Praful Hinge of Sunrisers Hyderabad stated that yorkers are his preferred deliveries and that he has worked hard to improve the technique. He added that support from India all-rounder Hardik Pandya offered him a significant boost.
In his debut IPL match, Hinge outperformed an in-form Rajasthan Royals batting lineup on Monday to record outstanding figures of 4/34, setting up a huge 57-run victory.
In his debut over, the right-arm Vidarbha pacer dominated the Rajasthan Royals and became the first bowler in IPL history to take three wickets in the first over of an innings.
“When I was bowling to him, I was quite nervous because everyone knows what kind of batsman Hardik bhai is and what he can do,” PTI quoted Hinge telling JioHotstar, recalling playing against Pandya in the Vijay Hazare Trophy.
“But after the first ball, the nerves settled, and I told myself I could bowl without taking undue pressure. I kept reminding myself to bowl my best delivery every ball. Yorkers are my go-to deliveries; I have practiced them the most.”
“I bowled good yorkers to him and mixed in a few bouncers as well. After taking a single, he came up to me and said, ‘Praful bhai, well bowled.’ That gave me a huge boost. After the match, I met him again and he said, ‘You are doing well, just keep at it. I will see you in the IPL’,” Hinge added.
The 24-year-old gave MRF Pace Academy physiotherapist Naveen Babu credit for identifying a major injury and assisting him in his recuperation.
“I was getting calls from the MRF Academy for two years, but didn’t go. The year I finally went, I was injured. Naveen babu, the physio there, examined me and said I had a stress fracture in my back,” Hinge recalled.
“He paid a lot of attention to my recovery, and those seven to eight months were tough. I had to skip one season and returned after that. In the U-23 season, I picked up around 27 to 28 wickets. After that, I was also part of the Emerging India camp.”
Josh Hazlewood and Jhye Richardson, two Australian pacers, were introduced to Hinge through his hard work at the academy.
“When I went to MRF in the first year, I learned that two players are sent to Australia every year. The next year, I was eager to go, so I performed well in the domestic season, hoping to get that opportunity. Bowling in Australia was quite an experience,” he said.
“I am a huge fan of Josh Hazlewood, so meeting him was quite special. I also met Jhye Richardson. I asked them about fitness, how to manage oneself during the season, training routines, diet, and more. It was a huge learning curve.”
Hinge stated that he made a list of his objectives but did not alter his preparation for this IPL.
“I didn’t prepare anything special as such. Whenever I watch a match, I ask myself, ‘What would I do in that situation? How would I bowl?’ So, even if it’s a World Cup match and I imagine bowling to the best batsman in the opposition, I think through my approach,” he said.
“That’s always been my thought process; it keeps me constantly thinking about being in a match situation. My first goal is definitely to win and lift the trophy. Secondly, if I get the opportunity, I will try to win as many matches as I can for my side and give my 100 per cent. Apart from that, I would love to take one of the best catches in the IPL and aim for the best fielder award.”
