Latest news with #Wadhera
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Business Standard
30-06-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
MobiKwik names Saurabh Dwivedi CTO, promotes Dhruv Wadhera to SVP
Fintech firm MobiKwik has appointed Saurabh Dwivedi as the company's Chief Technology Officer (CTO), tasked with leading engineering across payments, financial services, core platform, infrastructure, and information security (InfoSec). The company also announced the promotion of Dhruv Wadhera to Senior Vice President (SVP) for offline payments. Wadhera has headed the firm's offline payments vertical since June 2023. The CTO appointment comes as the Gurugram-based company intensifies its focus on artificial intelligence. 'As we scale new heights, it's vital we have strong leaders at the helm of both technology and distribution. Both Saurabh and Dhruv have demonstrated the acumen to serve our users with excellence, build with foresight, and lead with integrity,' said Bipin Preet Singh, Co-founder, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), MobiKwik. Dwivedi has previously worked with companies such as MakeMyTrip, American Express (India), and Satyam Computer Services. 'My focus will be on building a unified yet flexible infrastructure that serves diverse businesses at different stages of maturity, while maintaining reliability and innovation for our users,' he said. Wadhera earlier worked with food aggregator platform Zomato as Vice-President – Sales Director with complete P&L ownership. 'The offline payments space presents an enormous opportunity to empower SMEs and MSMEs across Bharat who are at the heart of India's digital transformation journey,' he said.
News18
21-06-2025
- Sport
- News18
‘Virat Kohli Noticing My Improvement Meant The World to Me'
Last Updated: Wadhera reflects on his breakout IPL 2025, sharing how Dravid's lessons, Iyer and Ponting's faith, and Kohli's praise shaped his fearless batting and hunger to excel. At just 24, Nehal Wadhera has emerged as one of Indian cricket's brightest young stars, propelled by a standout IPL 2025 campaign with Punjab Kings. In a freewheeling chat with Wadhera credits his fearless left-handed batting and adaptability as a floater to lessons from his India U-19 days under Rahul Dravid, who emphasised the importance of versatility in the middle order. His electrifying 70 against Rajasthan Royals showcased his knack for seizing momentum, a performance made possible by the confidence shown by captain Shreyas Iyer and coach Ricky Ponting. A memorable highlight of the season was Virat Kohli greeting him in Punjabi and praising his composure—an endorsement that left a lasting impact. IPL is still fresh in everyone's mind. You came into Punjab Kings with high expectations and played the floater role—a tough one, since your entry point varies game to game. What was it like mentally preparing for that role? Talking about the floater role, I've always found myself in similar situations, even during domestic cricket. When I was with the India U-19 team, Rahul Dravid was our coach. He once asked someone, 'What's your favorite position to bat?" The player answered, 'Middle order." Then Dravid asked, 'What does a middle-order batsman mean?" The reply was, 'Number four, five, or six." Dravid said, 'There's no fixed number for a middle-order player. If you want to play for India, you must know how to bat at four, five, and six." That stuck with me. I knew going into the IPL that I wouldn't get my favourite spot. Just making it into the playing XI was a big achievement. I prepared with that mindset—wherever I bat, I must perform. Back home, I practiced situations like 30 for 4, 120 for 2, etc. I knew which bowlers to target, when and how to attack. That preparation gave me the confidence to bat at any position. Preparation is one thing, but execution is another. Your 70 against Rajasthan Royals was a highlight. What was going through your mind during that innings, especially when you accelerated? A player can only play such innings when he has the confidence of the coach and captain. They gave me that confidence and told us not to fear getting out. That takes the fear of failure away and brings out your best. In that game, I came in around the fifth over, hit a couple of early boundaries, and my momentum picked up. The bowlers bowled into my arc so that I could free my arms. I didn't set out to play that kind of innings—it just flowed. My bat felt in sync, and I made the most of it. Throughout the season, you often came in to counter spin and accelerate in the middle overs. Did you have to make any tactical adjustments for that? Most Indian players are good at playing spin because of the tough domestic pitches. In the Ranji Trophy, we get rank turners where even reading the ball is hard. That builds adaptability. The quality of spinners in the domestic circuit is high, even among players who aren't in the national team. So, we get tested constantly. That experience helped me adjust tactically in the IPL. Let's talk about that viral moment before the RCB game—Virat Kohli walking up to you. That must have been surreal. What was that like? That was our first match against RCB this season. Virat bhaiya was with Shreyas Iyer near our dressing room. He called me over and greeted me in Punjabi. After the game, I asked him if he noticed any improvement in my batting. Last to last season, he'd given me some advice, and I'd worked on it. He said, 'Yes, you're more composed now. You know where and when to hit." For someone like me—just three IPL seasons in—it meant the world to get that encouragement from a legend like him. Did you get