Nehal Wadhera was deep in conversation with Shreyas Iyer at the Wankhede Stadium ahead of Punjab Kings’ IPL clash against Mumbai Indians. 

The youngster, who has struggled for form with just 27 runs in three innings, was keen to pick his captain’s brain on rediscovering his rhythm.

Shreyas, known for his calm demeanour, listened patiently before offering a simple yet impactful piece of advice. “He told me to play without any pressure and said that, as captain, it’s his job to take the pressure,” Wadhera said.

“That tells you a lot about him as a leader. He enjoys the pressure, and you can see that in his performances and his batting,” he added.

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“It’s a big thing for a captain to say this to a player, that you just play your game, don’t worry about the results as I’m here to handle the pressure and take the team over the line. These are the kind of conversations we have in the dressing room.”

Wadhera also highlighted the positive environment fostered by head coach Ricky Ponting, crediting him for instilling confidence in the squad.

“He just speaks positively. He doesn’t have any negative words in his dictionary,” Wadhera said.

“Even if a player gets out, he focuses on the positives. A batter doesn’t fear failure because he knows he has the backing of the coach.”

With strong support from both captain and coach, Wadhera believes the environment within the Punjab Kings camp allows players the freedom to express themselves.

Published on Apr 15, 2026