NEW DELHI: Some time during the Delhi Premier League, former India cricketer Nikhil Chopra was playing a round of golf with Yuvraj Singh. Chopra informed Yuvraj about a boy named Priyansh Arya who had recently hit six sixes in an over during the T20 tournament. Yuvraj, who is famous for the same feat, promptly recorded a video message for the young left-hander from Delhi.
Cut to November 2024, there was a lot of promptness from the franchises as they raised the paddle for young Priyansh who was finally sold to Punjab Kings for Rs 3.80 crore after a fierce bidding war with Delhi Capitals, Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
Priyansh’s DPL coach Sarandeep Singh, who is also the head coach of Delhi this domestic season, believes the 23-year-old is now firmly focused on achieving his India dream after securing an IPL contract. He also explains why Priyansh reminds him of Yuvraj.
“I know Priyansh’s capabilities. The way he hits the ball is amazing. He’s a clean striker of the ball and makes batting look so easy. After Yuvraj Singh, if I’ve seen anyone with such clean hitting, it’s Priyansh Arya. He’s a class batter. Those six sixes gave him a distinct identity. I called him after the match because I was worried he might get carried away with the fame at such a young age. I told him, ‘This is T20 cricket. Today is your day, but tomorrow it could be someone else’s. Don’t let these things get to your head,’” Sarandeep tells TimesofIndia.com in an exclusive interview.
Priyansh, who recently hit a hundred in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy match vs Uttar Pradesh, will now share the dressing room with the likes of Shreyas Iyer, Glenn Maxwell, Josh Inglis, Marcus Stoinis and head coach Ricky Ponting at Punjab Kings. Sarandeep feels the guidance of Ponting will help the youngster.
“He will learn a lot under the guidance of the legendary Ricky Ponting, a great cricketing mind. His ultimate aim is to play for India, and I always tell him that while many cricketers play for India, what truly matters is how long you can sustain yourself at that level. You need to stay calm, focused, and love the sport. Sharing the dressing room with Ponting and other seniors will help him take his game to another level,” adds Sarandeep.
Recalling Yuvraj’s reaction after Priyansh replicated his feat of hitting six sixes in an over, Sarandeep shares an interesting story.
IPL Auction: Punjab Kings assemble a new squad and now pressure will be on coach Ricky Ponting
“I’ve told Yuvraj about Priyansh, and Yuvi knows about him too. We met at an event, and Yuvi asked me, ‘Who is this guy Priyansh’ I told him, ‘Bhai, he’s like you. He destroys bowlers and has hit six sixes in an over.’ Yuvi said he’s following Priyansh’s progress and conveyed a message to him: ‘Work hard and don’t let success get to your head,’” reveals Sarandeep.
‘VIRAT’S AGGRESSION AND GAMBHIR’S FLAIR’
During the 2023–24 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, Priyansh stood out as Delhi’s leading run-scorer, accumulating 222 runs across seven innings at an average of 31.71 and a strike rate of 166.91. He continued his stellar form in the ongoing season, scoring a brilliant 102 in his first match against Uttar Pradesh. His innings, which featured 5 fours and 10 sixes, came against a formidable bowling lineup that included Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Piyush Chawla, and Shivam Mavi.
During a chat with TOI.com earlier this year, Priyansh had credited Virat Kohli for inspiring his aggressive approach and Gautam Gambhir for shaping his hard-hitting batting style.
“I was very happy when my name was mentioned alongside the legend Yuvraj Singh. Yuvraj sir has played a lot of cricket for India and has been a match-winner for the country. I admire him greatly. My self-belief skyrocketed after achieving this feat. I take inspiration from Virat bhaiya because I like his aggression and attitude on the field. He reflects both in his batting as well. I look up to him. As a kid, I trained at Gautam Gambhir’s academy. I have followed him a lot since childhood. I’ve watched countless batting videos of both Virat bhaiya and Gautam bhaiya, and I’ve learned so much from them,” Priyansh had said.
“I used to stand behind the nets at the LB Shastri Cricket Academy just to watch Gautam bhaiya bat,” the left-hander added.
After that record-breaking knock, India’s T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav too messaged Priyansh for his incredible feat.
“Suryakumar Yadav messaged me and said ‘Believe in yourself and keep the hard-hitting going. Well done’,” the youngster said.
Still early days in his career, Priyansh, who is a clean hitter of the ball, would hope his career goes as long as his sixes do.