Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India—Nehal Wadhera’s Indian Premier League (IPL) debut for Punjab Kings (PBKS) this season was both surprising to him and significant for the franchise.

The left-handed batsman scored an undefeated 43 off only 25 balls, including three boundaries and four sixes, and was instrumental in PBKS’s decisive eight-wicket win against the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in Lucknow. But what was even more amazing about his performance was that he didn’t know he was playing until just before the game.

“I had no idea that I would be performing. Since I was certain I wouldn’t be in the XI, I simply packed one kit. I usually carry two: one for fielding and one for hitting. During the press conference after the game, Wadhera said, “I even came in full sleeves.”

“Things can go your way sometimes. I may have overanalyzed it if I had known sooner. This was one of those days when I was fortunate not to know I would be playing, and it worked out well for me,” he said.

When PBKS head coach Ricky Ponting contacted him during the warm-up, it was the first sign that he may be playing.

‘If we bowl first, you’ll be in the eleven,’ Ricky replied to me. ‘How can I be in the XI simply because we’re bowling first?’ I kept asking myself, startled. Wadhera stated, “I thought maybe he made a mistake.”

“I knew I was in when the playing XI was revealed. Knowing that I would have to field, I just began warming up in the eleventh or twelfth over,” he said.

Ayush Badoni (41 in 33 balls, with a four and three sixes), Nicholas Pooran (44 in 30 balls, with five fours and three sixes), and a fiery cameo by Abdul Samad (27 in 12 balls, with two fours and two sixes) gave LSG something to fight for after they were put to bat first and were reeling at 35/3. With three wickets and figures of 3/43, Arshdeep was the best bowler.

Yuzvendra Chahal, Lockie Ferguson, Glenn Maxwell, and Marco Jansen were also among the wickets taken. Apart from a half-century partnership between Pooran and Badoni for the fourth wicket, LSG failed to establish lasting partnerships.

PBKS did lost Priyansh Arya (8) early in the run-chase. However, with 22 balls remaining, PBKS won by eight wickets thanks to powerful performances by Prabhsimran Singh (69 in 34 balls, with nine fours and two sixes), captain Shreyas Iyer (52* in 30 balls, with three fours and four sixes), and Nehal Wadhera (43* in 25 balls, with three fours and four sixes).

Digvesh Rathi’s four-over spell of 2/30 was insufficient. LSG dropped to sixth place with a victory and two defeats, while PBKS, now in second place in the points standings, made it two victories in two.