When fast bowling sensation Praful Hinge was not aware of the season ball!

Praful Hinge, Sunrisers Hyderabad’s young fast bowler, recalls his humble beginnings with a tennis ball, his father’s guidance, and his journey through MRF Pace Academy to Australia. Inspired by Josh Hazlewood and Hardik Pandya’s encouragement, Hinge now aims to lift the IPL trophy and win the Best Fielder award.

Hyderabad: Fast bowling sensation of Sunrisers Hyderabad, Praful Hinge, said that when he was in the sixth standard, he told his dad that he wanted to play cricket.

“My dad said I was still very young and asked me to wait one more year. So, he got me a bat to play with a tennis ball. I wasn’t aware that cricket is played with the season ball,” Praful Hinge said during a chat on JioHotstar ‘IPL Dream On’ show.

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“The following year, after my exams, he enrolled me in a summer camp. I gave it my all and played a lot. That’s when I learned that you have to rotate your arm if you want to bowl fast, I didn’t know that before. After two months, my dad said, ‘It’s up to you whether you want to continue or not.’ I said, ‘I want to play,” he recalled.

“My dad told me that I would have to manage school, studies, and cricket together, and I was ready to do whatever was needed. On the first day, he dropped me off at the club, and after that, I went by myself. He would only come when the fees had to be paid; otherwise, he didn’t show much involvement. But the support was always there,” the Vidarbha fast bowler said.

On getting called up to the MRF Pace Academy and going to Australia through that, Hinge said: “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. He paid a lot of attention to my recovery, and those seven to eight months were tough. I had to skip one season and return after that.”

“In the Under-23 season, I picked up around 27 to 28 wickets. After that, I was also part of the Emerging India camp. 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,” he said.

“Bowling in Australia was quite an experience. 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,” the 24-year-old fast bowler who picked three wickets in his first over in IPL against Rajasthan Royals in Hyderabad on Monday night to be one of the first to do so.

On being picked by SRH at the TATA IPL auction, Hinge said: “It felt really good. When the auction was going on, I wasn’t at home. As I was about to reach, my phone and everyone else’s phones in the family started ringing, so I realised I must have been picked. When I got home, I saw that all my friends and brothers had gathered there. My mom and dad were also very happy.”

On his duel with Hardik Pandya during the Vijay Hazare Trophy, the young fast bowler said: “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. 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’ve practised 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’re doing well, just keep at it. I will see you in the IPL.’”

On his preparation for his maiden TATA IPL season and the goal, Hinge said: “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.”

“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 percent. Apart from that, I would love to take one of the best catches in the IPL and aim for the Best Fielder award,” Hinge said.