Hinge returned with the figures of 4/34 in four overs to script SRH’s 57-run victory against RR.
Hinge used a sharp bouncer to get Sooryavanshi caught behind, shattering the teenager’s prolific streak in a memorable debut performance at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on Monday (April 13).
Hinge did not stop there, continuing to create havoc with his pace. Dhruv Jurel, Lhuan dre-Pretorius and Riyan Parag were his other victims as the right-arm quick returned with the figures of 4/34 in four overs to script SRH’s 57-run victory.
After the game, Hinge opened up on his pre-planned strategy to dismiss Sooryavanshi with a bouncer on the very first ball.
“The best one was the first wicket of Sooryavanshi, because he was in form. I had already told a couple of people that I would get him out on the very first ball, either with a bouncer or in some way. I just wanted his wicket on the first ball. That was the plan. Also, our bowling coach Varun bhai helped me a lot. And I’m thankful to everyone who supported me,” Hinge said at the post-match presentation.
The 24-year-old revealed he wrote down last year that he would take four or five wickets in his maiden IPL outing, firmly believing in the power of manifestation.
“I did think about it. Last year, I had written somewhere that whenever I play my first match, I will definitely take four or five wickets. And I wanted to dominate as much as possible in the powerplay,” Hinge stated.
“I believe in it (power of manifestation). I don’t know about others, but I do believe,” he further remarked.
Praful Hinge reflected on his humble beginnings at age 13, and dedicated the Player-of-the-Match award to his family.
“I started playing cricket at the age of 13. I didn’t even know what leather-ball cricket was back then. When I was 13, I told my father that I wanted to join a club. He refused a couple of times, saying I was too young. But somehow, things started from there. After that, I just kept playing. Standing at this stage, it feels really good. I want to dedicate this award to my family. They’ve made a lot of sacrifices for me.”
He expressed his gratitude towards the MRF Pace Foundation and specifically mentioned the physio for helping him recover from injuries to reach the IPL stage.
“Everything is fine now. I want to thank MRF for taking really good care of me. When I was there, Naveen sir, the physio, looked after me very well. Since I’ve reached this stage today, I want to thank them too,” Hinge concluded.