The Punjab Kings (PBKS) batter Shashank Singh has supported a young opener Priyansh Arya to have another grand season with the bat at the IPL 2026. Shashank denied the apprehension about his method and claimed he is extremely compact as a batter and he is mentally tough too.
On Friday, April 3, PBKS defeated Chennai Super Kings (CSK) by five wickets in a match that was numbered seven of the IPL 2026 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. First Bowling, PBKS had conceded 209-5, but ran after the target in 18.4 overs. Top-scorer was Skipper Shreyas Iyer with 50 off 29 and Priyansh with 39 off 11 only.
In a post-match press conference, Shashank congratulated Priyansh and said that he would have a bright IPL 2026 season. He commented:
“He doesn’t speak much, but he is mentally very tough. He knows his role and the areas where he can score runs. He is very young and the way he has matured with his batting is fantabulous. He will do well for sure because technique was never an issue for him. He is quite compact; he hits the ball well. He tries to middle it and doesn’t try to over hit. All those things required by an opener, he has it.”
In his scorching cameo, Priyansh hit three fours and four sixes before Matt Henry knocked him down. In 4.2 overs, he scored 61 runs for the first wicket alongside Prabhsimran Singh (43 off 34). Cooper Connolly also contributed a useful knock of 36 in 22 balls.
“We need to execute better” – Stephen Fleming on CSK’s bowling effort against PBKS
Stephen Fleming, the head coach of CSK, acknowledged that the team’s bowling needed to significantly improve. He claimed that the team has some talented players that can only become better with experience, and that the overhaul is a challenging undertaking. Fleming remarked:
“It’s part of a franchise decision to revamp. It’s a difficult task, but I think we have got some really good talent. There are five or six players that have started the season, but we think they are of high value moving forward. We are confident in our bowling attack. We need to execute better. There’s no doubt about it. We are below where we need to be.”
Stephen Fleming
Against PBKS, Henry scored 2-54 from four overs, while Noor Ahmad scored 0-38 and Rahul Chahar scored 0-46. Khaleel Ahmed, a left-arm bowler, bowled three overs for 28 runs without taking a wicket.
