New Delhi, April 24 (IANS) Nehal Wadhera’s impressive ability to perform under pressure was evident in his unbeaten 33 off 19 balls and securing a thrilling victory for Punjab Kings against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in a 14-overs-a-side affair at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on April 18. In a chase of 96 on a pitch that favoured the bowlers, Wadhera came to the crease, with PBKS’ score reading 52/3, which soon became 53/4.
The pressure piling on PBKS was huge when Wadhera played four dot balls in the ninth over off leg-spinner Suyash Sharma. With the equation reading 43 runs needed off 33 balls, it looked like Wadhera would risk a big hit and fall, something which RCB fans were also expecting.
But Wadhera’s four and six off Suyash soothed PBKS’s nerves and quieted the crowd. More than the number of runs, the high quality of Wadhera’s shots stood out – a reverse hit going through the gap between point and short third was followed by a majestic lofted shot clearing long-on.
Although Wadhera hit a few more boundaries, those two shots in the ninth over were ultimately the match-deciding hits. During a virtual roundtable discussion hosted by PBKS on Thursday, Wadhera recounted that an exhilarating victory in Bengaluru was shaped by his strong determination to secure a win for the team after a prior missed opportunity.
“First of all, I would like to say that I love playing under tough situations. So, the thinking in me is such that the one who can win matches in tough situations is able to play for India. That game was a very good opportunity for me to prove myself.”
“I think the game against RR was also a good opportunity for me, but I missed winning the match for the team, and I regretted that. Although I scored well (62), I wasn’t that much satisfied because our team couldn’t cross the line.”
“So, if we talk about the match against RCB, I think before batting, the coach came and he told me, ‘Nehal, we just need to go run a ball. You can just go easy’. I said, ‘Okay, coach’. But as soon as I went inside, I felt RCB had put a lot of pressure on us at that time. So, I thought now that I have come inside, the bowlers I have good match-ups against are there, and this is my responsibility to take my team over the line,” said Wadhera while replying to a query from IANS.
With PBKS’s senior finishing pro Shashank Singh at the other end, all eyes were on young Wadhera to apply smooth finishing touches. It also helped that he had the full confidence to go all out after assessing Suyash.
“I also thought that the pressure that RCB has put on us, now it’s my time to give that pressure back to them. So, their bowlers, they just kept on, and I felt that I should put them in, thinking rather than us batsmen thinking more inside. Because in short targets, if a wicket falls early, then there’s a lot of pressure on the batting team.”
“So, as soon as Suyash came for bowling, the first 3-4 balls I usually take inside to just understand how the pitch is playing or what’s the condition of the ground. I then knew that he was just trying to trick me with a googly, and he also felt that it would be easy for me to hit him for a sixer.”
“So, I just started (to go) with the flow and told the non-striker that, ‘If you are okay with singles, you play, but I am just going to attack all the bowlers’. So, from there, I just started, the match completely changed, and it turned out to be really well for me and also for Punjab Kings,” he added.
After securing the win for PBKS, Wadhera was also left elated by his idol, the legendary Virat Kohli’s encouraging words, on his batting improvements since entering the IPL bandwagon.
“As soon as the match got finished, I went up to him and asked, ‘Virat bhai, you have seen me play for the last two years and this year. So, do you see any change in me, or what do you think I can improve?”
“It’s because I am really a big fan of him and if he tells me anything, I would always just start working on it. He told me, ‘Nehal, I liked your batting’. I told him, ‘Virat bhai, this was my plan. So, I executed it.’ To this, he replied, ‘Yes, your plan was good to just attack the bowlers because, in low-scoring games, it’s always challenging. ’”
“He also said, ‘I can see that composure in your batting and the shots that you are hitting are coming with a lot of thought’. He was happy to hear about my preparations and was also happy to share his experiences with me. I was also equally happy taking in all his experiences and the compliments which he gave me,” he recalled.
While playing for the Mumbai Indians, Wadhera would ask either Suryakumar Yadav or Tilak Varma to help him start a conversation with Kohli. Amidst the rain delay in Bengaluru, Wadhera received a pleasant surprise: Kohli called him by his name.
