Nehal Wadhera on IPL 2025 debut: 'I only brought one kit because I was sure I wouldn't be in the XI'

Nehal Wadhera made an unexpected, but impactful, debut for Punjab Kings, scoring an unbeaten 43 off 25 balls to help secure an eight-wicket victory over Lucknow Super Giants in an Indian Premier League match in Lucknow on Tuesday (April 1). The left-handed batter's performance, which included three boundaries and four sixes, was particularly noteworthy as he was informed about his selection just moments before the game.
"I didn't know I would be playing. I only brought one kit because I was sure I wouldn't be in the XI. Normally, I carry two--one for batting and another for fielding. I even came in full sleeves," Wadhera revealed in the post-match press conference.

"Sometimes, things work in your favour. If I had known earlier, I might have overthought it...this was one of those days when I was lucky that I did not know that I would be playing, and it turned out to be lucky for me," he added.
"Ricky (Ponting) came up to me and said, 'If we bowl first, you'll be in the eleven.' I was a bit surprised and kept thinking, 'How can I be in the XI just because we're bowling first?' I thought maybe he made a mistake," Wadhera recalled.

"Once the playing XI was announced, I realized I was in. That's why I only started warming up around the 11th or 12th over, knowing I might have to field," he noted.
Lucknow Super Giants, batting first, struggled early at 35/3 but managed to post a competitive total thanks to Nicholas Pooran's 44 off 30 balls and Ayush Badoni's 41 off 33 balls. Abdul Samad contributed with a quick 27 off 12 balls.
Arshdeep Singh was the standout bowler for Punjab Kings, taking three wickets for 43 runs. Marco Jansen, Lockie Ferguson, Glenn Maxwell, and Yuzvendra Chahal also picked up wickets.

In the chase, Punjab Kings lost Priyansh Arya early for 8 runs. However, Prabhsimran Singh's explosive 69 off 34 balls, along with captain Shreyas Iyer's unbeaten 52 off 30 balls and Wadhera's 43 not out, guided the team to victory with 22 balls remaining.
Digvesh Rathi's bowling effort of 2/30 in four overs for Lucknow Super Giants proved insufficient to defend their total.
The victory propelled Punjab Kings to the second position in the points table with two wins in two matches, while Lucknow Super Giants dropped to sixth place with one win and two losses.