How a technical tweak helped correct Praful Hinge’s back issue

Chennai: When Sunrisers Hyderabad uncapped seamer Praful Hinge ripped through three wickets in his first IPL over on Monday night, social media timelines exploded with a single question: “Who is Praful Hinge?” By the time the 24-year-old from Nagpur finished with 4 for 34 on debut, the answer was being traced back to a quiet rehabilitation project at the MRF Pace Foundation.

Hinge, who swung the new ball at pace while nailing a relentless line and length, was quick to credit the Chennai facility after the match. “I want to thank MRF for taking really good care of me,” he said, acknowledging the role the foundation played in his recovery from a back stress injury.

Chief coach M Senthilnathan told TOI that Hinge arrived in 2023 carrying both fitness concerns and a technical flaw that had triggered the back trouble. “We selected him in 2023 and when he came to us, he had some back issues. We concentrated on his fitness and improved it through rehabs. We also analysed and found the reason behind his back issue. It was because he had a technical flaw, so we fine-tuned it,” Senthilnathan explained.

The corrective work paid immediate dividends. Hinge dominated the Under-23 season that year, graduated to Vidarbha’s Ranji Trophy attack in 2024 and earned a spot on the foundation’s exchange programme to Australia the same year. Throughout the process, director of coaching Glenn McGrath was a constant presence, drilling into the young quick the art of bowling in the right areas and handling pressure situations.

“With McGrath at the centre of it, and his vast experience, there are definitely certain things that has gone into Praful’s mind while training with us. Like how to bowl during different phases of the game, how to come back from a bad ball, how not to overdo things,” Senthilnathan said. “Mentally, these things can only come from someone who has played at that level. That’s what Glenn does.”

The result was on display in Hyderabad: a surgically accurate opening burst that announced Praful Hinge to the IPL and underlined the value of a single technical adjustment.