete disarray.

Defending a target of 217, Hinge began the innings with clinical precision. After conceding a single run to Yashasvi Jaiswal on the first ball, Hinge struck on his very second delivery, dismissing the teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi for a golden duck.

Sooryavanshi was hurried by a hard-length delivery, resulting in a top edge that was safely pouched by wicketkeeper Salil Arora. The Hyderabad crowd had barely finished celebrating when Hinge struck again on the fourth ball, clean-bowling Dhruv Jurel for a two-ball duck with a sharp delivery that took a thick inside edge and uprooted the off-stump.

The historic moment was sealed on the final ball of the over. South African debutant Lhuan-dre Pretorius attempted a flick off his pads but succeeded only in finding Nitish Kumar Reddy at deep backward square leg. Hinge finished his first-ever IPL over with the astonishing figures of 1-0-1-3, an efficiency that broke the spirit of the Royals’ chase before it could even begin.

While 32 bowlers had previously taken two wickets in an opening IPL over, Hinge stands alone as the only man to have taken three. His dream debut continued later in the match as he added a fourth wicket, dismissing Riyan Parag to finish with 4/18 in three overs.

For the Vidarbha pacer, who was signed for a modest INR 30 lakh, this record-breaking performance has instantly transitioned him from a domestic stalwart to a global IPL sensation.