Have you ever seen a player getting named in the Toss to play, but he is not playing? A bizarre thing as such has happened in the ongoing IPL 2026 match
between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Punjab Kings on Saturday (April 11).
SRH are taking on PBKS in Mullanpur and Praful Hinge was supposed to make his debut, but he is not playing the match.
At the toss, SRH skipper Ishan Kishan mentioned Hinge's name, mentioning that the Vidarbha youngster will make his debut for the team, replacing Jaydev Unadkat.
When the lineups were revealed, the initial Playing XI didn't have Praful, rather he was placed in the Impact Players bench. When many thought that he might emerge when SRH bowl, it hasn't happened. SRH have brought on Jaydev Unadkat as Impact Sub, much to the surprise of many fans.
Why has Praful Hinge not made his SRH Debut?
It remains a confusing decision so far that why Praful Hinge has not played this match, despite being named by the captain. As SRH batted first, they might have placed him in the impact players bench, but it must have been a mid-game decision to go with Unadkat instead of Praful. Had they bowled first, Praful would likely have made his debut.
Although the real decision is not known, a potential injury to Praful between Toss and start of play can't be ruled out, but it seems very unlikely.
But the current tweaks in the IPL due to the impact player rule denied the Vidarbha bowler the elusive first cap. So far, the move to play veteran Unadkat hasn't been helpful. The left-arm pacer has conceded 26 runs off his two overs and also dropped a catch. PBKS, at the moment are motoring along with 72/0 in the fifth over as they chase 220 runs.
