Murali Vijay, a former Indian cricketer, highlighted Priyansh Arya, Punjab Kings’ opener, as a potential all-format star ahead of the IPL 2026. In just 17 games during his first season, Arya scored 475 runs at a strike rate of around 180.
In the IPL 2025, he famously hit 103 off 42 balls against Chennai Super Kings and contributed two more fifties, helping PBKS advance to the final. The left-handed hitter was especially praised by Vijay for his poise and efficiency in the innings’ middle overs.
“Priyansh Arya seems to be a very interesting personality with a brilliant sense of timing. He has all the ingredients to become a great player. The ability to strike against spinners between overs 7 to 15 is very important. It’s the toughest phase to tackle in T20s, but Priyansh Arya does that well as a left-hander with the ability to access all areas. I believe he will play at several levels and has the ability to become an all-format player,” said Vijay on Star Sports.
“His basics are so strong, and his balance is impeccable, which is why he is able to access both sides of the wicket. It helps him direct the good deliveries from bowlers to different parts of the ground. As he plays more matches, his flair and strengths will come out even more. It is important not to be harsh on such players,” he added.
Priyansh Arya is an X-factor player, according to former Indian cricketer Sadagoppan Ramesh, who highlighted his versatility in all T20 game phases. In IPL 2025, Arya maintained a high strike rate even outside the powerplay and performed exceptionally well against both pace and spin. against March 31, when PBKS takes against Gujarat Titans in the IPL 2026, he is expected to play.
“To be an X-factor player like Bumrah, you have to be useful to the side at all stages of a game. If you are only a phase-dependent player, then you are not an X-factor. That way, Priyansh Arya has shown the ability to play well in the powerplay, middle, and death overs. So he is automatically an X-factor,” said Ramesh.
“Middle overs are the toughest for a batter, where their strike rates drop. But Priyansh Arya maintains the same tempo in the powerplay and the middle overs, which is the main reason why he can play the long innings. But this year is going to be another big challenge for him. Only if he performs well this year, he can enter that big zone. He has the talent but whether he has the consistency remains to be seen,” he added.
