Priyansh Arya, once overlooked by Delhi, smashed a stunning century for PBKS after Ricky Ponting backed his raw talent.
Priyansh Arya made big headlines with his amazing century for Punjab Kings (PBKS) in their IPL match against Chennai Super Kings (CSK). In Mullanpur, Arya scored a fantastic 103 runs from just 42 balls, helping PBKS reach a huge total of 219 for 6. Even though others in the top order didn’t score much, Arya’s explosive innings made a huge impact. What makes it more interesting is how Arya ended up playing for PBKS when he was almost going to join the Delhi Capitals team.
Moving from Delhi interest to Punjab Kings
Before shining with PBKS Arya’s cricket career was moving forward. He played well in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy yet faced some hurdles. The Delhi selectors were still not fully convinced about him. Devang Gandhi a former India selector who was impressed by Arya pushed for his inclusion in Delhi’s white-ball games.
Gandhi said “Priyansh doesn’t seem very strong but his timing with the ball was amazing. He handled fast bowlers comfortably.” Also, he recommended Priyansh Arya to DC earlier. “The Delhi selectors felt he didn’t have the runs in red-ball cricket and didn’t want to risk him. But I recommended him to Sourav Ganguly, who was the director at Delhi Capitals,” Gandhi added.
Getting into the PBKS XI
He first caught everyone’s eye when he hit six sixes in an over during the first-ever Delhi Premier League (DPL). This made many teams want him during the IPL 2025 auction. Ponting was fascinated with Arya’s skills and wanted him to play in his team. Ponting wanted him in DC’s squad but earlier, there was no space in the team.
Although the Delhi Capitals were interested this season but, on Ponting’s trust, the Punjab Kings finally got him for Rs 3.8 crore. PBKS assistant coach Brad Haddin said “After just one practice session we were sure Arya had great potential.“
Almost losing his U-23 Spot
Arya came close to a major setback when he almost lost his spot in the Delhi U-23 team. After a few low scores he was nearly sent back from the Vijay Hazare Trophy. However, senior players like Ishant Sharma and DDCA president Rohan Jaitley stepped in to support him.
This happened just weeks after he got his IPL deal. Despite this Arya did not give up. He asked for advice from mentors and worked hard to improve his game.
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