New Delhi: Punjab Kings captain Shreyas Iyer has showered praise on young opener Priyansh Arya, describing his match-winning maiden IPL century against Chennai Super Kings as one of the best innings “he has ever seen” in the tournament. Arya’s explosive knock of 103 off just 42 balls led Punjab to an 18-run victory over CSK on Tuesday, marking the team’s return to winning ways in IPL 2025.
Arya’s innings was nothing short of spectacular, as he became the fastest uncapped player to score a century in IPL history, reaching the milestone in just 39 deliveries. Despite wickets falling at the other end, Arya’s powerful hitting—seven boundaries and nine sixes—carried Punjab to a formidable total of 219/6 in their 20 overs. His performance set the momentum for the team, with contributions from Shashank Singh (52* off 36 balls) and Marco Jansen (34* off 19 balls) bolstering the total.
Speaking at the post-match presentation, Iyer expressed his admiration for Arya’s fearless approach to batting. “The way Priyansh played was scintillating to watch. It was an out-of-the-world type of innings. When I spoke with him in the last game, he was a bit timid in his decision-making against Jofra Archer. But today, he backed his instincts, played freely, and that’s the mindset I want everyone to have in this team. It was one of the top knocks I have seen in the IPL,” Iyer said.
Shashank, who joined Arya at the crease with Punjab at 83/5, also spoke about his partnership with the young batter. “When I went to bat, I had a word with Priyansh and told him to continue playing positively. He was hitting cricketing shots, the same way he bats at the nets. I told him to express himself. My role was to rotate the strike and stay till the end. By God’s grace, we were able to do that and post a challenging total,” he explained.
Addressing concerns about the middle-order’s performance, Shashank pointed out the unpredictable nature of T20 cricket. “T20 is a format where you express yourself. We have batting till number 8-9. That’s the freedom we have given to the team. It’s obvious that not everyone will perform every day. Today, the middle order didn’t click, but that happens in T20,” he said.
Chasing 220, CSK was led by Devon Conway, who scored a valiant 69 off 49 balls, while Rachin Ravindra and Shivam Dube contributed in the middle order. However, the steep target proved too much, and CSK finished with 201/5 in their 20 overs, falling short by 18 runs.
Shashank emphasized the importance of winning home games as Punjab aims for a top-four finish. “If you want to qualify for the top four, you have to win your home games, especially close encounters like this one. These matches are crucial. We had a good practice session and played several practice matches here, which helped us understand the conditions better. Momentum is key in this tournament, and hopefully, we can continue the winning run,” he added.
Iyer, though pleased with the victory, stressed that his team had yet to play their best cricket. “We haven’t played our best game yet. The nerves are still there. We need to go back, do more group catching sessions, and work on the finer details. But we won the game, and we’ll focus on the positives as we move forward,” he said.
Punjab Kings will next face Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Saturday.
