MUMBAI: Nagpur and Gopalganj are 1,041 km apart, but on Monday night, two young fast bowlers from these cities scripted history in IPL 2026. Rajasthan Royals In Hyderabad, became the first bowling duo to take four wickets on IPL debut.Hinj returned figures of 4 for 34, while Saqib impressed with 4 for 24, indicating that the IPL is not just about explosive young batsmen like Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Mukul Chaudhary, but emerging bowlers making an impact. The duo helped bowl out RR for 159, which SRH signed at a base price of Rs 30 lakh, to a 57-run win.
Vidarbha head coach Usman Ghani praised Hinge, saying, “I have been watching him since his junior level days. He is very promising. We have a good crop of fast bowlers coming up. There is good competition among our fast bowlers for places in the Vidarbha team. He did well for us in the 2025-26 edition of the Ranji Trophy (Parful took 16 wickets at 26.37 @ 26.37 in six matches, with four for 60).Heng played just one match in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy but caught the attention of IPL scouts. “At SMAT, since we have so many experienced fast bowlers, we could only give Heng a chance to play in the last league match (he took 1-23 in four overs against Andhra), as we didn’t qualify for the knockouts. However, IPL talent scouts, who came to watch the game (in Lucknow),” Ghani said.Highlighting his strengths, Ghani added, “Prafal bowls quite fast. He is tight, and has a good bouncer. He has practiced a lot on the ideal bouncer – one that doesn’t go over the head and is considered wide, but has a fair delivery and is at a good height. He has practiced his yorkers a lot during the day. He is a good, disciplined guy, and receptive (to advice), which is very important for a cricketer.“On the advice of former India fast bowler Prashant Vaidya, Hinge joined the MRF Peace Foundation in 2023 and trained in Australia under Glenn McGrath. An injury ruled him out of the Ranji Trophy knockouts after his return, but he has since come back strongly.
Saqib’s rise highlights Bihar’s rising talent.
Meanwhile, Saqib’s rise beyond Suryavanshi highlights Bihar’s rising talent. Bihar coach Vinayak Samant said, “Saqib is a very good fast bowler. He has good pace, but also has a good silver. He is also an excellent fielder. He is a proper T20 specialist. He did well for us in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy (Hussain notably took five wickets during the ASMAT match). Came from Kolkata to Ranchi to watch Skibble. He was impressed by Hussain, and SRH picked him up in the auction.Samant added, “There is a lot of fast bowling talent in Bihar. Another 22-year-old pacer from Bihar is Mohammad Izhar, who is part of the Mumbai Indians squad. He is not as fast as Hussain, but he is a good bowler. I hope he gets a chance to debut for MI, who has bowled the most nines at some stage. Best haul of 4-39 in five matches at SMAT for us last season.”Former Bihar Cricket Association official Anand Yalwegi said, “Both Hussain and Izhar are very good fast bowling prospects. I had my eye on both of them. I spoke to Bihar selectors (appointed by BCCI) Chetan Sharma and Harvinder Singh that both of them need to play for Bihar in the Ranji Trophy. Trophy (Plate Group).”The challenge now for both Hinj and Saqib is to build on this dream debut and maintain their form. Ghani said, “Let’s see. Hinge has a long way to go. He has to perform consistently.” Ghani said.
