Follow UsThe 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) witnessed a rookie produce one of the greatest debut seasons ever as Punjab Kings’ Priyansh Arya made heads turn in a campaign that saw him score 475 runs at an average of 28 and a strike rate of 179.3.
A breakout star in the 2024 Delhi Premier League (DPL), Priyansh was expected to find the transition to the IPL difficult, but he breezed through his debut season, dominating bowling units for fun. There were plenty of cameos but he showcased the absolute best version of himself in the clash against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in Mullanpur, smashing a 42-ball 103 in what was an extraordinary display of clean hitting.
In a recent interview, the 23-year-old spoke about how he never felt challenged or intimidated by the level up to the IPL from state tournaments.
“I never felt challenged by any bowler in the IPL. I believed I could handle them all,” Priyansh told News18.
“The same players feature in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, including India’s internationals, so the level didn’t feel very different,” he said.
Opening the batting, the left-hander set the tone up-front for Punjab, striking at 174.5 in the powerplay. In overs 1-6 in IPL 2025, he hit a boundary every 3.3 balls, and most teams found his aggression tough to deal with.
Speaking of his mindset, the 23-year-old said: “My attacking mindset is such that the first thought that comes in my mind, I play according to that only.
“I used to bat in the middle order in the under-19. I started opening from under-23 because at that time there was no place in the middle order. By opening, my mindset changed a little about how to take advantage of the powerplay.”
Priyansh and Punjab Kings were both inches away from winning a maiden IPL title, but, in the end, it wasn’t to be as RCB edged them to lift their first ever championship. Priyansh, whose wicket was a turning point of sorts in the final, spoke about how the regret of losing in the final will stay with him until Punjab win a trophy.
“Reaching the final after so many years (for PBKS) was special. For me, it was my first final and Punjab’s first in 11 years. I still feel I could have contributed more, but things didn’t go our way. That regret will stay until we finally win a title," he said.
With no red-ball games under his belt, Priyansh has, to date, been seen as a white-ball specialist, but he wants to change that in 2025. His goal? To play and excel in the Ranji Trophy.
“I wanted to play red-ball cricket, but my debut couldn’t happen last season," he said.
“I hope it will happen this year. I really want to play Ranji – I’ve said this before. I’m excited for the upcoming domestic season. I’m even working on a few things… which I can’t tell you right now,” the youngster concluded.