Priyansh Arya: Last year's disappointment turns into joy with 3.4 cr IPL contract

Last year in December, a day before the Indian Premier League (IPL) Auction, Priyansh Arya was hopeful of getting a contract with a franchise considering his performances in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20s where he was the lone bright spot among Delhi batsmen.

However, the left-handed batsman went unsold. Another equally talented youngster Sameer Rizvi of Uttar Pradesh shook the players’ market by bagging a Rs 8.4-crore contract with the Chennai Super Kings.

The difference probably was that while Rizvi was visible through the first edition of the UP T20 League last year prior to auction, Arya was an unknown quantity and it was difficult for any franchise to place trust in him.  

Luckily, Arya showed his prowess and class for the South Delhi Superstarz in this year’s inaugural Delhi Premier League, emerging as the league’s highest run-getter with 608 runs as opener. That the tournament was broadcast was a blessing as people saw him hit the league’s first century and four days later, six sixes in an over.

His performances left many people surprised that he wasn’t considered for Delhi’s Ranji Trophy squad and sent to under-23s where he did well in the multi-day format. He was called up to the Delhi team for the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20s (SMAT) this season too and on Saturday, smashed 102 off 43 balls in SMAT against a UP side that included Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Shivam Mavi. It sent a reminder to the franchises that he is worth a try.

On Monday, he was lapped up by the Delhi Capitals for Rs 3.4 crore.

Sanjay Bhardwaj, under whose guardianship he has been honing his skills right from the age of 10, calls him a natural hitter and an aggressive batsman.

“But I had told him that I will not come to watch you bat in the Delhi Premier League until you score a century. The day he hit it, I flew down to meet him,” said Bhardwaj, whose stable has produced the likes of Gautam Gambhir, Amit Mishra, Nitish Rana, Navdeep Saini, and Unmukt Chand among others.

Arya, the left-hander, quite ably discharged the responsibility of building innings and attacking as per the team’s need. He didn’t go all out which showed that he could be useful in multi-day format.

Earlier this month he provided Delhi under-23s a blazing start with 32 off 21 balls as he added 45 in six overs for the first wicket on the last day of the Col CK Nayudu match. Delhi went on to chase 290 in 68 overs against Gujarat on the final day.

“I began playing cricket when I was 10. I had developed interest in cricket like every kid does. So my parents put me in an academy closest to my home in Ashok Vihar,” says the 23-year-old Arya, whose parents are school teachers.

That academy was also the home of LB Shastri Cricket Club where the likes of Gautam Gambhir and other stars mentioned above had learnt cricket under the sharp eye of Bhardwaj.

Arya, like many Delhi cricketers including Virat Kohli at under-15 level, also had to face rejection early from the association.

“When he was 17, the selectors were not considering him for the Delhi under-19 squad. I pushed his case with Gursharan Singh (he was a selector then too). I asked him to at least give him a chance in the trial games. They let him play and he scored 93 not out,” says Bhardwaj, who is now settled in Bhopal.

Arya was picked in the team and scored a double century in his first Cooch Behar Trophy match. He went on to compile over 1,000 runs in his first season with the colts. He soon got rewarded for it and was picked for the India under-19 team that played South Africa.

Bhardwaj, who introduces his wards to club and league cricket at a young age like 12, 13 or 14 saw an early glimpse of the player’s talent during a tournament in Gajraula (Uttar Pradesh).

“We were facing Collage Group there in a match. There was Hiten Dalal batting for LB Shastri Club at one end. Arya was at the other end. Collage kept their focus on Dalal since he was the senior and more well-known. However, Arya went on to score 150. He must have been 15-16 then.”

He divides time between Delhi and Bhopal nowadays.

Tags : Priyansh Arya, Indian Premier League, IPL, Delhi Capitals, Syed Mushtaq Ali T20, six sixes