New Delhi, March 24 : As a seven-year-old kid in New Delhi's Ashok Vihar, Priyansh Arya was just getting started in his cricketing journey. At the LB Shastri Cricket Club, he had started to train under illustrious cricket coach Sanjay Bhardwaj, whose pupils include India's current head coach, Gautam Gambhir.

It was also the time when Priyansh, just liked any other kid in India, was glued to their TV screens on April 18, 2008 to witness the first game of the Indian Premier League (IPL). At the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, Brendon McCullum provided for more fireworks after the spectacular opening ceremony by slamming a breath-taking unbeaten 158 off just 73 deliveries, including 10 fours and 13 sixes.

Seeing that knock from McCullum awakened a dream within Priyansh ' to play like him and take the IPL by storm by hitting a lot of sixes. Cut to now, and Priyansh, 23, finds himself in an IPL environment for the first time, with the left-handed opener expected to be the cynosure of all eyes when Punjab Kings open their 2025 season against Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad on Tuesday.

'I remember the match when McCullum scored 158, and I have liked IPL since then. I used to think that I should play and score as well. Since the time I have come to IPL, the atmosphere has been very positive. The coaches and support staff here have created a very positive atmosphere. So, I am feeling very good and we are going towards the first match in a very positive way.'

'I am very excited to play in IPL 2025. I used to think that I will play in 2024, but it didn't happen last year. I felt bad, but it's okay. I then thought that I have to become the highest run-scorer in DPL. After the first DPL match, I said that I wanted to take the orange cap, and I got it,' said Priyansh in an exclusive conversation with IANS.

Last week, Ricky Ponting, the new Punjab Kings head coach, predicted Priyansh to be a very special potential opening batter for the side in IPL 2025. Being hailed by a legend of Ponting's stature at this stage of his career is something which Priyansh truly treasures.

'It is a dream come true to work under Ponting's coaching, as I grew up watching him and Sachin Tendulkar as a kid. I also liked Ponting's pull shot, which I used to watch a lot as a kid. Now that I am working under his coaching, I am very happy and excited,' he added.

Priyansh first attracted attention when he thumped six sixes in an over in the inaugural edition of the Delhi Premier League (DPL), amassing 608 runs in 10 innings with an astonishing strike rate of 198.69, including two centuries and four fifties.

The tournament was being covered by scouts of IPL teams, which meant Priyansh, with an ability to hit sixes consistently, especially down the ground, came under their radar and attended pre-mega auction trials of all teams, including of PBKS. "I was also called for trials last year, but couldn't go at that time. So, I went this time around. We didn't get any such scenarios."

"They gave us free hand. Like, it was open nets. Four bowlers were bowling and we would get 10 minutes of batting. We didn't get match scenarios, as we just had to express ourselves. I can say that the biggest turning point was DPL," he recalled.

At the 2024/25 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT), Priyansh amassed 325 runs for Delhi, including hitting a 43-ball 102 against Uttar Pradesh, at an average of 40.62 and a strike rate of 176.63. The knock of 102 coming against Uttar Pradesh in Mumbai is something which Priyansh cites as another turning point for him, as it came just a day before him being picked by PBKS in Jeddah.

"Regarding my mindset at that time, to be honest, I was under a lot of pressure, as the next day was an auction. I was completely blank when I went out to bat. I couldn't talk to anyone, nor I could do anything. I was under a lot of pressure that the next day is an auction. If I say that I didn't have any pressure in my mind, then it is wrong.

"I put myself under a lot of pressure that the next day is the auction. But as things went on, I thought about the game and I felt that against Bhuvneshwar Kumar, I will take some time. But I played only two balls off him in two overs, and then I didn't feel much pressure. Also because only the domestic Indian bowlers came, I felt a little easy thereafter,' he added.

In the team hotel in Mumbai, Priyansh was seated alongside his Delhi team-mates, who found takers in the auction. 'They were saying that 'now my turn will come'. So, I was holding the pillow in my mouth. When my name came, DC picked it up first and I left that pillow.'

"I was on the phone after that, but my attention was there on TV. Then calls started to come in and my phone hanged. When Punjab eventually picked me, I was very happy that a North Indian team took me in for the IPL."

The conversation with his parents, who work as teachers, was very brief. 'To tell you the truth, I didn't talk much with my family, because I only spoke to them for 10 seconds. My mummy and papa just congratulated me. Nothing else happened, as I was in Mumbai and didn't even know what was the reaction back home.'

What also gladdened Priyansh was the prediction of his coach Bhardwaj coming true. 'He sent me a picture of a bill on the 24th, where an amount was written on the bill. I didn't know that I would go for an amount which would be more than what was written by sir on the bill. That literally came true, as later sir said it was written on the 24th and it was true on the 25th ' and he was very happy.'

Priyansh is one of three opening batters in PBKS' squad, alongside Prabhsimran Singh and Australia's Josh Inglis. He insists that his focus is squarely on performing for the team, without thinking about the position or how he would maintain the balance between making an impact for the team and playing attacking cricket.

'I am not looking at the position. The way the support staff will like it, they will do what is beneficial for the team. I am not thinking about it as it added pressure to me when in practice games. I try to stay in the present. If I think about the past and future, I put a lot of pressure on myself.'

'So, it is very important for me to stay in the present. I always think that I should make as many runs as possible for the team, so that its impact should be felt by the team for a full innings. So, I just focus on that, and I really don't focus much on my returns.'

In his own words, the learnings Priyansh wants from IPL 2025 are nothing special. But on a closer look, they look significant ' gaining as much knowledge from Ponting and other Indian players, like skipper Shreyas Iyer.

'I just want to gain as much experience as possible from the senior players who are playing for India. Obviously, our captain has won every trophy. Wherever he has won trophies, he has performed the best. For example, he was the leading run-getter in the Champions Trophy for India.'

'So, I aim to just keep talking to him and asking him how he does his things, what is it, and what his mindset is? I also talk to our head coach. So, I just want to gain as much experience as possible. I have a great relationship with everyone, because we all sit together at night. So, everything is good.'

This weekend's IPL 2025 matches featured numerous sixes from the heavy blades of all major batters. The coming weeks will reveal if Priyansh can achieve similar results for the Punjab Kings. Should he succeed, it will evoke the same awe he experienced as a seven-year-old after witnessing McCullum's blazing performance in the first-ever IPL game in 2008.

/IANS