Nehal Wadhera is a rare act to find in India's T20 circuit.
He is an aggressive batter, but not the kind who throws away his wicket. He comes in the middle order and plays to the situation, much like how he did in the match against the Rajasthan Royals on Sunday.
The Punjab Kings southpaw came at a crucial juncture and stepped on the accelerator from the outset.
Punjab were 34 for 3 when Wadhera and his captain Shreyas Iyer linked up. Early in their partnership, Wadhera was happy to deal in singles while Shreyas took on the Rajasthan bowlers.
But once he got his feet in, he took apart the bowlers, Riyan Parag and Wanindu Hasaranga were taken to the cleaners.
Wadhera punished the 'hit-me deliveries and the others he treated with respect but still took runs off them.
He, along with Shreyas steadied the ship and brought up the 50-run partnership in no time.
Even after Shreyas's dismissal in the 11th over, there was no stopping Wadhera.
He took the mantle from Shreyas and built another partnership with Shashank Singh. Never taking his foot off the pedal, the runs kept flowing for Punjab.
He received a reprieve in the 12th over when he chipped the ball back to Hasaranga but the bowler couldn't get the ball to stick in his right hand on the dive.
Wadhera got to his 50 off 25 balls in the 13th over with a four over deep backward square leg. Next ball, he smoked over deep backward square leg for a six!
Wadhera showed immense sense of timing to play his innings to the demands of the situation.
After his 50, Shashank took over and tonked a few biggies and Wadhera was happy to deal in singles.
He was involved in a second fifty run stand, this time with Shashank, who brought up the milestone with a four, a scoop over short fine leg.
Wadhera then smashed Akash Madhwal for a six in the 16th over before being sent back after slicing the ball to deep cover and getting out for 70 off just 37 balls.
His aggressive yet well-planned knock brought Punjab to safe shores before Shashank took PBKS to a match-winning 219 for 5.
Sunday's innings was one of effortless batting and he brought out the pull shot to maximum effect.
His knack of scoring runs at much-needed junctures points to a maturity in his batting. Earlier this season, he scored a quickfire 33* (19) against RCB when his team were tottering at 53/4.
He never did once play a rash stroke and his assuredness at the crease augurs well for Punjab in the play-offs and thereafter.
This season, in 11 games, he has already scored 280 runs at an average of 35 and a strike rate of 157.
Wadhera was signed for Rs 4.2 crores (Rs 42 million) at the auction and given his record thus far, it's money well spent. Mumbai Indians didn't buy him back at the auction and MI's loss is clearly Punjab's gain.
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