"Never Felt Challenged By Any Bowler In IPL": PBKS Youngster's Bold Claim After 2025 Season
IPL 2025 saw the rebirth of the Punjab Kings franchise. Following a terrific performance, the team made it to the final of the tournament.
- Punjab Kings opener Priyansh Arya scored 475 runs at a strike rate near 180 in his debut IPL season in 2025
- The batter smashed a 39-ball century against CSK. He ended up scoring 103 runs off 42 balls in the match
- "I never felt challenged by any bowler in IPL. I believed I could handle them all," said Priyansh
The Indian Premier League 2025 saw the rebirth of the Punjab Kings franchise. Following a terrific performance, the team made it to the final of the tournament after more than a decade. The Shreyas Iyer-led side, however, lost to Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the summit clash at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad. It was still a season to remember for PBKS, as they entered the IPL final for just the second time in their 18-year history. Among the many positives for the side was a rising sensation, Priyansh Arya.
The southpaw played 17 matches for the franchise and scored 475 runs in IPL 2025, which happened to be his debut season. Priyansh's strike rate was nearly 180. More than the stats, it was the impact of his batting that impressed one and all. The 23-year-old youngster didn't fear any bowler and played his shots freely.
While his aggressive style of batting grabbed attention, his best came against Chennai Super Kings in Mohali. Priyansh started his IPL career with a 47-run knock, and in just his fourth innings, the batter smashed a 39-ball century against CSK. He ended up scoring 103 runs off 42 balls, announcing his arrival at India's biggest T20 event.
In a recent interview, the PBKS opener has made a bold claim. "I never felt challenged by any bowler in the IPL. I believed I could handle them all. The same players feature in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, including India's internationals, so the level didn't feel very different," Priyansh told News18.
It was a heartbreaking loss for PBKS in the final, as they fell short by six runs. "Bura to abhi bhi lagta hai... final tha! (I still feel bad, it was the IPL final!)," said the youngster, who scored 24 runs off 19 balls in the summit clash of IPL 2025.
"Reaching the final after so many years (for PBKS) was special. For me, it was my first final and Punjab's first in 11 years. I still feel I could have contributed more, but things didn't go our way. That regret will stay until we finally win a title," he added.
Punjab Kings