Jaipur (Rajasthan) [India]: After Punjab Kings (PBKS) posted a formidable total of 219/5 against Rajasthan Royals (RR) in their Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 match on Sunday, left-handed batter Nehal Wadhera attributed their consistent high scores to a positive mindset and clear planning from the team management.
The Shreyas Iyer-led PBKS has already notched up six 200-plus totals in just 12 matches this season, a testament to their aggressive batting approach.
“It was wonderful batting there today. I think Shreyas bhai and I both played well together. I think 220 is a very good score on this wicket,” Wadhera said in the mid-innings interview.
He credited the team’s attacking intent:
“The talks have been clear with the captain and coach. We have to punish the loose balls; that’s why we are scoring 200 runs frequently. That positive approach has helped us.”
Wadhera, who remained unbeaten on a career-best 70 off 37 balls, smashed five fours and five sixes, anchoring the innings after PBKS was reduced to 34/3 early on.
He praised his teammates’ contributions as well:
“Shashank and Omarzai played well towards the end. The way the players play in the nets, they play similarly in the game.”
Speaking about conditions in Jaipur, he added:
“It is quite hot today, but the surface is looking good. We have good bowlers, I am pretty sure we are going to nail this game.”
Shashank Singh also played a blistering knock, finishing with 59 off 30 balls*, including five boundaries and three sixes. Captain Shreyas Iyer and Azmatullah Omarzai provided vital contributions in the middle overs to rebuild the innings.
Before the match began, the Indian national anthem was played at the stadium in tribute to the nation’s armed forces. The IPL’s official X handle shared the moment with the caption:
“Grateful to the Armed Forces. Jai Hind.”
Link to video
The match comes after the BCCI suspended IPL 2025 for a week due to heightened cross-border tensions between India and Pakistan. On Monday, the board announced the tournament’s resumption and released the updated schedule for the remaining 17 fixtures.
The revised IPL 2025 schedule features:
- 17 matches
- 6 venues: Bengaluru, Delhi, Jaipur, Lucknow, Mumbai, and Ahmedabad
- 2 double-headers
- The final will be held on June 3 (originally scheduled at Eden Gardens, which has now been excluded from the list of host venues)