IPL Stardom, Third AC Travel: How Punjab Kings' Priyansh Arya Stays Grounded
Priyansh Arya recently left everyone stunned with a breathtaking knock of 93 off just 37 balls against Lucknow Super Giants on Sunday.
Punjab Kings have emerged as an unstoppable force in IPL 2026. After six matches, Shreyas Iyer and Co. remain unbeaten and have established themselves as one of the most dominant sides of the season. Apart from Iyer's flamboyant captaincy, one aspect that has truly stood out for PBKS is their opening partnership of Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran Singh. The duo has consistently grabbed headlines with their powerful strokeplay and fearless batting approach. Priyansh Arya recently left everyone stunned with a breathtaking knock of 93 off just 37 balls against Lucknow Super Giants on Sunday, helping PBKS post a massive 254/7-the highest total of the season so far.
Arya's innings included four boundaries and nine towering sixes, cementing his status as one of the most fearsome batters in the tournament. His performance was a continuation of the consistency he has shown since his IPL debut in 2025, a season in which he amassed 475 runs in 17 matches.
At 24, many believed that replicating his debut-season heroics would be a daunting challenge. However, Arya embraced the pressure wholeheartedly and returned stronger in the current season.
Speaking about Arya's fearless approach and consistency, his childhood coach Sanjay Bharadwaj shed light on the strict training sessions and gruelling routines he put the batter through to keep him grounded and prevent the trappings of IPL stardom from affecting him.
"When you perform in the IPL, stardom comes very quickly, and it's not easy for youngsters to handle it. You start trending on social media, and there is pressure to maintain a certain image. You try to be someone you're not. In the camp, where there were around 70 other boys, he was just one among them. He didn't carry the air of an IPL player. He was the same nine-year-old kid I first saw," Bharadwaj was quoted as saying by The Indian Express.
"After the high of last season, we felt it was best to leave everything to God-upar wale ko poora credit de diya. Since he performed well, expectations were bound to rise, and with expectations comes added pressure. The pressure in the IPL is already immense, so why add more burden? If you do that, consistent performance becomes difficult. You stop putting the team first and start prioritising your own game. The powerplay is for the team; what you do after that is for yourself," he added.
Bharadwaj also recalled an incident that highlighted Arya's humility, revealing that he once made the batter travel by third AC train to Mansa, Punjab, for a club tournament-just a day after Arya had smashed a 28-ball century.
"He is not someone who has been carried away by the riches of the IPL. For me, that shows he is willing to go the distance. He is extremely humble, and that's exactly what you need," Bharadwaj concluded.
Punjab Kings