Last updated: April 6, 2025

Former Mumbai Indians Coach Heaps Praise on Punjab Kings’ Young Sensation

He didn’t play in Punjab Kings’ opening game against Gujarat Titans.

Former Mumbai Indians (MI) head coach Mark Boucher praised a Punjab Kings’ (PBKS) batting sensation after his heroics last night. Nehal Wadhera earned massive accolades from numerous experts after his innings, and Boucher is one of them who is in awe of his superior mindset and skill set.

On ESPNcricinfo’s TIMEOUT segment, Boucher exclaimed that Wadhera is the kind of player who likes a good challenge. He claimed that the PBKS batter has a big future ahead, a massive statement by the former South African.

“You talk about winners, winners wanting the ball all the time. He wants to be in those tough situations. So, in a game like today, where you lose a couple of wickets, he would have wanted that situation really badly. You saw him getting nice and fired up there with Glenn Maxwell as well. He would have really enjoyed that moment; that’s where he really thrives. So, you know, he’s got a big future ahead of him.”

Wadhera didn’t play in Punjab Kings’ opening game against Gujarat Titans (GT) but has done well in the next two outings. He remained unbeaten on 43 against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and compiled a brilliant 62 last night under immense pressure, though PBKS lost the fixture.

MI Coach Didn’t Use Nehal Wadhera Well

While Boucher is impressed with Wadhera’s expertise, he failed to use him well as the head coach of the Mumbai Indians in the previous cycle. MI bought him for INR 20 Lakh in the IPL 2023 auction but didn’t give him enough opportunities in the 2024 season.

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Despite knowing his abilities as a batter, MI gave him six matches only. He scored 109 runs at an average of 18.16 and a strike rate of 129.76, including a best of 49. Even when he got matches to play, Wadhera consistently batted at No.6 or below last season.

This didn’t allow him to unfurl his true batting worth; on average, he faced only 14 balls per innings in IPL 2024. It’s not that other batters were in great form either. MI were languishing at the bottom of the table for most of the season.

From his latest statement, it’s clear that Boucher rates him highly, but not giving him enough chances was a tactical mistake. Wadhera’s superior capabilities against spinners would have been handy for MI, who collectively scored only 8.34 runs per over against slow bowlers in 2024.

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