Speaking at the post-match press conference, left-arm spinner Harpreet Brar explained the reason behind his side electing to bowl and praised Wadhera for his match-winning knock
Harpreet Brar bowls during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 cricket match between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Punjab Kings at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, in Bengaluru, Karnataka. Pic/PTI
Punjab Kings extended their winning streak in IPL 2025 with a clinical five-wicket victory over Royal Challengers Bengaluru in a rain-affected contest at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on Friday. The match, reduced to 14 overs per side due to inclement weather, saw Punjab opt to bowl first after winning the toss.
Their bowling unit, featuring Arshdeep Singh, Marco Jansen, Yuzvendra Chahal, and Harpreet Brar, capitalised on the conditions to great effect, each claiming two wickets. Xavier Bartlett chipped in with one as well, helping restrict RCB to a modest total of 95/9. Despite Tim David’s resilient half-century, Bengaluru never truly found momentum.
Chasing 96, Nehal Wadhera anchored the innings with a composed unbeaten 33 off 19 deliveries, guiding Punjab Kings home in just 12.1 overs with five wickets in hand.
Addressing the media after the game, left-arm spinner Harpreet Brar elaborated on the rationale behind choosing to bowl first and heaped praise on Wadhera for his decisive contribution.
“No one had seen the wickets before. When the covers were lifted, our coaches were so experienced, that they knew that the bowlers would get help from the surface. After we won the toss, our seamers and spinners took help from the wicket. Yuzvendra Chahal bowled well, and I also took two wickets. It was not easy to bat on this surface. 95 was a good total on the surface. The way Nehal Wadhera batted was commendable. He stuck to the end and won the game for us,” Brar said.
Punjab Kings skipper Shreyas Iyer echoed similar sentiments, praising the bowling unit’s adaptability and execution after being put to the test on an unpredictable surface.
“To be honest, we did not know how the wicket was going to play and I personally feel the bowlers they adapted according to it. When I had a chat with Arshdeep, he said, the hard length balls were very difficult to hit on this wicket because I did not see a single six off a fast bowler hit down the ground. That was the chatter going around and they were fantastic in executing it,” Iyer said during the post-match presentation.
Iyer also singled out Yuzvendra Chahal for his stellar spell of 2 for 11 in three overs, going as far as calling him the best bowler in the tournament.
“Personally I had a chat with Chahal. I told him you are a match winner and you need to get us wickets as much as possible. You don’t need to be safe in your approach and he has got the capability of bouncing back. That is what we appreciate of him as a leggie. Probably he is the best bowler in the IPL so far,” he added.
Returning to Wadhera’s match-winning display, Brar commended the 24-year-old’s development over the years and the maturity he has shown at the crease.
“Nehal is a very good player. He has been playing IPL for the past 2-3 years. He has been a key player for Punjab in the domestic circuit. He played really well in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy knockout games. He has been a really good player from the start. He also played well for India U-19 team. When he is scoring runs here, so as a senior, it makes us really proud,” said Brar.
The 29-year-old further emphasized how Wadhera’s fluent strokeplay made light work of what could have been a tricky chase.
“As per the wicket, this is no scoring match. The level of bowlers in IPL, it was a difficult game. The way Nehal batted and scored boundaries made the game easy for us,” he concluded.
Punjab Kings will face RCB again in the reverse fixture, set to take place at the New PCA Stadium in New Chandigarh on Sunday.
(With inputs from PTI)
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