For the cricket fans across the national capital, Delhi Premier League (DPL) 2024 was just another local T20 tournament, but only until Saturday afternoon, when two young batters from the city, Ayush Badoni and Priyansh Arya, set the Feroz Shah Kotla Ground at the Arun Jaitley Stadium ablaze with their historic feats. Both smashed centuries in less than 60 balls, stitching the highest-ever partnership of 286 runs in T20 cricket for any wicket.
They demolished the North Delhi bowlers, as the ball kept zooming out of the stadium, and they combined to smash 29 sixes during their stay in the middle. Arya went a step further, hitting 6 sixes in an over to get a special mention in the record books, while Badoni ransacked 165 off mere 55 balls. Arya smashed 120 runs in 50 balls as South Delhi Superstarz posted a colossal 308/5.
‘Have always wished to do such stuff.’
Arya, a well-known attacking batter in the Delhi circuit, emulated Yuvraj Singh’s majestic T20 feat. Speaking with select media after the game, the 23-year-old batter said he has been manifesting about smashing six maximums in an over but never knew he would really do it one day.
“I always wished to do it [hit six sixes in an over] but wasn’t sure when that would happen. But feeling good that today it happened,” Arya told media.
‘Focusing on Consistency’
Arya burst onto the scene when he made it to the India A U-19 squad for a quadrangular series in 2019 that featured youth teams from Afghanistan and South Africa, along with India B U-19. Arya played three matches in the series, aggregating only 57 runs, with the best of 44 coming against Afghanistan.
But that was just the beginning. Two years down the line, in 2021, he played his maiden domestic game for Delhi in a Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy game against Uttarakhand, scoring 16 off 19 balls after opening the innings with wicketkeeper-batter Anuj Rawat.
After two more years, he made his List A debut in 2023 in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, but the season didn’t go as expected. He scored 45 in his first game against Bihar before his runs dried up.
Coming into the inaugural DPL, Arya is using this tournament to revive himself and how. He is currently the top-score of the season with over 600 runs and striking at close to 200. He had already smashed a couple of hundreds, four half-centuries with more than 40 sixes and boundaries.
“I’ve worked on being consistent. The only change that I’ve made to my batting is running more between the wickets. So, I’m working on that a bit more,” Arya said about the change in his style coming into the DPL.
600 and counting!
Just a day after putting up a record score and winning against North Delhi Strikers by 112 runs, Arya-led South Delhi lost 61 runs to the same opponents. But the 23-year-opener didn’t drop the anchor. Chasing 210, Arya scored a 9-ball 26 before walking back into the hut, which took his tally of runs beyond the 600 mark.
The young batter isn’t abandoning his attacking mindset; he wishes to win games for his teams, even after qualifying for the semis.
“I’m trying to play attacking cricket as much as possible. My aim is to contribute to the team in the best possible manner. Not thinking much about my strike rate,” Priyansh said.
Not thinking much about IPL, SMAT is the focus
The IPL mega auctions are slated to take place later this year, and several youngsters would want to grab attention by keeping their performance intact. Given Arya’s consistency in the DPL, 600 runs, and 198 strike rate, it’s a possibility that he might be a decent deal when players like him go under the hammer.
But Arya’s focus stays on getting named in the Delhi squad for the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. He feels that thinking about the IPL auction is like throwing himself under the bus.
This strategic approach showcases his dedication to his state and his understanding of the importance of consistent performance in state-level tournaments for securing a spot in higher-level competitions.
“As far as T20Is are concerned, I’m seriously focused on the upcoming season of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. That would be a great opportunity to represent my state. So, my aim will be to perform there and win matches for my team.
“Not thinking that far, actually. IPL auction is huge and bringing that in mind is equivalent to throwing yourself under pressure. So, I’m not thinking about that at the moment,” he concluded.
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