Punjab Kings are looking like the side to beat in IPL 2026. After six outings, Shreyas Iyer and his squad are still unbeaten, establishing themselves early as one of the competition’s most complete units. While Iyer’s flamboyant captaincy has certainly drawn attention, the team’s standout feature has been the opening platform built by Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran Singh. Time and again, the pair have struck fear into opponents with aggressive intent, strong timing, and batting that rarely plays for survival.
That momentum was on full display when Priyansh Arya produced a stunning innings against Lucknow Super Giants on Sunday. He smashed 93 off just 37 balls, a knock that powered PBKS to a huge total of 254/7—currently the highest score of the season. Arya’s innings was laced with four boundaries and nine massive sixes, underlining why he’s being viewed as one of the most dangerous batters in the tournament.
The innings also reinforced how steadily Arya has been building his game since breaking into the IPL in 2025. In that debut season, he amassed 475 runs across 17 matches, and the early promise has carried over into the current campaign. At 24, many expected it would be difficult to match the impact of his first-year heroics, but Arya has embraced the challenge and responded with an even stronger season so far.
Speaking on Arya’s fearless approach and the discipline behind it, his childhood coach Sanjay Bharadwaj described the rigorous training structure that has helped keep the batter grounded. Bharadwaj said the routines were designed to prevent the glitz and distractions that can come with IPL success from taking over a young player’s mindset.
“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 said.
Bharadwaj also added that after the high of the previous season, the focus was on keeping expectations in check rather than getting trapped by them. He explained that rising demands can quickly add pressure, making it harder to deliver consistently. In his view, that is why the team-first mindset matters—especially during the intensity of the league’s early stages.
“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,” Bharadwaj added.
To further highlight Arya’s humility, Bharadwaj recalled an incident from earlier in his journey. He revealed that Arya once travelled by third AC train to Mansa, Punjab, to participate in a club tournament—just a day after he had struck 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.
