PBKS batter Nehal Wadhera highlights importance of pre-season camp ahead of domestic campaign

NEW CHANDIGARH: Punjab Kings (PBKS) batter Nehal Wadhera has highlighted the importance of the franchise’s pre-season camp in New Chandigarh, saying the initiative has provided players with an ideal platform to prepare for the upcoming domestic season as well as the next edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

The 25-year-old left-handed batter described the camp as an important initiative, highlighting the gap between the IPL and the domestic calendar and the need for high-quality, competitive practice.

PBKS commenced a five-day off-season training camp in New Chandigarh on August 11, with the programme set to run until August 15. The current batch includes six players — Prabhsimran Singh, Shashank Singh, Harpreet Brar, Pyla Avinash, Praveen Dubey, and Nehal Wadhera.

“I think, first of all, it’s a very great initiative by Punjab Kings because the timeline between IPL and the domestic season is like two to three months. So I think we get good preparation because if we are in our hometowns, we don’t get that much competition or competitive, I would say, practice,” Wadhera said.

Nehal Wadhera was part of PBKS fitness camp in Chandigarh.

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According to Wadhera, training alongside teammates and coaches in a professional environment creates a significant difference in a player’s preparation. The pre-season camp is being conducted under the supervision of the franchise’s coaching group, with Trevor Gonsalves leading the programme at the venue.

“We do practice there as well, but once you’re in that zone, once you’re among those people, obviously it feels really good. We always have something to learn from the other players and also the coaches. We are surrounded by the best. So that environment makes a lot of difference before entering into our domestic seasons, before entering into the IPL,” he said.

The PBKS batter added that the camp allows players to prepare for various match situations and address potential weaknesses before the season begins. “So I think every aspect of the game, the scenarios which we might anticipate which will happen in the games, will be covered during the pre-season camp,” he added.

Reflecting on Punjab Kings’ disappointing IPL 2026 campaign, Wadhera admitted that the team was unable to maintain the momentum it had built during the early stages of the tournament. PBKS endured a disappointing end to their IPL 2026 campaign, finishing fifth in the standings after registering seven victories in 14 matches.

Led by captain Shreyas Iyer and head coach Ricky Ponting, the franchise enjoyed an impressive start and spent a significant period at the top of the table before a slump in the latter half of the season saw them narrowly miss out on a playoff berth. “I mean, yes, we initially started really well, but later on, we didn’t capitalise on it that well. And the whole squad, all the coaches, were on the same page that we knew that we were not doing well,” Wadhera said.

He further revealed that the players and support staff regularly analysed their shortcomings and attempted to rectify them during the competition, but the results did not always go in their favour. “We were trying to learn from our mistakes. But when we had to execute that, we were trying to execute what we could do better, but it was still not turning out our way,” he said.

The left-handed batter also acknowledged his own struggles during the season, saying that despite giving his best, things did not unfold as he had hoped. “I was trying to put my best foot forward, but unfortunately those things weren’t happening the way I was expecting them to happen. So it doesn’t work sometimes,” Wadhera said.

Despite the disappointment, the PBKS batter believes the team has gained valuable lessons that could help them avoid repeating the same mistakes in the future. “We were really disappointed with where we were standing at the points table to where we ended at the 2026 standings. We all were really disheartened. But I’m happy that all of us could learn something out of it,” he concluded.

Wadhera added that Punjab Kings will look to address the areas in which they fell short during the previous season and ensure that they begin their next campaign with greater consistency and intensity. “So that the next year when we come, we already know that these were the areas which we lacked last year. We need to bring our A-game from the first game,” Wadhera said. (ANI)