‘He Backed His Instincts’: Shreyas Iyer Hails Priyansh Arya’s 39-Ball Ton as One of the Best in IPL History

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April 9, 2025 0 113

Priyansh Arya shines in PBKS win

Priyansh Arya smashed a record-breaking century to lead Punjab Kings to an 18-run win over Chennai Super Kings.

Punjab Kings captain Shreyas Iyer praised youngster Priyansh Arya for his record-breaking century against Chennai Super Kings (CSK), calling it one of the best innings he has witnessed in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

On Tuesday, PBKS defeated CSK by 18 runs to return to winning ways in IPL 2025. Arya was the star of the show with a stunning 103 off just 42 deliveries—featuring seven fours and nine sixes. The 22-year-old’s knock was the fastest hundred by an uncapped player in IPL history and set the tone for Punjab’s big total of 219/6.

“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 when he faced Jofra Archer. Today, he backed his instincts. He was free-flowing, and that’s the mindset I want everyone to have in this team. Basically, it was one of the top knocks I have seen in the IPL,” Iyer said at the post-match presentation.

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Even as wickets kept falling at the other end, Arya held firm and counterattacked the CSK bowlers, helping PBKS post a daunting target. The middle-order also stepped up, with Shashank Singh scoring an unbeaten 52 off 36 balls and Marco Jansen adding a vital 34 not out off 19.

Shashank, who walked in at 83/5, revealed how he and Arya planned their partnership. “When I went to bat, I had a word with Priyansh, and I told him to continue to play positively. I have known him for the last few months, and he was batting the same way he bats at the nets. I told him to express himself. My job was to rotate strike and take singles. I needed to stay till the end, and by god’s grace, we were able to do that and post a challenging total,” he said.

Chasing 220, CSK got a solid start with Rachin Ravindra and Devon Conway. Ravindra scored a quick 39, while Conway made 69 off 49. Shivam Dube tried to up the ante later, but the chase fell short as CSK ended on 201/5.

Looking ahead, skipper Iyer said the team is yet to reach its peak performance and emphasized improving fielding.
“We have not played our best game yet. The nerves are still there. We need to go back and do group catching sessions. But we won the game, and we need to focus on the positives,” he said.