Chennai Super Kings (MY photo) Former India greats Sunil Gavaskar and Cheteshwar Pujara praised the fearless approach shown by young batsmen Ayush Mhatre and Priyansh Arya and highlighted how the new generation is redefining T20 batting by focusing on the present rather than past failures.Priyansh Arya set the tone for Punjab Kings’ daunting chase of 210 against Chennai Super Kings with a blistering start after being introduced as a substitute. He attacked the bowlers from the start, driving Khaleel Ahmed for sharp boundaries before blasting him over midwicket for a six. Despite some movement on offer, Khaleel conceded 14 runs in the opening match.
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Mike Hussey admits CSK were outplayed after the batting collapse Arya’s attack only got stronger in the next over as he went after Matt Henry with a sequence of 4, 6 and 4 to race to 25 off just six balls. By the time Punjab reached 50 in a staggering 3.2 overs, Arya had already smashed 27 off eight deliveries. His 39 off 11 balls, fired at a remarkable strike rate of 355, exemplifies the modern T20 plan – he maximizes PowerPlay and seizes control early.Pujara was particularly impressed by Arya’s ability to read the game quickly and punish even the smallest mistakes. “Priyansh Arya picks the length very early. On this pitch, whenever the ball was a bit short, he didn’t miss and often hit it for a six. We saw that against bowlers like Matt Henry and Khaleel Ahmed, he doesn’t miss a fuller delivery, which means there is very little margin for error from the bowlers. He is very strong on the leg side but also comfortable batting outside the bowl.” Pujara said ‘JioStar’.While Punjab’s batting firepower excelled, Gavaskar pointed to Chennai Super Kings’ bowling as a growing problem. “From what we have seen so far, CSK’s biggest concern for the rest of the tournament will be their bowling. That means they may have to score around 225-230 regularly to give their bowlers a chance. Most teams now have considerable batting depth, as we saw at Punjab Kings where Marcus Stoinis came in at No. 7 and hit the ball cleanly to the batting sides of Chenna, they will need cricket to bat cleanly with the right shots. fine.”For Chennai, it was youngster Ayush Mhatre who provided the foundation for a fluent 73 off 43 balls, showing both poise and attacking intent. Reflecting on his role and temperament, Gavaskar backed him to do better higher up the order while praising his mindset. “I believe number 3 is a good position for Ayush Mhatre. He has batted lower down the order in the under-19 set-up but three could suit him. He was dismissed first in the previous game but he showed no signs of it affecting him. That’s the beauty of the ‘Gen Next’ mindset, they don’t dwell too much on the past and focus on the present.”Together, the performances of Arya and Mhatre, along with praise from two of India’s most respected voices, underline a clear shift in attitude among the young batsmen – fearless, instinctive and unencumbered by past failures.
