Punjab Kings scripted an unforgettable IPL 2025 campaign, finishing atop the league stage standings and ending their long playoff drought. Under the leadership of Shreyas Iyer, the team not only made it to the playoffs for the first time since 2014 but also stormed into the final—only the second time in their history. Despite a spirited run, they fell short in the summit clash, ending as runners-up after a narrow defeat to Royal Challengers Bangalore.
In the final at Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium, Punjab managed to restrict RCB to what looked like a chaseable total of 191. But the Kings faltered under pressure, finishing at 184/7 after 20 overs. For young middle-order batter Nehal Wadhera, the loss was personal.
Nehal Wadhera, who played a crucial role throughout the season, took accountability for the defeat, admitting he had mistimed his approach in the big game. “I totally blame myself,” the 24-year-old told the Hindustan Times. “If I had played better at that time, we could’ve definitely won. I won’t blame the pitch—RCB made 190, so it was gettable.”
WATCH – Aiden Markram’s Spectacular Catch Sends Cameron Green Packing in WTC Final
Batting cautiously, Nehal Wadhera scored 15 off 18 balls before falling to veteran Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Reflecting on his approach, he said, “I was trying to take the game deep. I usually believe in finishing matches that way. But that day, I couldn’t get the job done. In most games this season, acceleration worked for me, but not in the final.”
He finished the tournament with 369 runs at a strike rate of 145.84 and sees the experience as a valuable learning curve.
“There are days when things don’t click. I don’t regret taking the game deep, but I’ve realized I needed to accelerate earlier. That’s something I’ll apply going forward—for my growth and the team’s success.”
WATCH – Australia Cricketers Rev Up with Oscar Piastri at McLaren Ahead of WTC Final Clash
Despite the heartbreak, Wadhera sees the bigger picture. “Reaching the final after 11 years is a big achievement. We scored 200-plus seven times and amassed 3000 runs as a unit. That shows the quality of our batting. The result hurt, but the campaign was something to be proud of.”
