It was also the fifth-fastest century in the tournament overall.
Priyansh Arya has been one of the standout young players in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. Playing for Punjab Kings (PBKS), the young opener scored an amazing 103 runs from just 42 balls against Chennai Super Kings (CSK). Fans reckon that it’s the best performance of the tournament so far.
His powerful knock helped his team take control and left the Super Kings struggling. Though the league is filled with big international stars, youngsters like Arya are showing they are ready to compete with the best.
He continued to play aggressive shots even as his teammates were getting out at the other end. His fearless approach helped him reach a hundred in just 39 balls, making it the fastest century by an uncapped player in IPL history.
It was also the fifth-fastest century in the tournament overall and the quickest ever against the five-time champions. What made his innings further special was the way he handled some of the most experienced bowlers in the game, showing no fear and taking them on with confidence.
During a media roundtable on Thursday, Arya said he felt lucky to share the field with MS Dhoni. He said it’s a rare chance that not many players get, and he was happy to be part of it. He also talked about the pressure of having Dhoni behind the stumps and facing top bowlers like Ravichandran Ashwin. Arya added that he really wanted to speak to Dhoni after the match. However, he couldn’t do so because he was caught up with interviews, and Dhoni had already left by then.
“I am very lucky that I was able to play with him. Obviously, very few people get a chance like this. So I feel very lucky that I was able to play with him. There was obviously pressure that he was standing behind, and the bowlers were also legends. Like Ashwin, sir. So it was a very good feeling to play with him. And I wanted to talk to him [Dhoni] but I couldn’t because I was busy with my interview and he left. So I couldn’t talk to him, but I really wanted to talk to him,” said Priyansh Arya.
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Arya said that he kept a positive mindset even after getting out on the first ball in a previous match. He didn’t let that affect him and focused on playing with confidence. He mentioned that if the ball was suitable to hit, he would go for it. He also spoke about his conversation with Ricky Ponting. He mentioned that the coach always stays positive and told him not to worry because anyone can get out early. Priyansh added that he often talks to him about his shots, especially the pull shot, and Ricky keeps guiding him on how to improve it.
“My mindset was positive because I didn’t think about anything like that when I got out on the first ball. I thought I would play as much as possible with a positive attitude. If I get the ball, I will hit it. Talking about Ricky, sir, he is always positive. So, I talked to him as well, and he told me that there was no problem. It was the first ball, so anyone can get out. And as for the pull shot, I obviously keep talking to him. He keeps telling me all the time that I can do this better than that,” he added.
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