a bat from him? Everyone seems to! (laughs) No, I don't ask for bats. It's a personal thing for players. I'm not one of those. Coming back to Punjab Kings. You were with Mumbai Indians for two years. What was different between the MI setup and PBKS? Every franchise has its own culture, but the way I was treated in MI and PBKS was the same—very supportive. The main difference was my role. In MI, there were big names like Rohit Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Tim David, Cameron Green and Jasprit Bumrah. It was hard to break in. But in Punjab, I felt more responsibility. Players like me, Prabhsimran [Singh], Shashank [Singh], and Harpreet Brar hadn't played internationally yet. We had that hunger to prove ourselves. That energy drove us to give 100%. Shreyas Iyer played a big role too—on and off the field. Anything specific that made you look up to him as a leader? I saw an interview where he said, 'Don't make yourself so available that people take you for granted." That line hit me. On the field, I saw that same discipline. Off the field, too, he was focused—diet, routine, everything. Even on flights, he'd carry his own food. That level of commitment reflected in his captaincy. And what about Ricky Ponting—another legend. Any special moment with him? Ponting sir never made you feel like he was a World Cup-winning captain. Despite his aggressive on-field image, he was the happiest guy off it. After the final, I wasn't in a great mood. He asked me if I was coming to the team get-together. I said no. He said, 'You should be the first one there." That's the kind of support he gives you. He brings the best out of every player. Let's go back to that final. After the match, you took responsibility for the loss. What was your mindset then? People talked about pressure, but I didn't feel it that way. I wanted to take the game deep, but I ended up playing too many dot balls. I wasn't able to finish. Yes, if I had batted better, we could have won. It was just one of those days. This IPL season has been a breakout one for you. What are your short-term and long-term goals? My immediate goal is to do well in the domestic season and help Punjab win a trophy. After that, if India A or any other opportunity comes, I want to be ready. I want to be an even better player than I was this IPL and represent India one day. top videos View all Finally, Shubman Gill. You've known him since your junior days. Now he's India's Test captain. What do you think of him as a leader? We've played under-16 together and trained at Punjab camps. I think he has all the qualities of a good captain. We haven't been in touch much since he started playing for India, but I know he'll lead well. I truly believe that. About the Author Vineet Ramakrishnan Vineet R, an accomplished sports journalist with over 13 years of experience in digital media, currently serves as the Associate Editor - Sports at CricketNext and News18 Sports. With a specialization in More Get latest Cricket news, live score and match results on News18. Download the News18 App to stay updated! tags : From the press box ipl IPL 2025 Nehal Wadhera PBKS Punjab Kings ricky ponting shreyas iyer Shubman Gill Virat Kohli Location : New Delhi, India, India First Published: June 21, 2025, 07:00 IST News cricket Nehal Wadhera EXCLUSIVE | 'Virat Kohli Noticing My Improvement Meant The World to Me'
NDTV
11-06-2025
- Sport
- NDTV
Punjab Kings Star Takes Blame For IPL 2025 Final Loss: "Actual Captain Is..."
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.
India.com
10-06-2025
- Sport
- India.com
Punjab youngster in Preity Zinta's PBKS takes blame for IPL 2025 final loss, he is…
Punjab Kings (PBKS) recently suffered a close defeat by 6 runs against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the IPL 2025 final. In the final, RCB scored 190/9, in response to which Punjab's team could only score 184 runs for the loss of 7 wickets. PBKS' 24-year-old batsman Nehal Wadhera scored 15 runs in 18 balls, including a six, at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Wadhera, who came to bat at number five, was sent to the pavilion by experienced fast bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar in the 17th over, after which PBKS started lagging behind in the title match. Nehal Wadhera has now blamed himself for the defeat in the final and called it his biggest mistake. In an interview with Hindustan Times, when Wadhera was asked if the pitch had changed in the second innings of the final, the batsman replied. The batsman replied, "I completely blame myself. If I had played better at that time, we could have definitely won. I will not blame the pitch because RCB scored 190 runs. I think I was taking the game deep." Wadhera further said, "I believe in taking the game deep and finishing it. I think it was one of those days when I could not finish the match." He further said, "Whenever there was a need to increase the pace in the tournament, I did so. However, I benefited from it except the last game." Expressing his disappointment, Nehal said, "Some days it does not click and I think this was the day when it did not happen." Wadhera spoke about his game and said, "But I don't regret that because I was taking the game deep. It was okay according to the situation because wickets were falling." He admitted his mistake and said, "But I think I could have played a little faster, which I have learned and analyzed." Nehal Wadhera expressed his commitment for the future and said, "I will do this in the future and it will help me and the team." This shows that he is committed to learning from his mistakes and performing better in the next season.
