He scored 369 runs in 16 matches of the IPL 2025.
Punjab Kings (PBKS) youngster Nehal Wadhera has opened up about suggestion that he received in his under-19 days which helped him to fit in his role during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. The batter has acknowledged an advice from the former player Rahul Dravid, which has helped him to succeed in the cash-rich league.
The 24-year-old recalled an incident during his initial days, when the Team India coach Dravid stated to the youngsters that one should not fix himself while playing in a single batting position if the batter aspires to represent the nation in the future.
“When I was with the India U-19 team, Rahul Dravid was our coach. He said — there’s no fixed number for a middle-order player. If you want to play for India, you must know how to bat at four, five and six,” he said in an interview with News 18.
The batter elaborated on how the invaluable suggestion helped him to become versatile with his batting positions. Wadhera mentioned that it also helped him during his recent stint with the IPL 2025 runners-up PBKS.
“That stuck with me. I knew going into the IPL that I wouldn’t get my favourite spot. Just making it into the playing XI was a big achievement,” explained Wadhera.
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Notably, the youngster was acquired by Punjab for INR 4.20 crore, after his two-year stint with the Mumbai Indians (MI). He batted in various positions throughout the tournament and scored 369 runs. The 24-year-old also hit two half-centuries in 16 matches this season. The 41-ball-62 against Rajasthan Royals and the match-winning 33-run knock off just 19 balls against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), in a tricky M. Chinnaswamy wicket, are two of his notable knocks from this edition of the IPL.
Shreyas Iyer-led PBKS came so close to finally ending their 17-year-long drought for the elusive IPL title but missed getting their hands on it by a whisker. They had finished the league stage at the top of the points table after a stellar campaign with nine wins in 14 matches.
However, they stumbled against RCB in Qualifier 1 and couldn’t finalise a direct entry into the IPL 2025 Final. But the Men in Red staged a stunning comeback against the five-time IPL champions and the Eliminator-winner MI to knock them out in Qualifier 2.
However, they once again couldn’t overcome the challenges posed by RCB on their way to claiming the maiden IPL trophy and eventually lost the ultimate clash by six runs. Nevertheless, the team has built a strong squad and will look to end the title drought soon in the next season.
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