Who Is Priyansh Arya? Punjab Kings Opener Smashes Maiden Century Off 39 Balls Against CSK, Joins Virat Kohli In Elite List

Punjab Kings opener Priyansh Arya smashed his maiden century while playing against Chennai Super Kings at Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur. The left hander who was handed a lifeline on the second ball of the opening over raced to 100 of just 39 balls.

Besides scoring a century, the youngster also joined Virat Kohli in an elite list. Priyansh Arya made his debut in the IPL 2025 season opener against the Gujarat Titans on Tuesday in Ahmedabad. Everything you need to know about Punjab Kings' latest star

Who is Priyansh Arya?

Arya gained widespread recognition in 2024 during the Delhi Premier League after he smashed six consecutive sixes in an over for South Delhi Superstarz against North Delhi Strikers. His knock of 120-runs included 10 sixes and 10 fours, saw his team to a massive total of 308/5. Arya reached his century in just 40 balls.

The 2023-24 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) saw Arya emerge as Delhi’s top run-scorer, amassing 222 runs in seven innings at an average of 31.71 and a strike rate of 166.91. Although he was shortlisted for the IPL 2024 auction, Arya went unsold at the time. He scored his maiden SMAT hundred last week with 10 sixes against Uttar Pradesh at the Wankhede Stadium. Following his brilliant performance, Punjab Kings secured his services for ₹3.8 crore

Priyansh Arya Joins Virat Kohli In Elite Six-Hitting List

Priyansh Arya made his way into history books by hitting a six on the very first ball he faced from Khaleel Ahmed. Arya joined an elite group of just four players in IPL history, including Virat Kohli, to hit a six on the first ball of an innings. Along with Arya and Kohli, Phil Salt and Naman Ojha are the only other players to have achieved this feat.

However, Arya's aggressive start was almost cut short on the very next ball when Khaleel had a chance to catch him off a simple delivery but missed. Arya had previously been dismissed on the first ball of his last match against Rajasthan Royals, but this time, he made the most of the opportunity.

He went on to make a rapid half-century, becoming the fifth batter for Punjab Kings to achieve this in the powerplay, reaching the milestone in just 19 balls.

Six in the first ball of the match in IPL

Naman Ojha vs KKR, Durban, 2009

Virat Kohli vs RR, Bengaluru, 2019

Phil Salt vs MI, Mumbai, 2024

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