New Delhi, Sep 19 (IANS) Praful Hinge's three-wicket opening over while turning out for Sunrisers Hyderabad against Rajasthan Royals made him an overnight sensation in this year's Indian Premier League (IPL).

But with his first India ‘A’ assignment looming, via a red-ball series against Australia ‘A’ in Puducherry, the right-arm fast bowler said he will take the simplest of approaches into the game starting on September 22: stay in the present and think about nothing beyond the next delivery.

"I don't think too much in my brain about what will happen next or what may not happen. I just focus on the present – like what I have to do with the ball in hand in a match. I just focus on bowling one ball at a time.

"As a bowler, there are a lot of challenges and I love those challenges. When the ball comes, I just have to do my bowling. I'll do my best. The rest, and whatever happens, will have to happen," Hinge told IANS in a chat ahead of the series to be played at the picturesque CAP-Siechem Stadium.

Hinge learned of his India 'A' selection while away from his residence in Nagpur, and only believed it once he had checked for himself. "I got a message from a friend who works in media, and said that I got India 'A' call-up. I was out of station at that time and then got a message from the friend, who said, 'Congratulations on getting India 'A' team call-up'.

“To see that for real, I saw on the BCCI website and it began to sink in that I was in India 'A' team. This is what is going on right now - if you work hard, you'll definitely get something. I've been playing red-ball cricket since Ranji Trophy and red-ball cricket has been my favourite format since childhood," he added.

Since the IPL ended, Hinge has kept bowling. He took eight wickets in the Vidarbha Pro T20 League and played Under-25 emerging matches at the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru - all with an eye on keeping himself in good bowling rhythm.

"I mean, now that I've got a chance, I should do well. So, in all the matches, everything was good for me and I performed well. Whatever the match was – either bowling my overs, fielding, batting, it was the same.

“The experiences were the same - I just have to keep myself ready so that I can get a chance someday. My body is doing well. I mean, my fitness is great and everything is going well. Yes, I briefly attended a SRH off-season camp. We had a good volume of bowling there as well and our fitness was good," he added.

Hinge was largely unknown outside domestic cricket circles before his breakout time in IPL 2026 for SRH. He acknowledges that the attention has changed his life off the field, even if he tries not to dwell on it and keeps social media at arm's length.

"A lot of people do recognize me. Now, everyone knows me wherever I go. So, it feels really good. Sometimes, I do think about it in my mind - like, I've done this too. Nothing much as such. I don't use it (social media) much. I don't pay much attention to it. I just use it for a bit of fun, humour and work things."

His family in Nagpur has also felt the difference. "Yes, the parents and family members get more recognised now. Like if they needed something before, it would come late. Now whenever they need something, it comes a little earlier than expected since my good showing in the IPL."

Hinge also credited former India fast bowler Varun Aaron, SRH’s fast bowling coach, for keeping a close watch on his development since the IPL ended. "After the IPL, he's always been following me. Like, what are you doing?

“How's the training and bowling going? Once or twice, I went for bowling with him. I even bowled with the red-ball in a camp. So, he keeps asking me how I'm doing and takes constant updates about my progress."

Aaron, whose own playing career was repeatedly interrupted by injuries, has also helped Hinge fine-tune his action. "He faced a lot of things and saw a lot of ups and downs. So, it feels like he's of immense help to me. When I met him at MRF, I told him that I was injured.

“So, since then, he's been in touch with me. Like, how's it going? What's going on? Like, the bowling action, whatever needs to be done up and down, he adjusted it. Whatever I have seen of him, I've learnt a lot from him as well."

Hinge has also leaned on the experience of CoE fast-bowling coaches, former India fast bowler Lakshmipathy Balaji and P Krishnakumar. "I asked them a lot about the little things I can do better in a bowling situation, and what we can't do. I always used to ask them about whatever I could think of – in terms of questions about fast bowling and related topics."

Hinge made his Ranji Trophy debut in 2024 and has 27 wickets from 10 first-class matches. He has already played Ranji Trophy cricket in Puducherry via his debut game and expects the afternoon heat to be a test for the pacers.

"I've played matches in Pondicherry before as well in the Ranji Trophy. So, I have a bit of an idea about the conditions there. But the temperature is going to be a bit high. The sooner I can adapt to the conditions, the better it is as bowling in the afternoon is a bit tough. But doing tough things is a habit now for me. So, it will be good when the matches happen."

He expects the familiarity of the squad to help him settle, via having his fellow Vidarbha team-mates Yash Rathod, Nachiketa Bhute and Aman Mokhade. "Yes, the environment where we play for Vidarbha will be there and it will feel like everyone is going to play together. It'll feel good to be in those surroundings."

With the series just a few days away, Hinge's focus is on the task in front of him, including wearing India ‘A’ whites for the first time while playing. "It's just a few days away. I'm more excited for it, as this is what everyone practices for," he concluded.

--IANS

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