“When our match was not starting, Virat bhai was standing outside, talking to Shreyas Iyer, and he himself called me by saying, ‘How are you, Nehal?’ I was actually really shocked that he even knew my name because I wasn’t really expecting that. From there, I got really happy, and that really opened the door for me to be able to go up to him and ask questions.”
“So, that was the actual icebreaker where I got to know that, yes, Virat bhai knows my name, and I could actually go up and have a conversation with him. Even after he played that tremendous innings in Mullanpur, we had a chat. It was really good talking to him, and I enjoyed it a lot.”
A congratulatory call from Yuvraj Singh, a childhood hero for Wadhera while growing up in Ludhiana, made his joyful Friday night even more special. “He congratulated me for the way I played. He encouraged me and told me how I can play for India.”
“He called and talked to me especially, and those were just golden words for me. I have huge respect for him, and I am really grateful that a legend like Yuvraj Singh gave me tips in terms of how I can go one step ahead and improve my game.”
The joyful time Wadhera is experiencing in PBKS colours in IPL 2025 – 189 runs in seven games at an average of 37.8 and a strike rate of 146.51 – is something that wasn’t there a year ago. In IPL 2024, Wadhera didn’t have a memorable time for MI, amassing just 109 runs at an average of 18.17. The poor run continued in the 2024/25 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, making just 97 runs for Punjab at a strike rate of 104.3.
According to Wadhera, even the best cricketers have periods of poor performance despite considerable effort, a situation he experienced in the previous Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. Wadhera also calls himself someone who just doesn’t give up, and knowing that his IPL 2025 success was in his hands, he prepared diligently.
“I just went through my videos to see what problems I was facing, and why I didn’t do well in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. I did very well in that tournament last time, and just tried to collect all the positives that I could. But at the same time, I did introspect on all the weaknesses which can actually cause me trouble in my upcoming games and worked on that.”
“So, I think I have definitely worked on how I can do better, be more consistent, which shots can cause me trouble in IPL, and the few balls which my opposition team can target me early on. So, I have worked on those things, and the work I have done, I think it’s paying off now.”
The fact that PBKS, who paid INR 4.2 crore for him at last year’s auction, held training camps in Chandigarh also helped Wadhera. Sunil Joshi, the spin-bowling coach, and Trevor Gonsalves, the assistant bowling coach, meticulously monitored every move made by Wadhera. Ricky Ponting’s guidance at PBKS’s pre-season Dharamshala camp further helped Wadhera prepare to be a flexible middle-order batter in the tournament.
The competition for India’s T20I batting slots being fierce has meant Wadhera hasn’t yet received a call-up. But his participation in the Emerging Men’s Asia Cup in Oman last year shows he’s still very much in the mix. While Wadhera isn’t sure if IPL 2025 will be his big breakout season, he’s currently focused on helping PBKS win as many games as possible, just like how he did against RCB on a tricky surface at the Chinnaswamy Stadium on April 18.
“I don’t know if this will be a breakthrough season for me or not. But I know that if I can win as many matches as possible for my team, which is my focus, then it can be a breakthrough season for me. I don’t go with the intention that I want to score 100 in this match or reach 200-250 for my team. Because if you think for so long, you end up not doing well, and I have been through this with myself.”
“When you think that you want to score 100, 150, or do anything, that is one of those days that you get to know after playing a couple of balls that yes, I am getting a good ball on my bat and I can actually take on the bowlers. So, I just go with the intent that the ball is in my range, I have practised well, and I will go for my shot. Out of 10, I know that it will be hit six nine times.”
“It is possible that I will get out once, but I have to back my shot if I have worked so hard for this. So, now is the time for me to showcase my hard work on this platform, and that is what I have been doing for the last three years. I will continue to do the same, as per the preparation that I have done, because the practice that I do is not that I just go to the nets, bat, and come back.”
“My practice is always specific, and it is not that I just hit balls in the air and get out 10 times in the nets, which doesn’t help you in the long term. I always count my runs and see how I can get a four or six and get a single. So, I just do the same thing in the match that I do in the nets. I try to do it more consistently so that my runs are consistently good in games,” he concluded.
–IANS
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