Follow UsIn their first match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, Punjab Kings handed out debuts to Priyansh Arya against Gujarat Titans (GT) in Ahmedabad.
Arya, who hails from Delhi, took the country by storm with electrifying performances in the Delhi Premier League (DPL) 2024. He smashed 608 runs at 67.55 to go with a strike rate of 198.69 and also slammed two hundreds in ten innings.
If this incredible feat was not enough, Arya, who played for South Delhi Superstarz, also smashed six sixes in an over against North Delhi Superstarz bowler Manan Bharadwaj. Arya continued his good form even in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, where he was Delhi's leading run-getter with 325 runs at a strike rate of 176.63.
Arya might have indicated that he wanted to play for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), given that he is a Virat Kohli fan. RCB bid for him during the auction, but in the end, PBKS secured his services for INR 3.8 crore from a base price of INR 30 lakh.
Such is his talent, that even head coach Ricky Ponting is astonished with what he can bring to the table. "Priyansh Arya, I think, is a very special potential opening batsman for us going forward in the tournament. Depending on which way we go with our overseas make-up, he's very exciting," Ponting said.
As the southpaw kicks off his IPL journey against GT, Arya will hope to prove that the DPL was not a one-off event and that he can indeed take on some of the best in the world.
The 24-year-old has excellent T20 stats—573 runs in 18 innings at a strike rate of 166.56. He has the talent and aptitude to score big.
Can he take his cricket to a new level? At least the first signs look like that, with the left-hander smashing seasoned bowler Mohammed Siraj with utmost ease off his second delivery in IPL. Now, it is up to him to convert that start into a statement over the next two months.