Former India superstars Sunil Gavaskar and Cheteshwar Pujara praised the fearlessness displayed by young batsmen Ayush Mhatre and Priyansh Arya, highlighting how the new generation is redefining T20 batting by focusing on the present rather than the setbacks of the past.
Priyansh Arya came on as a substitute and set the tone for Punjab Kings’ 210-run stand against Chennai Super Kings with a brilliant start. From the start, he attacked the bowlers, pushing Khaleel Ahmed to a clear boundary before driving him over mid-wicket for a six. Despite some action, Carell gave up 14 points in the opening frame.
Arya’s offense became more intense in the next game. He chased Matt Henry with 4, 6 and 4 consecutively and scored 25 points with only 6 balls. By the time Punjab reached 50 in a staggering 3.2 overs, Arya had hit 27 runs in 8 deliveries. His 39 off 11 balls and a strike rate of 355 embodied the modern T20 blueprint – maximize PowerPlay and wrest possession early.
Pujara was particularly impressed with Arya’s ability to read the game quickly and punish the slightest mistakes. “Priyansh Arya chose length early on. On that pitch, as long as the ball was a little short, he didn’t miss it and hit sixes regularly. We saw against bowlers like Matt Henry and Khalil Ahmed that he didn’t miss a fuller delivery either, which meant the margin of error for the bowler became very small. He was strong on the leg side but also comfortable on the off-side, which made him a difficult batsman to bowl,” Cheteshwar Pujara told The Star.
While Punjab’s batting firepower stands out, Gavaskar pointed out that the bowling of the Chennai Super Kings is a growing concern. “From what we have seen so far, CSK’s biggest worry for the remainder of the match will be their bowling. This means they may have to consistently score around 225-230 to give the bowlers a chance. Most teams now have considerable batting depth, as we have seen with Kings XI Punjab, with Marcus Stoinis batting at number seven and batting cleanly with proper batting. With many teams batting deep, Chennai will need to get their bowling in order.”
For Chennai, youngster Ayush Mhatre provided the foundation for the side, showing composure and attacking intent with his 73 off 43 balls. Gavaskar reflected on his role and temperament, supporting him in reaching a higher position in the organization while praising his mentality. “I believe No. 3 is a good position for Ayush Mhatre. He batted lower in the order in the Under-19s but No. 3 might suit him well. He was dismissed first ball in the last game but showed no signs of being affected. That’s the beauty of the ‘next generation’ mentality, they don’t dwell too much on the past and focus on the present. It’s a great attitude to have.”
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Arya and Mhat’s performances, coupled with praise from two of India’s most respected voices, highlighted a clear shift in the young batsmen’s approach – fearless, instinctive and unaffected by past failures.