Who Is Priyansh Arya, Fastest Uncapped Player To Hit IPL Century (image:instagram.com/punjabkingsipl)
The IPL never disappoints us when it comes to unearthing a new talent. Many of today’s celebrated cricketing superstars came to the spotlight through this prolific tournament. Priyansh Arya can be counted among them with his stellar ton for Punjab Kings (PBKS) against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in IPL 2025.
Playing just his fourth IPL game, Arya was in beast mode finishing his century off just 39 balls, the fastest ever by an uncapped player in the history of IPL. It was also the second fastest IPL century by an Indian behind Yusuf Pathan’s 37-ball hundred in 2010. Enroute to his ton, the southpaw smashed nine sixes and seven fours where he took down Matheesha Pathirana by smacking 22 runs in 13th over. In his debut match for PBKS, Arya had already exhibited glimpses of his potential, scoring a quickfire 47 that hinted at the explosive batting to come.
The 24-year-old opener is tailor-made for T20s, thanks to his six hitting ability. His 46-ball 102 in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2023-24 was the first instance he proved it. He finished the tournament as Delhi’s top scorer with 222 runs at a blistering strike rate of 166.91. This performance, however, was not enough to announce himself among countless cricket talent in India as he went unsold in 2024 IPL auction.
He was ready to give his all after that, when he stepped out even better in inaugural Delhi Premier League (DPL) T20, 2024, emerging as tournament’s top scorer amassing 608 runs in ten innings. Notably, he scored 120 off 50 balls against North Delhi Strikers in which he achieved the rare feat of six sixes in an over. This time, the IPL franchises couldn’t overlook him as they raced for him in a bidding war in the 2025 IPL mega auction eventually earning the Delhi batsman a ₹3.8 crore deal with PBKS.
Arya began his cricket journey at the tender age of seven under Sanjay Bharadwaj, who has coached big names like Gautam Gambhir, Amit Mishra, and Nitish Rana. Now, he can dream of reaching a similar high, with his career no longer at a crossroads but moving steadily forward.
(This story is part of a Timeline internship project)
