Punjab Kings batter Nehal Wadhera has revealed he had no idea he would be playing against the Lucknow Super Giants. The 24-year-old produced an unbeaten knock at the Ekana Cricket Stadium on April 1 to help PBKS secure their second win of the 2025 season. After the match, Wadhera claimed he didn’t know he was going to play until moments before the game. “I didn’t know I would be playing,” he said in the post-match press conference, as per multiple outlets. The top-order batter added that he only had one kit for the match. “I only brought one kit because I was sure I wouldn’t be in the XI. Normally, I carry two–one for batting and another for fielding. I even came in full sleeves,” he said. Wadhera’s debut for the Punjab Kings this season was unexpected but also impactful for the team. The left-handed batter anchored his team’s innings alongside his captain Shreyas Iyer. The 24-year-old batter smashed 43 runs off 25 deliveries as PBKS won by eight wickets. He hit three boundaries and four sixes in the game. While Wadhera’s inclusion in the line-up surprised him, the young batter was grateful to have performed for the Punjab Kings in Lucknow. “Sometimes, things work in your favour,” Wadhera said. “If I had known earlier, I might have overthought it…this was one of those days when I was lucky that I did not know that I would be playing, and it turned out to be lucky for me,” the young batter added. The first indication of Wadhera’s possibility of featuring in the playing XI came during the warm-up. Punjab Kings coach Ricky Ponting approached him and said he would be playing if PBKS bowled first. “Ricky came up to me and said, ‘If we bowl first, you’ll be in the eleven,’” he recalled. Wadhera initially felt there was some confusion but his doubts disappeared when the line-up was revealed. “I was a bit surprised and kept thinking, ‘How can I be in the XI just because we’re bowling first?’ I thought maybe he made a mistake…Once the playing XI was announced, I realized I was in,” he concluded. The surprise inclusion worked out perfectly well for Punjab Kings as they completed the chase with 3.4 overs remaining. Prabhsimran Singh was awarded the Player of the Match for his 34-ball 69. The 2014 finalists are now scheduled to play the Rajasthan Royals next on Saturday, April 5.