IPL 2026: Debutants Hinge and Hussain bowl Sunrisers to remarkable win over Rajasthan

Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) produced a blockbuster all-round performance to hand the Rajasthan Royals (RR) their first defeat of the TATA IPL 2026 season. In Match 21 at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, an explosive 91 from stand-in captain Ishan Kishan propelled the hosts to a massive 216-6.

However, the night truly belonged to the SRH debutant pace duo of Praful Hinge and Sakib Hussain, who decimated the Royals’ chase and bowled them out for 159 to secure a commanding 57-run victory.

Rajasthan Royals captain Riyan Parag won the toss and elected to bowl first, a decision that paid immediate dividends. Jofra Archer stunned the home crowd on the very first delivery of the match, removing Abhishek Sharma for a golden duck.

Walking in under immense early pressure, Ishan Kishan launched a breathtaking counter-attack. The SRH skipper dismantled the Royals’ bowling unit, compiling a spectacular 91 off just 44 deliveries (8x4s, 6x6s) while striking at an astonishing 206.82.

He dominated the Powerplay alongside Travis Head and later built a crucial 88-run stand with Heinrich Klaasen. Klaasen proved reliable as ever, anchoring the middle overs with a vital 40 off 26 balls to reclaim the coveted Orange Cap.

Kishan agonisingly fell nine runs short of a century, eventually falling to Sandeep Sharma. However, late fireworks from Nitish Kumar Reddy (28 off 13) and Salil Arora (24* off 13) ensured Sunrisers Hyderabad set a daunting 217-run target.

Chasing a mountain, the Royals walked straight into a nightmare orchestrated by 24-year-old debutant Praful Hinge. Hinge etched his name into the history books with a truly magical first over.

After giving up a single to Yashasvi Jaiswal on the first ball, he hurried teenager Vaibhav Sooryavanshi into a top-edge for a golden duck. Two balls later, he clean-bowled Dhruv Jurel, and then forced South African debutant Lhuan-dre Pretorius to flick the final delivery straight to square leg.

With that astonishing sequence, Hinge became the first bowler in the 19-year history of the IPL to claim three wickets in the opening over of an innings, finishing his first-ever over with mind-boggling figures of 1-0-1-3.

The carnage did not stop there. Fellow debutant Sakib Hussain joined the party by removing the dangerous Jaiswal for just one. When Hinge returned to clean up Parag, the league-leading Royals were left in utter ruin at 9-5 inside three overs.

Staring down an embarrassing defeat, Donovan Ferreira and veteran Ravindra Jadeja orchestrated a highly spirited rescue mission. The duo absorbed the pressure and capitalised on the loose deliveries, stitching together a monumental 118-run partnership for the sixth wicket to keep the crowd on their toes.

Ferreira played a sensational lone-warrior knock, scoring 69 off 44 balls. Jadeja provided vital support with a composed 45 off 32.

Just as the Royals dared to dream of a miracle, Eshan Malinga induced a crucial edge to dismiss Jadeja. Sakib Hussain then returned to the attack and completely broke Ferreira’s resistance with a perfectly disguised slower ball that shattered the stumps.

Sakib ripped through the tail, wrapping up the innings for 159 in 19 overs to cap off a historic night for the home side.

Sakib Hussain finished with outstanding figures of 4-24, registering the joint-best IPL bowling figures by an Indian on debut. Hinge mirrored the dominance with his own 4-34 to claim the Player of the Match award on debut.

The Sunrisers Hyderabad effectively utilised the element of surprise with their young pace battery, claiming a massive win. The Rajasthan Royals will need to quickly erase the memories of this top-order disaster and regroup before their next outing. (IPL)