logo
Punjab Kings Star Takes Blame For IPL 2025 Final Loss: "Actual Captain Is..."

Punjab Kings Star Takes Blame For IPL 2025 Final Loss: "Actual Captain Is..."

NDTV11-06-2025
Punjab Kings batter Nehal Wadhera took the entire blame for his team's loss to Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 final. Wadhera emerged as one of the top performers for PBKS in the competition but failed to score big in the summit clash as he was dismissed for 15 runs off 18 balls. In a recent interaction, Wadhera opened up about the game and said that he failed to accelerate his innings at the right time - something that worked against his side.
"I totally blame myself. If I had played better at that time, we could have definitely won. I won't blame the pitch because RCB scored 190 runs. I think I was just taking the game deep, and I believe in finishing games by taking it deep. I think this was one of those days when I couldn't finish the game. When I had to accelerate in all the tournaments, whenever I accelerated, I think it paid off except for the last game."
"Some days, it doesn't click, and I think it was the same day when it didn't happen. But I don't have any regrets that I was taking the game deep, and that situation was fine because the wickets were falling, but I think I could have accelerated a little more, which I have learnt and analysed. I will do that in the future and that will help me and the team," Wadhera told Hindustan Times.
Wadhera was also all praise for PBKS skipper Shreyas Iyer and how he led the franchise in IPL 2025.
"You all have seen Shreyas' captaincy, but I think an actual captain is a leader, and his captaincy and leadership can be seen from off the field and the way he carries himself off the field. We have seen him closely in hotels, and we spend a lot of time together, and you also know the statements which he gives. I think he gave a statement which I liked a lot and I have seen that he applies it."
"I think the statement that he is giving and applying it in real life off the field I think his confidence goes up just like that. The way he behaves off the field, his attitude is reflected in the game and I think a good captain, his attitude, the way he speaks, the way he handles people, if he is good, he is automatically a good leader and I think he is a perfect example for that," the youngster said.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

India batter Veda Krishnamurthy announces retirement from professional cricket
India batter Veda Krishnamurthy announces retirement from professional cricket

India Today

timean hour ago

  • India Today

India batter Veda Krishnamurthy announces retirement from professional cricket

Former India middle-order batter Veda Krishnamurthy has announced her retirement from professional cricket on Friday, July 25. The 32-year-old put out a statement on her social media profile, thanking everyone who has been a part of her journey from teammates, coaches to her said in an emotional post that the game gave her everything and it was time bid farewell to playing cricket. However, the Karnataka batter said that she is ready to give back to the game and for team small-town girl with big dreams. From Kadur's quiet lanes to wearing the India jersey with pride. This game gave me everything joy, pain, purpose, and family. Today, I say goodbye to playing, but not to cricket. To my family , teammates, coaches, friends, and every supporter behind the scenes ,thank you. And to the fans ,your love, even from afar, meant more than you'll ever know." "Ready to give back to the game that gave me a life. I played with fire in my heart and pride in every step. Always for the team. Always for India," said Krishnamurthy. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Veda Krishnamurthy (@vedakrishnamurthy7)Known for her explosive batting in the middle-order, Krishnamurthy was part of the iconic Indian women's team squad that went to the final of the 2017 World Cup. In a career spanning 11 years, from 2011 to 2020, Krishnamurthy played 124 international matches, including 48 WODIs and 76 made her debut at the age of 18, and scored a sparkling 51 in her first match against England. She went on to play many crucial knocks for the Indian team, including her 45-ball 70 against Australia in the semi-final of the 2017 World Cup, which helped India reach the 32-year-old was a regular in India's T20I squad until the 2020 T20 World Cup final, which was her final international appearance. Krishnamurthy's last competitive game was for Gujarat Giants during the Women's Premier League against Royal Challengers Bengaluru. During her career, Krishnamurthy scored 829 ODI runs at an average of 25.90 and 875 in T20Is at 18.61.- Ends

Test cricket needs specialists, not part-time all-rounders: Manoj Tiwary questions Gautam Gambhir's approach
Test cricket needs specialists, not part-time all-rounders: Manoj Tiwary questions Gautam Gambhir's approach

Hans India

time2 hours ago

  • Hans India

Test cricket needs specialists, not part-time all-rounders: Manoj Tiwary questions Gautam Gambhir's approach

