Shikhar Dhawan Applauds Priyansh Arya’s Record-Breaking Century, Calls His Rise ‘Incredible’

Priyansh Arya has suddenly become the name on everyone’s lips after his jaw-dropping century against Chennai Super Kings. Up against a seasoned CSK bowling attack, the 24-year-old left-hander lit up the Mullanpur ground with a 39-ball hundred that included seven fours and nine sixes. His electric knock of 103 set the tone for Punjab Kings’ total of 219 — a score that proved more than enough, as they sealed an 18-run win.

Following that unforgettable innings, Arya has received praise from all corners of the cricket world. Former Punjab Kings skipper Shikhar Dhawan gave a heartfelt shout-out to the young batter, praising his journey and the record-breaking century. “Huge shoutout to Priyansh Arya for becoming one of the fastest to score a hundred in the history of IPL. Watching you rise from DPL to setting records in the IPL, what an incredible journey it has been. Truly proud of you champ, keep this up!" Dhawan posted on X. 

Two fantastic matches yesterday! Hats off to LSG and PBKS for pulling off such strong wins, maza aa gaya dekh ke! Huge shoutout to #PriyanshArya for becoming one of the fastest to score a hundred in the history of IPL. Watching you rise from DPL to setting records in the IPL,…

— Shikhar Dhawan (@SDhawan25) April 9, 2025

Arya first grabbed headlines back in August 2024 when he smashed six sixes in a single over during the DPL. Representing South Delhi Superstarz, he ended that tournament as its top run-scorer with 608 runs from just 10 innings. That explosive form earned him a lot of attention at the IPL 2025 auction, with Punjab Kings winning the bidding war for ₹3.8 crore. 

It turns out, the PBKS team management needed just a glimpse of Arya to know he was special. Assistant coach Brad Haddin revealed, "He played about eight balls in a practice game before the IPL. That was enough for us to say that he has to play the first game." Praise for Arya didn’t stop there. India star Suryakumar Yadav also joined in, sharing Arya’s image on Instagram Stories with the caption, “What a knock. Total entertainment.” 

After the game, Arya reached out to his childhood coach Sanjay Bharadwaj — a name well-known in Delhi cricketing circles and the mentor behind talents like Gautam Gambhir and Nitish Rana. Bharadwaj shared their conversation: “Just before speaking to you, Priyansh had called. He said, ‘namaskar sir,’ and asked, ‘Theek tha?’ (Was it okay?). I asked him what happened yesterday, and he humbly said it was all God’s doing, not his. I always tell him that it’s God working through him.” With performances like these and a grounded attitude to match, Priyansh Arya might just be the next big thing to watch in the IPL. 

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