New Delhi: Priyansh Arya’s career trajectory has been nothing short of a rollercoaster ride, marked by dazzling highs and daunting lows. His journey, which began with smashing six sixes in an over during the inaugural Delhi Premier League T20, earned him a lucrative Rs 3.8 crore contract with Punjab Kings at the IPL auction. This meteoric rise positioned him as one of the most promising batting talents to emerge from Delhi. However, the period between securing the IPL deal and his recent blistering century was marred by the infamous biases and apathy of Delhi cricket, which threatened to derail his promising career.
In a shocking turn of events this December, Arya was nearly sent back from the Vijay Hazare Trophy by selectors, solely based on his performance in a few low-scoring U-23 matches. On the eve of the tournament’s opener, he was ready to pack his bags and leave the team hotel when intervention from senior cricketers like Ishant Sharma and Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) president Rohan Jaitley saved him from the potential humiliation of being sent back. This incident occurred shortly after Arya clinched the IPL deal, following his strong performance in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Tournament, highlighting the DDCA management’s inconsistency in nurturing its talents.
Arya, who had significantly contributed to the growth of the brand Delhi Premier League T20, was astonishingly given limited opportunities to play, only participating in a couple of matches late in the tournament. Frustrated by the lack of support, he sought guidance from former India selector Devang Gandhi, who had previously served as the Delhi coach during the 2023-24 season. Gandhi, who first noticed Arya’s talent during a trial match ahead of the 2023 season, was impressed by his timing and composure against fast bowlers like Harshit Rana and Mayank Yadav. “Priyansh doesn’t look like a strong kid, but the way he timed the ball was sensational. The best part is he looked comfortable against the pace of Harshit Rana and Mayank Yadav. He had attitude, he wouldn’t take a backward step,” Gandhi remarked to TOI.
Despite initial reservations from the Delhi selectors about his readiness for red-ball cricket, Gandhi advocated for Arya’s inclusion in both white-ball formats and the Ranji Trophy. He even recommended Arya to Sourav Ganguly, then the director at Delhi Capitals. Ganguly and Ricky Ponting, the DC coach at the time, found Arya’s performances impressive, yet he couldn’t break into the team. However, when the mega auctions arrived, Ricky Ponting, now the coach of Punjab Kings, wasted no time in securing Arya’s services, recognizing the potential that had been nearly stifled by Delhi cricket’s internal dynamics.