Nehal Wadhera, 24, was one of the standout players in the just finished Indian Premier League 2025. The Punjab Kings' fashionable uncapped batter had 28 boundaries and 21 sixes during his 16 games, amassing 369 runs at a strike rate of 145.85 and two half-centuries. Wadhera and the squad, sadly, fell short against Rajat Patidar's Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the final after his middle order performance did a lot to help the Punjab Kings get there. Wadhera only had one subpar performance throughout the entire competition, and unfortunately for the youngster, it occurred at the worst possible time: the championship game against RCB. The batter only managed 15 runs in 18 balls because he was unable to get into his zone.

Despite this, Wadhera may keep his chin up. During one of the IPL 2025 games, the middle-order batter, who initially caught everyone's attention when playing for the Mumbai Indians in the 2023 edition of the tournament, said that he had initially believed that he would not have a chance in the Playing XI. Ultimately, everything changed after a chat with Ricky Ponting, the head coach.

After being purchased by the franchise for INR 4.20 crore at the mega auction in November of last year, Wadhera lived up to PBKS's expectations. Wadhera established a strong Indian nucleus at PBKS with players like Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran Singh, giving the franchise cause for little concern for the upcoming IPL season.

A week after the IPL final, The Hindustan Times met with Nehal Wadhera, who discussed his personal development, his relationship with head coach Ponting, and the qualities that make Shreyas Iyer such an outstanding captain.

Excerpts:

The Punjab Kings stumbled in the very last inning. However, how do you perceive the entire campaign for yourself and PBKS?

We undoubtedly made it to the championship round. I believe that we have made significant progress after 11 years. Our campaign was excellent, even though the main outcomes were not in our favor. We were the team, in my opinion, that scored over 200 runs in seven games, and as a batting unit, we amassed 3000 runs in a single season. In my opinion, this is a significant accomplishment for us.

Overall, if we look at our whole season aside from the championship game, it was actually pretty good. We successfully defended 111 against KKR. One of the best games I've ever played, in my opinion. Additionally, our coach, the captain, and the entire team had a fantastic atmosphere. In the future, I believe you will see Punjab regularly qualify for and win competitions.

Because you didn't anticipate playing, you had disclosed that you only brought one kit bag for IPL 2025. How did you become aware of the fact that you would always be in the starting lineup?

In the second game, I didn't think I'd be a high-impact player. Fortunately, we were after the lead since we bowled first. In the middle, Ricky Ponting informed me that I would be the Impact Player. I only had one set of cricket gear, as I stated in the previous interviews. I just took one. Players usually take a spare one otherwise. As a result, I understood that this thing can occasionally help you even when you're not in that state.

You can tell that you are playing without restrictions. At the time, I believe that thing was beneficial to me. I wasn't under any pressure. I immediately approached him and said, "I need to offer him support." That game determined the championship. Ricky Ponting informed me that he wanted me to see the game through. I promised him I would do that. Following that, I began to play my natural game, which included punishing the loose balls.

Did you see a shift in the pitch during the second innings of the championship game?

I put all the fault on myself. We would have certainly won if I had played better back then. Given that RCB scored 190 runs, I won't hold the pitch responsible. I believe in ending games by taking it deep, and I believe that's all I was doing. This was one of those days when I just couldn't complete the game, in my opinion. I believe that every time I had to accelerate in every tournament, it was worth it, with the exception of the last game.

Some days, it just doesn't click, and I believe it was the same day that it didn't. I have no remorse for playing the game deep, and that scenario was okay because the wickets were falling, but I believe I could have sped things up a little bit, which I have learned and studied. In the future, I will do that, which will benefit both me and the team.

In the playing eleven, the Punjab Kings gave many uncapped players an opportunity. In this year's IPL, what helped you all succeed? Are you able to discuss the team's internal culture?

I don't believe it's fair to divide players into capped and uncapped categories. In my opinion, every player in the IPL is on par. Regardless of whether they are capped or not, all players strive to win and play well. Because our domestic cricket in India is so competitive, we don't feel like we're in a different league when we attend the IPL. There isn't really anything in particular, in my opinion.

None of our players thought in that way. These phrases—capped and uncapped players—are never used by anyone on the team. But ultimately, cricket is a game, and the only person who wins is the one who plays well on that given day. Everyone of us had a positive attitude. All we wanted was to succeed and give a good performance. The fact that we were facing a particular bowler or batsman did not matter to us.

The toast of the city is Shreyas Iyer. What makes him such a great leader?

Everyone has seen Shreyas' captaincy, but I believe a true captain is a leader, and his captaincy and leadership can be seen both on and off the field, as well as in the way he conducts himself. You are familiar with the statements he makes, and we have observed him in hotels up close and spent a lot of time with him. I've seen him put it into practice, and I really enjoyed the statement he gave. "You don't have to make yourself so much available for people that they start taking you for granted," he said in his statement.

His confidence, in my opinion, increases immediately when he makes and uses the claim in his off-field life. His conduct outside of the field mirrors his attitude in the game, and I believe that a good captain's attitude, the way he interacts with others, and the way he speaks are all indicative of his leadership abilities, and that he is an excellent illustration of this.

In Bangalore, on a difficult surface, would you consider your strike against RCB to be your greatest performance in the IPL 2025 season?

In fact, my best innings of the season was against RCB because I can honestly say that the pitch was challenging to bat on. The pressure was mounting on our squad at the time, and when I went to bat, I told the coach that I would end the game and relieve the pressure on the team. Without a doubt, my favorite innings were against the Rajasthan Royals and RCB. And the second one was excellent as well. The time we lost three wickets, in my opinion, was well compensated for by the speedup we made in that game.

After the conclusion of the IPL 2025, did you have the opportunity to chat with Virat Kohli?

I gave him my congratulations after the last round. The RCB players were overjoyed. I merely gave him my best wishes. I urged him to meet my parents and brothers, and I also asked him if he could have a photo taken with them. I didn't want to interrupt much because he earned the trophy after 18 years, and I felt he deserved to rejoice with his family and with his wife.

Ricky Ponting. What was it like to work with him? What kind of coach is he?

One of the greatest coaches I've ever collaborated with is Ricky Ponting, since he understands the pressure we're under given that he was a very successful cricketer. He has compassion for a player if their innings aren't going well. Because he has experienced what players go through, I believe he is aware of the appropriate language, discussions, and methods for speaking to the player and boosting his spirits.

He would consistently be the first to send a message to the WhatsApp group, saying, "Dinner is on me, and if anyone wants to have some dinner with me, come, you can join me." In spite of the fact that he had his family with him, I believe that he is placing such a high value on our players as a parent or as a family, telling them that "you can spend time with me, you can come in my room anytime dinner is on me". It demonstrates his value. Working with him was a blast.

Finally, I must ask you: Are T20 games becoming increasingly batter-friendly? The talk during the IPL 2025 season centered on which team would break the 300 barrier.

We didn't believe that we needed to achieve 300 points. On that day, the total of 300 has to be recorded. If you play without restraint, if you stick to your normal game, it will depend on the momentum. I don't believe you can claim it's turning into a batter's game. These bowlers, including Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, and Krunal Pandya, have been consistently outstanding.

I believe this game is balanced overall. It all comes down to your own mindset and self-assurance that you will perform well on any track you give me. In my opinion, there's nothing to blame. Ultimately, you have to deliver, and if you want to play for India, you have to stand out. Be the bowler who uses the chokehold and stands up if every other bowler is trying to score runs. Be the game-changer for your own club if other hitters aren't regularly putting runs on the board.