Young opener Priyansh Arya has arrived in style in IPL 2025, smashing his maiden century and helping Punjab Kings defeat Chennai Super Kings by 18 runs in Mullanpur on Tuesday. Arya, who had a shaky start to the season with scores of 47, 8, and 0, finally exploded with a blistering 103-run knock off just 42 balls, including 4 fours and 9 sixes. Supported by a valuable fifty from Shashank Singh, PBKS posted a strong total of 219/6. In response, CSK could only reach 201/5, suffering their fourth loss of the season.
The journey of the 24-year-old Arya, from the lanes of Delhi to the IPL spotlight, has been a tale of passion and perseverance. His coach Sanjay Bharadwaj, a reputed name in Delhi cricket, played a key role in his rise—going as far as paying ₹45,000 to get Arya into U19 trials. That bet paid off, as Priyansh not only performed but became Player of the Series and was awarded a bat by Ajay Jadeja.
His fame soared after he hit 6 sixes in an over during the Delhi Premier League, and later impressed in the 2023 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy scoring 222 runs at a strike rate of 166.91. Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin even urged IPL franchises to pick him—and Punjab Kings did, securing him for ₹3.8 crore in the auction.
Though he was dismissed on the very first ball against Rajasthan Royals a few days ago, Arya bounced back fiercely. In Tuesday’s match, he launched CSK’s attack by smashing a six off the first ball, just like Virender Sehwag, whom he’s often compared to for his fearless style.
After the match, Punjab Kings’ head coach Ricky Ponting praised Arya’s attitude:
“You got out first ball last game, and today your first ball went 100 meters for six. That’s the mindset we want!”
Coach Bharadwaj, who also trained Gautam Gambhir, praised Arya’s discipline and clarity:
“He follows instincts and knows exactly what he wants to do. Cricket has been his life since age 12.”
Going forward, Arya will focus on red-ball cricket training in Bhopal. With solid performance, strong mindset, and backing from top mentors, Priyansh Arya is quickly emerging as one of IPL 2025’s biggest breakout stars.
