Priyansh Arya Won Player Of The Match In Just 11 Deliveries: Here's What He Did To CSK

Chennai Super Kings (CSK), asked to bat first, put on a decent batting show at their home ground, the MA Chidambaram Stadium, in the IPL 2026 encounter against Punjab Kings on Friday. Ayush Mhatre top-scored with a 43-ball 73 for the home team, helping the Ruturaj Gaikwad side post 209 for 5 in their designated 20 overs. What CSK had perhaps not anticipated was a blistering counter-attack by PBKS top-order batter Priyansh Arya, who had come out to chase the towering target with only one intention: to show no mercy to CSK bowlers and the Yellow Army roaring for their beloved franchise.

And he did just that.

In the crease for only 11 deliveries during the PBKS run chase, Arya ended up taking home the Player of the Match award.

Priyansh Arya Loves Batting Against CSK

Arya, the 24-year-old

left-handed batter in the Punjab camp, became the second fastest Indian in the previous season when he smashed a 39-ball century against Chennai Super Kings at Mullanpur.

Clearly, a side he loves batting against, Arya’s outing on Friday evening was no different as Punjab needed something special from their opening batter to set the tone up front. Despite not being the top scorer of the night from the PBKS XI, Arya was adjudged Player of the Match after Shreyas Iyer’s dominant team posted their second consecutive win in the IPL 2026.

Also Read: Matthew Hayden Teaches Civic Sense: Why GT Coach Picking Up Trash Caused Fierce Outrage

Priyansh Arya’s 39 in 11 Deliveries

So what exactly did Priyansh Arya do to CSK bowlers?

Ball 1: Facing Khaleel Ahmed, Arya, who had taken strike, drove the ball straight down the ground for a boundary.

Ball 2: Arya cleared the fence on the second delivery of their run chase, when he pulled Ahmed behind deep mid-wicket for a stunning six.

Ball 3: Ahmed bowls short of a good length, Arya guides the ball to the right of deep square leg and completes a single.

Ball 4: Arya, now facing Matt Henry in the second over, slashes hard and gets a thick edge. The ball balloons between the keeper and the short third fielder for a boundary.

Ball 5: Arya faces Henry’s short-length ball and pulls it. He clears the deep mid-wicket boundary with ease for a maximum.

Ball 6: Arya gets on his front foot and spanks the drive uppishly between cover and mid-off area for a boundary.

Ball 7: Arya pushes a back of a length delivery for a single in front of the mid-wicket region.

Ball 8: Facing the third delivery of Ahmed in the third over, Arya nudges a short of a length ball in the mid-wicket area and completes a single.

Ball 9: Back on strike on the last delivery of Ahmed’s over, Arya goes aerial again. Although a top edge, the ball has the legs to travel and clear the deep mid-wicket fence for a maximum.

Ball 10: Arya takes strike in the fifth over, bowled by Henry. Showing no mercy to the Kiwi pacer, Arya sends the first ball, a length ball, over the bowler’s head for a fine six.

Ball 11: Batting at 39, Arya is finally undone by Henry, who knocks him over while he swings wildly at the ball. The off stump pays the price. But Arya has done the job for Punjab, as the chasing team already has 61/1 in just 4.2 overs.

Also Read: LSG Tried To End Sanjiv Goenka Backlash With ‘True Story’ Video And It Backfired Instantly

Arya ended up smashing three boundaries and four half a dozen in his short stay at the crease. He struck at an astonishing strike rate of 354.55. While all four PBKS top-order batters shone with the bat, Prabhsimran Singh (43 off 34), Cooper Connolly (36 off 22), and captain Iyer (50 off 29), it was Arya’s scintillating show with the wood that deservedly earned him the award.

Arya Picks The Player of The Match Award

So, how does he do it? The young sensation, speaking during the post-match presentation, said he brings out his free-spirited batting whenever he believes that his team would benefit.

“It’s been like this since childhood, and whenever I feel that it will benefit the team, I play like that. There is a little bit of risk-taking involved. I have belief in myself that if I can hit the first ball, then I will hit it,” he said.