In a season already dotted with ripping performances, there is one name lighting up the IPL 2025 scene—Priyansh Arya, the dynamite Punjab Kings opener who has swept the tournament off its feet.

And driving his meteoric emergence is none other than erstwhile Indian opener and present-day Team India head coach, Gautam Gambhir, who affectionately refers to Arya as his “younger brother.”

A Bond Smelt Beyond the Line

Arya, a New Delhi resident of Ashok Nagar, gets more than cricketing tips from Gambhir. The bond between the two is deep, built on trust, mentorship, and brotherhood. Gambhir himself mentored Arya to play in the DDCA league and the Hot Weather tournament—two platforms that were game-changers in the young man’s growth.

Along with the robust support group, Arya works under Sanjay Bharadwaj, Gambhir’s own early coach, in Bhopal—yet another connection of their cricketing paths across generations.

A Century to Remember

The 22-year-old batsman made his entrance on the grandest stage in style, blasting a 39-ball hundred against the Chennai Super Kings—the quickest IPL hundred against CSK and the second-quickest by any Indian after Yusuf Pathan’s legendary 37-ball century in 2010. On seven boundaries and nine sixes, Arya did not just set records—he shattered them.

His scorching ton also gave him the record of being the eighth uncapped player to score a century in IPL history. Interestingly, he surpassed Rajat Patidar’s 49-ball century in 2022, creating a new benchmark for young Indian batsmen in the league.

A Star is Born

Arya was snapped up for Rs 3.8 crore by the Preity Zinta co-owned Punjab Kings during the 2025 auction. In return, he’s delivered a season that has left fans and owners alike in awe—including Zinta herself, who was visibly stunned by his whirlwind knock.

With 158 runs at an incredible strike rate of more than 210, Arya hasn’t only become a highlight reel, but quite possibly a building block for Punjab’s campaign in this season.

Climbing the Legends’ Ladder

Although he co-holds the joint fourth-fastest IPL century record with Travis Head (2024), Arya still remains behind the greats such as Chris Gayle (30 balls in 2013), Yusuf Pathan (37 balls), and David Miller (38 balls). Yet at the early stages of his career, the young Delhi lad appears to have several more forays into cricket’s record books.