Who said what - top 5 expert reactions to Priyansh Arya's stunning hundred in PBKS vs CSK IPL 2025 match ft. Irfan Pathan

The cricket fraternity lauded Punjab Kings (PBKS) opener Priyansh Arya for launching an assault on Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in Match 22 of IPL 2025 on Tuesday (April 8) in Mullanpur. The game witnessed Arya slamming the second-fastest century by an Indian batter in the tournament's history.

PBKS were off to a sublime start in the game, as Arya took out 17 runs off the first over. However, the likes of Prabhsimran Singh (0), Shreyas Iyer (9) and Marcus Stoinis (4) couldn't support him. Nevertheless, the 24-year-old maintained his aggressive intent and raced to his fifty off 19 balls. His knock helped the home side garner 75 runs in the powerplay.

Thereafter, the dismissals of Nehal Wadhera (9) and Glenn Maxwell (1) saw PBKS go down to 83/5. Undeterred by the wickets falling at the other end, Arya continued to showcase his brilliant ball-striking. He got the support from the other end in the form of Shashank Singh.

In the 13th over, Arya hit three sixes and a four to bring up his historic century off 39 balls. Soon after, he was dismissed by Noor Ahmad for 103 off 42, with his innings comprising seven fours and nine sixes.

Thereafter, Shashank (52* off 36) and Marco Jansen (34* off 19) provided valuable contributions to push PBKS' total to 219. Khaleel Ahmed and R Ashwin bagged two wickets apiece for the visitors.

In response, CSK started well in the powerplay with their openers Devon Conway (69) and Rachin Ravindra (36) putting up a 61-run stand. Although Shivam Dube (42) and MS Dhoni (27) played well, the Men in Yellow fell short by 18 runs. Lockie Ferguson was the pick of the bowlers for PBKS with two scalps.

On that note, let's take a look at the expert reactions to Priyansh Arya's fabulous knock against CSK.

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#1 Wasim Jaffer

Former Punjab Kings batting coach Wasim Jaffer lauded Priyansh Arya for making a strong statement in only his fourth IPL innings. He pointed out Arya's destructive batting against Ravichandran Ashwin and Noor Ahmad, while hoping that he continues the same form and makes his India debut soon.

During an interaction on ESPNcricinfo, he said:

"That was outstanding, for somebody playing his fourth game. To hit a hundred off 39 deliveries and see a ball striking from a young boy like that it's just outstanding, and against the bowlers like [Ravichandran] Ashwin, [Matheesha] Pathirana and even Khaleel [Ahmed]. Looks like a proper talent, and looking from the outset, looks like a guy who has a wise head on his shoulders and I hope he stays like that we see him in color blue very soon." (6:20)

Jaffer added that Arya has a wide range of shots and also praised his timing. He further opined:

"He plays all around the park. It's not just one area, you can see him cut and drive the ball, the pull shots and to the bowlers who are bowling at 140 clicks. He is not short of time and that's what impressed me.

"The wickets kept falling, but the run rate never slowed down, So you've gotta give credit to Priyansh and Shashank. They were 83/5 and still runs were coming in plenty."

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#2 Aakash Chopra

In a recent video on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra termed Priyansh Arya a "superstar" and praised his fighting spirit for going against the opposition bowlers, despite not finding enough support from the other end. He said:

"24-year-old Priyansh Arya, superstar uncapped Indian, who is the fourth-fastest to an IPL century, and the second-fastest Indian also to a century. It's the first time ever in the IPL where one guy in the top six has scored a century and all others had single-digit scores. Everyone else made a telephone number, and he scored a hundred."

Furthermore, Chopra feels Arya is a sound batter and showed his ability to dominate the experienced bowlers.

"His playing style is excellent. He is technically very good. It's not easy to hit sixes over point, but he hit them at the start. He hooked the short balls and hit fours against (Matheesha) Pathirana. Then, whether it was Ravichandran Ashwin or Ravindra Jadeja, he hit them for sixes, and he was absolutely brilliant. (3:15)

"In my opinion, you will hear his name many times. Well done, Punjab. He went unsold last year and was sold for ₹3.80 crore this year. Opening with two uncapped players is a huge thing. They have done that, and Priyansh is here to stay," he added.

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#3 Irfan Pathan

Former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan pointed out PBKS head coach Ricky Ponting's praise for Priyansh Arya well before the season. Here's what he said on his YouTube channel:

"Priyansh Arya, the batter from Delhi. Ricky Ponting praised his talent before the start of the season. Ponting, a legendary player himself, must have seen something in him. Arya just proved his merit by smashing a century."

Pathan compared Arya to other young batters, who trust their natural instincts to score runs, irrespective of the match situation or the opposition bowlers.

"Ideally, CSK would've started with spin against Arya, as it is little bit tricky to handle them with the new ball. But as the pacers kept taking wickets at the other end, Ashwin came in the sixth over. Arya attacked at that point and continued his momentum.

"Nowadays, young players don't come with any baggage, whether wickets are falling or not, they play their natural game. They may be up against reputed bowlers, they don't care. They play big shots against Ashwin and Noor, who is a terrific bowler and is a Purple Cap holder. So, a sublime hundred and he has a bright future ahead," Pathan concluded.

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#4 Simon Doull

During an interaction on Cricbuzz Live, Simon Doull praised Priyansh Arya for his six-hitting abilities. While pointing out the lack of support from the other end, he felr Arya's explosive mindset was due to him having gotten a free license from PBKS. Doull said:

"When you come with a reputation like that, a six-hitting reputation. Not a big man by any stretch of imagination. But, a compact left-hander and that reputation brings a little bit of tense nature sometimes. There were a couple of teams that wanted him from what they saw in Delhi Premier League. That was some innings. It's like the guy at the bar that's just walking around looking someone to stay with him." (1:40)

"If you're allowed to play without the fear and you're not going there being reckless because there's so much batting behind you, but you're allowed to be positive. It fills through the side," Doull added.

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#5 Harbhajan Singh

Former Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh did a post-match analysis on his YouTube channel. As per Harbhajan, he hasn't seen many batters who can dominate like Priyansh Arya did against CSK. Here's what he said on his YouTube channel:

"PBKS were already five down around the score of 80. When you lose so many wickets, most of the teams get bogged down. It was terrific knock from Priyansh, he held one end, he is a youngster and scored 103 off 42. What a talented batter, I have not seen many batters who have the ability to dominate in such a manner." (3:00)

Harbhajan praised Arya for having a wide range of shots in his arsenal and predicted he would play for India in the future. He added:

"He is a young player. Imagine, he will play for the next 10-15 years, and will soon play for India as well. He has a good technique, has many strokes, pulls, cuts and drives well. He plays fast bowlers well and dominates the spinners."