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"Virat Bhaiya Called Me Over": Nehal Wadhera Opens Up About Viral IPL Moment With India Great

Rajgeeta Yadav

Nehal Wadhera Shares His Special Moment [Source: @DipakBaidya_45/X.com]Nehal Wadhera Shares His Special Moment [Source: @DipakBaidya_45/X.com]

Young Punjab Kings batter Nehal Wadhera made headlines in IPL 2025 not just for his performance, but also for a heartwarming moment with Indian cricket legend Virat Kohli.

In a recent interview with CricketNext, Wadhera spoke about his most unforgettable moment this season, when Kohli walked up to him before a match and praised his batting improvement. 

Nehal Wadhera Recalls A Special Moment With Virat Kohli

The moment happened before Punjab Kings’ match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Talking about it, Nehal said,

That was our first match against RCB this season. Virat bhaiya was with Shreyas Iyer near our dressing room. He called me over and greeted me in Punjabi. After the game, I asked him if he noticed any improvement in my batting. Last to last season, he’d given me some advice, and I’d worked on it. He said, 

“Yes, you’re more composed now. You know where and when to hit." For someone like me—just three IPL seasons in—it meant the world to get that encouragement from a legend like him."

Nehal Wadhera’s IPL Journey So Far

Nehal Wadhera started his IPL journey in 2023 when Mumbai Indians bought him for ₹20 lakh in the mini-auction. In his debut season, he scored 241 runs in 10 matches with an impressive strike rate of 145.18. He even hit two fifties, including a solid knock of 64 off 51 balls against Gujarat Titans.

In 2024, MI retained him, and he continued to show promise, scoring 109 runs in 6 matches. One of his key performances that year was a 49 off 24 balls under pressure against Rajasthan Royals.

Things changed big time for Nehal in the IPL 2025 mega-auction. Punjab Kings went all out and picked him for ₹4.2 crore after a bidding war with Chennai Super Kings and Gujarat Titans, a proud moment for the Punjab-based player.

In the 2025 season, Nehal truly stepped up. He scored 369 runs in 16 innings at a strike rate of 145.85, including two half-centuries. The 24-year-old proved that he’s not just a young talent, but a rising star to watch out for.