IPL 2025: Harpreet Brar Commends Nehal Wadhera's Performance Following Victory Against RCB

Bengaluru, April 19 (NationPress) The Punjab Kings extended their victorious streak in IPL 2025 by overcoming the Royal Challengers Bengaluru by five wickets at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on Friday during a rain-affected match. After the contest was curtailed to 14 overs, the Punjab Kings won the toss and chose to bowl first. The bowling attack for Punjab, featuring Arshdeep Singh, Marco Jansen, Yuzvendra Chahal, and Harpreet Brar, exploited the conditions skillfully, each claiming two wickets.

With Xavier Bartlett also contributing with a wicket, PBKS managed to restrict the opponents to just 95/9 in 14 overs, even though Tim David scored a half-century. Nehal Wadhera played a crucial role, remaining unbeaten with a score of 33 off 19 balls, aiding Punjab in achieving their target in 12.1 overs with five wickets left to spare.

During the post-match press conference, left-arm spinner Harpreet Brar shared insights on the decision to bowl first and commended Wadhera for his outstanding performance.

"No one had seen the wickets before. When the covers were lifted, our coaches, with their vast experience, realized the bowlers would gain an advantage from the surface. After winning the toss, our seamers and spinners capitalized on the conditions. Yuzvendra Chahal bowled exceptionally well, and I also secured two wickets. Batting on this surface was challenging. A total of 95 was commendable. The way Nehal Wadhera batted was remarkable. He remained calm and led us to victory," he remarked.

In addition, Punjab captain Shreyas Iyer also lauded the bowling unit, noting that his team adapted well to the conditions after opting to bowl.

"Honestly, we were uncertain about how the wicket would behave, but I believe the bowlers adapted effectively. In a conversation with Arshdeep, he mentioned that hitting hard length deliveries was particularly tough on this wicket, as I didn’t notice any sixes hit off fast bowlers down the ground. That was the consensus, and they executed it brilliantly," Iyer stated during the post-match presentation.

Iyer further praised Chahal, who recorded impressive figures of 2-11 in his three overs that night, calling him the "best bowler in the IPL." "I personally spoke with Chahal and told him he is a match-winner who needs to strive for wickets. He shouldn’t play it safe, as he possesses the ability to bounce back. That’s what we admire about him as a leg-spinner. He is probably the best bowler in the IPL thus far," he added.

Moreover, Brar commended Wadhera for his excellent batting display and discussed how the 24-year-old has matured over the years. "Nehal is an exceptional player. He has been part of the IPL for the last 2-3 years and has been pivotal for Punjab in domestic cricket. He performed admirably in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy knockout stages. He has shown great potential from the start and also excelled for the India U-19 team. His contributions here make us proud as seniors," he remarked.

The 29-year-old Brar emphasized that Nehal made the chase significantly easier for Punjab on a challenging batting surface. "Given the nature of the wicket, this was not a high-scoring game. The caliber of bowlers in the IPL made it tough. The manner in which Nehal batted and hit boundaries simplified the game for us," he concluded.

The Punjab Kings are set to face RCB again in the reverse fixture at the New PCA Stadium, New Chandigarh on Sunday.