Priyansh Arya, undeterred by emerging teams in Asia Cup, vows to continue

Priyansh Arya (PTI Photo) NEW DELHI: Priyansh Arya can hit sixes at will. With his brutal stroke play, the Delhi batsman can be as devastating as the best in the game and fit into any white-ball line-up. But he is also competing for a place in a generation that includes Abhishek Sharma, one of the world’s best T20I batsmen, and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, a bona fide superstar in the making.So where does that leave Arya?The Delhi batsman, who was recently a regular for India A in white-ball cricket, has not been selected for the Tilak Varma-led squad for the upcoming Asia Emerging Teams Cup. India’s openers will be Abhishek and Sooryavanshi and Arya can consider himself unlucky.Priyansh Arya has a strike rate of 135.11 in List A cricket and 176.78 in T20s. In just four first-class matches, he has already shown promise and scored an amazing 199. Priyansh, who plays for Punjab Kings, had the third-best run rate in the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL). He scored at a strike rate of 211.62. He was behind Sooryavanshi and Finn Allen while Abhishek Sharma was fourth.For a player who consistently fires the bat, this omission begs the question: how will he break through when the competition is just as explosive and increasingly difficult to ignore?“I don’t feel unhappy. Whatever I get is a lot. I’m grateful and it happens to everyone. You just have to push on the door until it breaks,” Arya told reporters as she was overlooked for the Asian Emerging Teams Cup in Muscat from October 18-27.The Delhi batsman, who scored a fine half-century in the innings, could prove to be a key player against Services on Day 4 of their ongoing Ranji Trophy match at the Air Force Complex Ground in Palam.“The wicket is very good. In the first session, if there was little humidity, the ball would seam a bit and both teams would take advantage of that. In the second session, it will harden a bit so the ball doesn’t bounce as well,” he said.“Tomorrow’s first hour is very crucial. If we take five wickets, I think we can win outright. Our batting power is very good. We can chase up to 300 runs. If we get enough time, it will be good for our team,” he added.In Delhi’s first match against Gujarat at the same venue, Arya fell short of his double hundred. It was also his first first-class century.“I didn’t even know I scored 199! I was a little sad when I left the field, but it was part of the game. Scoring 199 is pretty rare,” Arya recalled.The southpaw said he was also helped by the words of Delhi coach Vijay Dahiya, a former Indian stumper. He said: “Coach motivates me a lot.“When we’re having fun, it’s not like we’re playing a game just for three points. We’re always talking about going for a straight win. That’s a good thing for team and individual growth.”It will be a quick turnaround for the southpaw as he will be a force to be reckoned with in Delhi in the hunt for the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, starting November 14. First match Delhi vs Jammu and Kashmir at Holkar Stadium, Indore.“There is less time to prepare but we will see. Our team is very good in white-ball cricket and if we win the trophy, that is the main focus. Many players do well in white-ball cricket, especially in the opening slot where there is a lot of competition,” said Arya.Arya also believes that transitioning between formats is largely about mindset. “It’s all based on our mindset. Whatever your mindset is, it helps us a lot, whether it’s the red ball or the white ball,” he said.The devastating batter also highlighted the importance of red-ball cricket in a player’s development. “If you see a good player with the red ball, he can easily succeed in white ball cricket. The red ball is very important.”After making his first-class debut last year, Arya believes the format has contributed to his growth as a cricketer. However, he disagrees with the perception of players who are labeled as red or white ball specialists. “I don’t feel anything about being a ‘white ball’ or a ‘red ball’ cricketer. It’s just what people out there make up. It doesn’t affect me at all,” he said.