Kolkata: Former India batter Manoj Tiwary has raised sharp questions about Gambhir's strategy and over his selection policies and approach to red-ball cricket as India face England in the ongoing fourth Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar trophy at Old Trafford. India's narrow 22-run loss to England at Lord's, saw the team fall behind 1-2 in the ongoing Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy series. India, led by Shubman Gill, fought hard but faltered on the final day for the second time in the series, despite Ravindra Jadeja's valiant efforts. With this loss, Gambhir's record as India's head coach across formats stands at 13 matches, with just four wins, eight defeats, and one draw. Since his appointment in July 2024, India's Test ranking has slipped from No.1 to No.4, and they failed to qualify for the ICC World Test Championship 2025 final after a disappointing series loss in Australia. Tiwary questioned Gambhir's preference for all-rounders over specialist players, suggesting that such an approach is unsuited for the longest format. 'I have said it earlier also that Test match is a game of specialists but we're keeping them out and trusting all-rounders more,' Tiwary told IANS. 'Since the arrival of head coach (Gautam Gambhir), there is a pattern of dropping underperforming players from the squad and adding players from the outside. This we've seen in India-Zealand series, when we brought Washington Sundar from outside over Ashwin, who was in the squad. On Australia tour, we played Devdutt Padikkal and Harshit Rana. Now, Harshit is missing and not among favourites anymore as we're playing Anshul Kamboj in this Test.' The former India batter also emphasised the importance of backing players for longer durations instead of frequent chopping and changing. 'There is no stability and he is not able to trust his players for a long duration. His thinking of playing part-time all-rounders and winning a Test match is not possible. The players who have played for a long time, including me, I'm a strong believer of specialist players.' Tiwary highlighted tactical missteps, particularly India's decision to leave out wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav. "I feel that Kuldeep Yadav should have played this match and the last match. Wrist-spinner always get success against England and their batters can't pick them. I think we failed to exploit that,' he said, while also pointing out that 'our batters Sai Sudharsan, KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal failing to score beyond 50-60s also made things difficult for us.' Gambhir, one of India's finest batters between 2008 and 2011, built a reputation for grit and determination, scoring over 10,000 international runs and playing crucial knocks in both the 2007 T20 and 2011 ODI World Cup finals. As a leader, he inspired Kolkata Knight Riders to two IPL titles as captain and one as mentor, before stepping into the high-pressure role of India's head coach.

'I believe in overcoming challenges': Abhishek Nayar on becoming new UP Warriorz head coach
'I believe in overcoming challenges': Abhishek Nayar on becoming new UP Warriorz head coach

Time of India

time2 hours ago

  • Time of India

'I believe in overcoming challenges': Abhishek Nayar on becoming new UP Warriorz head coach

Mumbai : has moved to his next challenge in coaching life - and this time something totally different, considering his coaching resume so far. On Friday, the former India assistant coach, who is currently also the assistant coach of the Kolkata Knight Riders (2024 IPL champions), was named as the head coach of the Lucknow-based UP Warriorz - one of the five teams in the Women's Premier League. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Nayar is also the mentor of the Mumbai South Central Maratha Royals, the winners of T20 Mumbai League this year. He has also been a mentor & motivator to some of the top batters in India cricket-India's ODI captain Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer and Dinesh Karthik, who have credited Nayar with helping them transform their game. In an exclusive interview with TOI soon after his appointment for the job, Nayar, a former India and Mumbai all-rounder shares his vision for the Lucknow-based side and what he can bring to the table, especially in the light of his vast coaching experience. Excerpts This will be your first stint as head coach in a women's franchise league. What was it about the UP Warriorz project that made you say yes? You've played several roles across Indian cricket—what makes this one stand out? Well, I've been involved with them (in the past) in a very small capacity with regard to helping them with camps etc, so I just felt connected to the franchise anyways. When a team like UP Warriorz, with big ambitions but no title yet, comes calling—how do you approach that challenge as a coach? Is the title the benchmark, or is the process the priority? I like to keep things simple. I don't believe in expectations. I believe in overcoming challenges and winning a (WPL) trophy is going to be a challenge, so I'm hoping as a team collectively, we can overcome that challenge. You're taking over from Jon Lewis, who brought a strong international pedigree to the role. How do you plan to build on that foundation, while bringing in your own coaching ethos? Jon and I have worked together in a few camps and I enjoyed working with him and learnt a few things about coaching women cricketers. Every coach has his style and I have mine. Hopefully, the girls respond to my style and we can put up a good show. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now From Rohit Sharma and Dinesh Karthik to KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer, you've had a massive influence on many players' growth. What's the core of your coaching philosophy—and how will that translate into a franchise environment like the WPL? My coaching philosophy is simple: Serve the player and create an environment of high performance. I will try to stick to that, and then leave the rest to what's meant to be. How closely have you followed the evolution of women's cricket in India, especially since the WPL began? What excites you most about this ecosystem? I've commentated quite a bit on women's cricket and have been involved with the England women's team thanks to Jon Lewis (former England & UP Warriorz head coach) in running camps, so I have a fair idea with what's going on. Poll Do you believe that Abhishek Nayar can lead the UP Warriorz to their first WPL title? Yes, he has the experience No, it's too early to tell You've been involved in three title-winning campaigns in just the past 18 months—across different teams and formats. How have those experiences shaped your leadership style ahead of this new journey? Well, it's been an exciting 18 months for me as a coach. I had a rocky start, but along the way, the failure kind of taught me what it takes to succeed. Now, coaching involves a fair bit of luck and a lot of hard work. I won't fall short on the hard work and preparation bit. Hopefully, we have some luck going our way. You've often worked behind the scenes as a mentor, tactician, and motivator. Now as the front-facing head coach, how do you see your role evolving? Will your approach change at all? (Laughs). Well, a head coach is also behind the scenes. The sport is always about the players, never about a coach. I was, and will remain behind the scenes while the players (rightfully) take the centre-stage. You're a proud product of Mumbai cricket, where resilience and that 'khadoos' spirit is part of the DNA. Do you see yourself bringing that mindset into the UP Warriorz setup? Nope. I believe in trying to enhance a player's DNA for them to perform at a level higher than normal, which in turn serves the team's purpose, goal and vision. What I did and how I played has and never will be something I'll try and inculcate in the players. It's too short a time to do so. But hopefully, providing a structure and direction can create that outlook.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store