New Delhi, July 16 (IANS) Punjab have been dealt a blow ahead of the upcoming domestic season as their top batter Nehal Wadhera has decided to leave the team and play for Himachal Pradesh in the upcoming season, providing the hill state a significant boost as they look to revamp after a poor performance last year.

According to ESPNcricinfo, Wadhera decided to move after finding limited opportunities with Punjab during the 2025-26 season. The left-hander also becomes the third guest player from Punjab to join Himachal’s squad, joining Pukhraj Mann and Aryaman Singh.

Wadhera featured in only three Ranji Trophy matches, two Vijay Hazare Trophy games, and four Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy fixtures for Punjab last season. Despite his restricted appearances, he remains one of the promising young batters in the domestic circuit.

The 24-year-old announced himself in first-class cricket with a century on debut against Gujarat in Valsad during the 2022-23 Ranji Trophy season. He was also part of Punjab’s title-winning Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy squad in the 2023-24 season.

Overall, Wadhera has played 17 first-class matches, 16 List A games, and 69 T20s in domestic cricket. He has also featured in 44 Indian Premier League matches for the Mumbai Indians and Punjab Kings.

Meanwhile, Himachal Pradesh have also strengthened their support staff ahead of the new season, appointing Vineet Saxena as head coach in place of VRV Singh, while Gagandeep Singh has been named bowling coach.

Apart from Nehal Wadhera, former Himachal Pradesh batter Prashant Chopra has also moved back to his home state.

The 33-year-old batter played last season for Uttarakhand, enduring a poor white-ball campaign and scoring just 85 runs in three Syed Mushtaq Ali games. He then scored 262 runs in the red-ball tournament, including a brilliant 82 against Bengal.

The team will be hoping for a turnaround after a disappointing 2025-26 domestic season, where they failed to qualify for the knockout stages in the Ranji Trophy, Vijay Hazare Trophy, and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. Their Ranji campaign ended with two defeats and five draws, leaving them at the bottom of their group.

–IANS

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