Hindustan Times
10-06-2025
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
Nehal Wadhera 'totally blames' himself for Punjab Kings' defeat to RCB in IPL final: 'If only I could have accelerated…'
Nehal Wadhera, 24, emerged as one of the most standout performers in the recently concluded Indian Premier League 2025. The stylish uncapped batter scored 369 runs in 16 games for Punjab Kings, striking the ball at 145.85, smashing two half-centuries and smacking 28 boundaries and 21 sixes. His performance in the middle order went a long way in ensuring Punjab Kings' path to the final, where unfortunately for Wadhera and the team, they fell short against Rajat Patidar's Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Wadhera had just one bad outing in the entire tournament, and sadly for the youngster, it came when it mattered the most – the final against RCB. The batter couldn't quite find his mojo, managing 15 runs off 18 balls. Still, Wadhera can hold his head high. The middle-order batter, who first garnered attention while playing for the Mumbai Indians in the 2023 edition of the tournament, had revealed during one of the IPL 2025 games that he initially thought that he wouldn't get a chance in the Playing XI. Eventually, a conversation with head coach Ricky Ponting changed it all around. Wadhera repaid PBKS's faith after being bought by the franchise for INR 4.20 crore at the mega auction last November. With the likes of Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran Singh, Wadhera formed a solid Indian core at PBKS, ensuring that the franchise doesn't have to worry much for the next IPL edition. The Hindustan Times caught up with Nehal Wadhera a week after the IPL final, where he spoke about how he sees his own growth, the bond with head coach Ponting, and what makes Shreyas Iyer such a great leader. Definitely, we reached the finals. After 11 years, I think it's a huge achievement for us. The key results didn't go in our favour but if we talk about the campaign, it was really good. I think we were the team that scored more than 200 runs in 7 matches, and as a batting group, we scored 3000 runs in just one season. I think it's a huge achievement for us. Overall, apart from the finals, if we look at our entire season, it was really good. We defended a total of 111 against KKR. I think that was one of the best games I have ever played. Along with that, the atmosphere of the team, the captain, and our coach was amazing. I think, in the coming years, you will see Punjab consistently qualify for and win tournaments. I didn't feel like I would play as an impact player in the second game. Luckily, we bowled first, and we were chasing. In the middle, Ricky Ponting told me that I would be the Impact Player. As I said in the earlier interviews, I just had my one cricket kit. I only took one. Otherwise, players usually take a spare one. So, from there, I knew that sometimes, this thing helps you when you are not in that zone. You know that you are playing freely. I think that thing helped me at that time. There was no pressure on me. I went straight to him, and I was like, I have to give him support. The championship was set in that game. Ricky Ponting told me that he wanted me to finish the game. I told him that I would do that. After that, I started playing my natural game. I used to punish the loose balls. 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. I don't think you can say that there are uncapped or capped players. I think all the IPL players are equally good. All the players, whether capped or uncapped, play to win and to perform well. Our Indian domestic cricket is so good that when we go to the IPL, we don't feel like we are in a different league because our domestic cricket is so competitive. I don't think there is anything specific. Neither did any of our players think like that. Nobody within the team talks about these terms - capped and uncapped players. But at the end of the day, cricket is a game and the one who does well on that day only wins. We were all positive. We just wanted to win and perform well. We didn't care about which bowler we were playing or which batter we were bowling to. 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. The statement he gave was, 'You don't have to make yourself so much available for people that they start taking you for granted'. 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. Yes, actually my favourite innings this year was against RCB because I can say that it was a difficult track to bat. At that time, the pressure was building on our team, and when I went to bat, I told the coach I would finish the game, and I will take all the pressure off the team. My personal favourite innings were definitely against RCB and Rajasthan Royals. The latter one was also very good. I think that time we lost 3 wickets and the acceleration that we did in that game was also good. I congratulated him after the final. The RCB players were really happy. I just congratulated him, and that's it. He met my parents and my brothers, and I requested him to meet them and asked him whether he could get a picture taken with them. He won the trophy after 18 years, and I think he deserved to celebrate with his family and with his wife, so I didn't want to interrupt much. Ricky Ponting is one of the best coaches with whom I have worked because a cricketer who has been so successful in his game, he knows the pressure we are playing with. If your innings is not going well, he has that empathy for a player. He knows what a player goes through so I think he knows the right words, the right conversations, how to talk to the player and keep his morale up. He would always he would be the first one to text on the WhatsApp group, saying, 'Dinner is on me, and if anyone wants to have some dinner with me, come, you can join me'. Even his family was with him, but still, I think as a parent or as a family, he is giving so much importance to our players, he is saying 'you can spend time with me, you can come in my room anytime dinner is on me'. This speaks really highly about him. I really enjoyed working with him. We didn't think that we had to score 300. The day the total of 300 has to be scored will happen on that day. It depends on the momentum, if you play freely, if you keep playing your natural game. If you talk about it becoming a batter's game, I don't think you can say that. Bowlers like Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah and Krunal Pandya, these bowlers have been performing well consistently. I think this is an equally paced game. I think you just have to believe in yourself that whatever track you give me I will do well in it. It's all about your own mindset and your own belief. I think I don't think you can blame anything. At the end of the day, you have to perform, and if you want to play for India, you have to stand out. If all bowlers are going for runs, be that bowler who applies the chokehold and stands up. If other batters are not scoring consistently, then be the game-changer for your own team.
