Punjab batsman Nehal Wadhera has been shifted to the state of Himachal Pradesh for the domestic season 2026-27, while veteran opener Prashant Chopra has returned to his home state of Uttarakhand after playing for Himachal Pradesh.
The team of Himachal Pradesh has bolstered its squad ahead of the 2026-27 Indian domestic cricket season by adding the talented batter, Nehal Wadhera, from Punjab. The decision follows Wadhera’s inability to get regular opportunities with Punjab last season.
The state team is also getting back Prashant Chopra, who was a part of the Uttarakhand team for the 2025-26 season.
Nehal Wadhera Makes Move from Punjab
Wadhera was limited to just a handful of appearances last season with Punjab, having made just three first-class appearances, two List A and four T20 appearances. The left-hander has now decided to play for Himachal Pradesh as he wants to have more consistent opportunities.
He is the latest player to join the team from Punjab, after Pukhraj Mann and Aryaman Singh joined the squad.
Impressive Domestic Record
The 24-year-old hit a century in his first first-class innings against Gujarat in the Ranji Trophy 2022-23, to make a strong debut.
Wadhera has since proved himself to be a promising domestic player in all formats. He has been a part of Punjab’s Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy-winning team this season (2023-24) and has been getting a lot of experience in franchise cricket.
Overall, Wadhera has played:
- 17 First-Class matches
- 16 List A matches
- 69 T20 matches
He has also played 44 Indian Premier League (IPL) matches for Mumbai Indians and Punjab Kings.
Prashant Chopra Returns Home
The veteran batter Prashant Chopra, who played for Uttarakhand last season, is also back in the state of Himachal Pradesh.
Chopra had a tough campaign, averaging 23.81 in seven Ranji Trophy games with a highest score of 82.
He was not a part of the Vijay Hazare Trophy and scored just 85 runs in three Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy games.
Chopra is available for selection but reports indicate that he has not been a part of the pre-season training camp of the Ranji Trophy team in Himachal Pradesh.
Coaching Staff Receives New Look
Himachals have also made a lot of changes off the field for the upcoming season.
Vineet Saxena, former Rajasthan cricketer, has been named the new head coach of the team, replacing VRV Singh.
Former India all-rounder Gagandeep Singh has been added to the coaching staff as the new bowling coach.
Himachal Aim for Better 2026-27 Campaign
The modifications are a result of a poor domestic season in 2025-26 for Himachal Pradesh.
The team did not make it to the knockout stages in any of the domestic competitions. It was a tough Ranji campaign for them, as they were the runners-up of the group after two defeats and five draws.
Himachal, however, had a dismal record in the T20 tournament, winning only one of seven matches and were in the bottom half of the table.
Himachal Pradesh will be looking to perform much better this domestic season, 2026-27, with the addition of new players and coaches to the squad.
