CHENNAI: Knowing that you are good rather than just being good, and retaliating at the right time after soaking up the pressure have been imperative to Nehal Wadhera's success with Punjab Kings in this IPL season.
From being a floater with Mumbai Indians, this year, he has been the designated middle-order batter for Punjab and Wadhera showed why he could be successful in the role during the clash against Royal Challengers Bengaluru last week. Coming in at 52/3 in a tricky chase of 96, Wadhera smashed an unbeaten 19-ball 33 to take his team across the line in the rain-curtailed encounter.
Recounting that knock during a media interaction, the youngster said how he wants to thrive under pressure for it is the only way forward. "(Before coming to bat) The coach (Ricky Ponting) came to me and he told me that 'Nihal, we just need to run a ball. You can just go easy. But as soon as I went inside, I felt that RCB had put a lot of pressure on us at that time. So, I thought that now that I have come inside, it was my responsibility to give that pressure back to the RCB bowlers," said the 24-year old. "I have understood that those who have won matches in tough situations have played for India. You know, match winners get to play for India. And it was a very good opportunity for me to prove myself," he added.
It was an innings that earned him the plaudits from many, including the likes of Virat Kohli. While Wadhera has always held his own in the middle, it was a net stint against Jofra Archer (during his time in MI) that gave him a sense of understanding how good he is. "When I had my first year for MI, I wasn't even expecting to play in the first XI. But I really felt that I could make it (the playing XI). When I batted a ball off Archer from there, that was where I had that self confidence. As they say, it's not about being good, but it's about knowing that you are good. This plays a very important role," he said.
This attests to his statistics in the two years he has spent with the franchise. His role, as a floater, saw him score 241 runs including two fifties in the first season.
However, with lean opportunities, he scored only 106 runs with a high score of 49 in the second season. "When I made my debut, the batting lineup that you are talking about, I definitely knew from the inside that I couldn't have a fixed position in that team because all the internationals are playing there and all of them are very experienced. I have prepared like this since my childhood. I don't have a fixed order," he said.
