Priyansh Arya on his IPL breakthrough: ‘One day you get out for zero, one day you hit sixes’
The Indian Premier League (IPL), in its 17 years of existence, has been a platform for budding talents to showcase their calibre.
The latest addition to that list is Punjab Kings (PBKS) opener Priyansh Arya.
Following a crushing 50-run defeat to Rajasthan Royals (RR), PBKS hosted a struggling Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at Mullanpur. The home side found itself in dire straits, reeling at 83/5 in the eighth over after regular breakthroughs by CSK’s bowlers. But, when it mattered most, against the five-time champion, Priyansh stepped up.
While wickets tumbled around him, he stood firm, taking on the bowlers with a mix of audacity and composure.
“My game plan was simple: stay at the crease as long as possible. That way, it will be beneficial for me, as well as for my team. The longer I stay in the middle, the easier it gets to get accustomed to the bowlers, and the runs will start to come,” Priyansh said during a media roundtable.
He stitched together a crucial 34-ball, 71-run partnership with Shashank Singh, steering PBKS out of trouble.
Priyansh’s defining moment came when he smashed three consecutive sixes off CSK’s ace pacer Matheesha Pathirana before reaching his century with a four on the next delivery. His blistering 103 off 43 balls accounted for 47.03% of PBKS’s total of 219. The team went on to win by 18 runs.
“Shreyas (Iyer) bhaiya’s words were my inspiration. He asked me to follow my instincts and not think about anything else. In the game against RR, I got out for a duck on the first ball, but Shreyas hit two fours off the next three balls. I liked that and tried to emulate it,” he said.
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“I consider myself lucky to play in front of legends, and the IPL has given me that opportunity. Not many of my peers get it. I felt the pressure, with someone like MS Dhoni standing behind me and experienced bowlers charging at me, but it felt great to be able to do what I did,” he added.
The 24-year-old first rose to prominence in the 2024-25 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, where he finished as Delhi’s top scorer, amassing 325 runs in nine matches, including a half-century and a century.
However, his real turning point came in the Delhi Premier League. Representing the South Delhi Superstarz, Priyansh smashed six sixes in an over, helping his side post a massive 308/5 in 20 overs.
While the feat brought him widespread recognition, Priyansh is determined not to let it define him.
“People in Delhi already knew me. Of course, the six sixes brought me a lot of fame, but everything is part and parcel of the game. One day you get out for zero; one day you hit sixes,” he said.
