Hinge, Hussain and the Odisha connect

While Praful Hinge and Sakib Hussain were wreaking havoc on Rajasthan Royals, the echo of their combined success was being felt nearly a thousand kilometres away in Bhubaneswar. A group of 60-70 aspiring cricketers in the Infocity area of Patia were rooting for the two IPL debutants.

The Hyderabad-Bhubaneswar connection is a fascinating one. Hinge (24) and Hussain (21) had a long stint at the Rao Cricket Academy, a residential facility on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar run by SS Rao, a former Jharkhand player and coach. The two players were identified for special training by Sunrisers Hyderabad bowling coach Varun Aaron, who sent them to Rao's academy.

"Yes, Varun had sent them there to work on areas he had identified under the supervision of Rao. He trusts Rao, and it has now turned out to be a good, thoughtful decision," said a Sunrisers Hyderabad official.

"They were here for about a month in February-March and left a week to 10 days before the start of the IPL. They stayed in our academy hostel, and the bonding with other players became so close that the entire academy celebrated their success yesterday," Rao told Cricbuzz.

"The decision was taken immediately after the two were purchased at the auction. They trained there for almost a month. In between, they went to Chennai for a brief stint, but most of their pre-season training happened here," revealed Rao, who started the residential cricket facility in Bhubaneswar in 2023.

Rao would not discuss the specific areas in which the two trained, but said he had seen a deep hunger and desire in both to make their mark.

"The hunger that I saw in their approach to leave a mark was unmatched. Other players would prepare to do well when the opportunity came their way, but these two were looking for that opportunity. They would train so hard that there were days when I had to stop them. That was the difference."

Both right-arm pacers, Hinge is from Vidarbha and Hussain hails from Bihar. Both have played first-class cricket for their states. They were bought at their base prices of INR 30 Lakh at the IPL auction.