For almost four decades, the MRF Pace Foundation nets in Chennai have hosted a silent parade of the world’s deadliest fast bowlers. From Glenn McGrath and Chaminda Vaas to India’s Zaheer Khan and Jasprit Bumrah, generations have been forged on this hallowed ground. It is a patch of dirt and grass that has probably done more for India’s speed revolution than any other acre of land in the country.
So, when the 15-year-old batting sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi started playing with the most famous names of IPLIt was perhaps inevitable that the bowler with the perfect execution plan came from the same foundry in Chennai.
“I told people I was going to throw him a bouncer and get him the first ball,” Pruful Hinge said, The 24-year-old breakout star of Sunrisers Hyderabad, after his Player of the Match performance against Rajasthan Royals on 13 April.
But Pruffula’s ability to execute that plan didn’t start in the SRH dugout. While the strategy may have been tweaked there, these essential tools have their roots in the same networks in Chennai. Varun Aaron, his bowling coach at SRH, himself once trained there on his way to the Indian team.
The MRF Pace Foundation, now in its 38th year, remains an “unbreakable” force in the nation’s fast bowling battery.
In this regard, MRF pace Foundation head coach and former India Under-19 World Cup captain M Senthilnathan, in an interview with IndiaToday.in, offered a window into the system that molded them. From the grueling physical rehabilitation that rebuilt Prafula’s career to the technical refinement that unlocked Sakib Hussain’s raw 140-click pace, Senthilnathan’s insights reveal the meticulous engineering behind the IPL’s latest bowling sensation.
REHABILITATED AND REFINED: PRAFUL HINGE HOUSING
When Praful arrived at the academy in 2023, he was not a finished product. He was broken in many ways.
“When he came, he had some kind of back injury,” recalls Senthilnathan. At that moment, the foundation did not immediately put the ball in his hand. Instead, they put him through a rigorous rehabilitation program. The goal wasn’t just to fix the back, but to find out why it snapped. The diagnosis led to a technical overhaul of the deep dive.
Praful’s recovery then developed him into a bowler capable of immediate execution at the state level.
So in the following year, the goal was to put out the roots, let the potential bloom. Former Australian bowler and current MRF Academy Director Glenn Mcgrath played a big role here. He took Praful with him to Australia as part of an exchange program.
“He came back in 2024,” Senthilnathan continued. “We started working on him with the new ball. That’s where Glenn comes in and plays a big role.”
He revealed that the Australian imparted every bit of knowledge he gained from his playing days. “How to use the new ball, how to play with the red ball and then we worked on his white ball skills with both the new ball and the old ball,” he adds.
And later in Brisbane, Queensland, on an academy exchange program – in partnership with Cricket Australia – he learned the professionalism of self-care in addition to playing in the Australian wickets.
Under McGrath’s tutelage, the young Nagpur lad tackled bowling accurate line and length and stuck with it.
Senthilnathan stressed that Praful’s success is not magic – it’s geometry. By achieving an “exact length” of between 4 and 6 meters, Praful implements a basic lesson taught by Glenn McGrath at the academy. It’s a length that lives around ‘no man’s land’– too full to pull, too short to drive – effectively ‘renting a room’ at a spot that will eventually force a mental collapse from the batsman. Interestingly, the young gun also has a deadly Yorker in his arsenal.
PRAFUL CURTAIN TO MAKE HIS IPL DEBUT:
“I wrote in the newspaper last year that when I make my IPL debut, I will take 4-5 wickets. pic.twitter.com/4l5TFV5RL9— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) April 13, 2026
SAKIB HUSSAIN: A NATURAL 140
If Praful is a surgeon, Sakib Hussain is a tool of blunt force. Hailing from a humble background in Gopalganj, Bihar, Sakib was backed by one undeniable quality: raw, unadulterated speed.
“Naturally, it drives around 140 (km/h),” explains Senthilnathan.
But bearing the brunt of it structurally, that looked unsettling for Shakib. “With this kind of frame, if someone can jump that fast, they can break. So we’ve worked tremendously on their strength.”
Unlike Praful, Sakib’s journey did not include an Australian exchange, not for lack of talent but for success. His selection for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) meant he was quickly thrust into the high-pressure environment of the IPL.
Senthilnathan is cautious but optimistic about Sakib’s ceiling. While he won’t be able to astrologically predict a speed of 150 km/h, he notes that at 22, Sakib hasn’t even reached his physical peak.
In his final year at the academy, emphasis was placed on managing his workload to ensure that his unique high-speed action did not become a hindrance.
A key figure in the process was Australian fitness consultant Kevin Shevell, who had previously trained McGrath. His philosophy centered on making fast bowlers “unbreakable”. Notably, the foundation does not charge any money from the cricketers it trains.
I have said this before and I am saying it again with full confidence that the way Sakib Hussain gets the batsmen out will be included in the India team right after the IPL, InshaAllah. pic.twitter.com/CwyghPD9cm– Rehan_Idrisi (@MR_COOL77777) April 18, 2026
A SYSTEM THAT CONSTANTLY FAILS
The success of Praful and Sakib is part of a wider, systematic triumph of the foundation. Senthilnathan pointed out that against Rajasthan Royals, all ten wickets for SunRisers Hyderabad were taken by MRF academy graduates – four each from Praful and Sakib and two from Eshan Malinga.
So the unfolding story at SRH may still be in its infancy, but Monday night against RR offered the familiar promise of fast bowlers taking their first steps into this fast bowling line-up.
IPL 2026 | IPL Schedule | IPL Points Table | IPL Player Stats | Purple Cap | Orange Cap | IPL Videos | Cricket News | Live Score
– The end
Published on:
20 Apr 2026 09:59 IST
Tune in
