'I Was Actually Shocked When...': Nehal Wadhera On Virat Kohli's 'Ice-Breaker' Which Left A Lasting Impression
Nehal Wadhera opens up on his interaction with Virat Kohli during the PBKS vs RCB match in IPL 2025.
The Punjab Kings’ middle-order batting star, Nehal Wadhera, opened up on his first big interaction with Virat Kohli, which shocked him, with the batting icon’s down-to-earth attitude leaving him shocked ahead of PBKS’s recent game against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
Speaking in an interview with the Press Trust of India (PTI), Wadhera recalled the heartwarming interaction ahead of the match, which made his day.
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“I was actually really shocked when, before the match, Virat bhai was standing out and talking to Shreyas Iyer, and asked in Punjabi ‘ki haal chaal, Nehal’ (how are you doing Nehal?)'" Wadhera shared.
“I wasn’t really expecting that he would remember my name. That made me really happy," he added.
During his stint with the Mumbai Indians, his previous franchise, Wadhera recalled his chat with former teammates where he had mentioned talking to Kohli as one of those things in his bucket list.
“Till last year, I used to tell a player — either it was Tilak (Varma) or Surya bhai (Suryakumar Yadav) — that I wanted to talk to Virat bhai once," said the former Mumbai Indians batter.
“That was the actual ice-breaker where I got to know that yes, Virat bhai knows my name, and I could actually go up to him and have a conversation," he commented.
Seeing Virat’s candid approach, this gave Wadhera the confidence to approach the batting icon and ask his opinion about his game.
Wadhera mentioned, “As soon as the match finished, I went up to him and asked, ‘Virat bhai, you have seen me for the last two years and this year — what do you think?'"
He concluded by saying, “It was really good talking to him and I enjoyed it a lot," the 24-year-old added. “His words reinforced my belief and helped me understand how to approach the game better."
Slotting in the middle-overs, Wadhera has proved to be an indispensable member of the PBKS batting unit and has showcased some fine knocks in the ongoing season. The franchise will hope that his interaction with Kohli helps push his game up to a new level and takes them deep into the tournament.
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