Not Virat Kohli! Priyansh Arya reveals his shocking red-ball idol

Punjab Kings’ (PBKS) breakout star Priyansh Arya, who lit up IPL 2025 with his fearless batting, is now ready to test himself in the toughest format of the game, and that is the red-ball cricket. Priyansh Arya was the highest run-getter among uncapped players in IPL history.

He had smashed 475 runs at a breathtaking strike rate of 179, including a blistering 43-ball century against Chennai Super Kings, and helped PBKS make it to the IPL 2025 finals, where they lost the title to Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on June 3.

Priyansh Arya gears up for the Ranji Trophy debut after record-breaking IPL

But instead of basking in T20 fame, the 23-year-old batting sensation has now set his eye on making his first-class debut in the upcoming Ranji Trophy 2025-26. Arya’s journey is a story of hunger and ambition. From dominating the Delhi Premier League (DPL) to shining in the IPL, the PBKS batter has shown a natural flair for big runs in the T20 format.

SHORTS

View More

Your daily dose of cricket!

Loading...

Read Also: BCCI left red-faced as South Zone rejects order to include KL Rahul & others in Duleep Trophy squad

Now, Priyansh wants to prove himself in red-ball cricket, where everything is about patience and skill. He has already piled up runs in age-group cricket in the traditional format of the game, but now he wants to carry that form into India’s premier first-class tournament.

The IPL stage may have made him a household name, but now he wants to prove he is more than just a T20 sensation by setting the Ranji Trophy 2025-26 on fire. Interestingly, India’s young Test captain Shubman Gill is his idol in red-ball cricket, but he wants to script his own journey while keeping his fearless and power-hitter reputation intact.

Shubman Gill is my idol in red-ball cricket: Priyansh Arya

Priyansh Arya was quoted as saying by India Today and ESPNCricinfo, “I wanted to play red-ball cricket, but my debut couldn’t happen then. I hope it will happen this year. I really want to play in the Ranji Trophy. I’ve said this before. I’m excited for the upcoming domestic season, and I’m working on a few things, which I can’t tell you right now (laughs).”

He added, “I’ve played a lot of red-ball cricket—in U-19 and U-23 cricket. So, it’s not something totally new to me. Of course, the Ranji Trophy is tougher—conditions are different, and matches start in the morning. It’s challenging, but that’s what makes it fun. Shubman Gill is my idol in red-ball cricket.”

Read Also: Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli kicked aside as Prabhsimran Singh picks India legends as favorite players

Priyansh Arya reveals the secret behind his stunning IPL 2025 debut

Speaking about the importance of consistency, the youngster noted, “No, consistency is important. Of course, impactful innings look good if the team wins, but if we don’t win, then I know I need to focus more on consistency.”

Meanwhile, Priyansh Arya credited his IPL 2025 success to the backing he received from Punjab Kings (PBKS) head coach Ricky Ponting and skipper Shreyas Iyer, who encouraged him to play without pressure and play fearless cricket in his debut season.

Arya signed off by saying, “Both of them gave me a lot of freedom—to play the way I want, as long as it benefits the team. Whether I score 30 off 10 balls or 30 off 30 balls—as long as it helps the team, they were happy with that.”