Priyansh Arya blasts 9 sixes, 7 fours after coach requests, ‘Score a century for me today'
The Outer Delhi Warriors opener delivered a stunning century in their fourth game against East Delhi Riders. While the Warriors eventually fell short in a high-scoring thriller, Arya's 111 off just 56 balls stood out as a moment of personal triumph, particularly for fulfilling a promise made just hours before the match.
Arya revealed after the game that his childhood coach, Sanjay Bhardwaj, had called him with a special request.
"He said, 'Score a century for me today,'" Arya shared. "I took my time early on, got set, and I'm glad I could do exactly what he asked."
Batting under tough conditions with sweltering heat and high humidity at the venue, Arya paced his innings smartly. After losing opening partner Sanat Sangwan in the very first over, Arya held firm at one end and unleashed a calculated assault on the bowlers. His innings featured nine sixes and seven boundaries, forming the backbone of Outer Delhi Warriors' imposing total of 231 for 7 in their 20 overs.
Karan Garg, batting at number three, chipped in with a quick 43 off 24 balls. The two stitched together a crucial 92-run stand that gave ODW the momentum they needed through the middle overs.
"It felt great to contribute meaningfully to the team's efforts," Garg said post-match. "Being part of that partnership at the top was something I'm proud of."
Despite Arya's heroics, East Delhi Riders mounted a thrilling chase. After a shaky start that saw them lose three wickets inside the powerplay, the match turned with a powerful counterattack from Anuj Rawat and Arpit Rana. Rawat smashed 85 from just 34 balls while Rana added 79 from 45. Their 130-run partnership proved decisive as East Delhi Riders sealed the chase with four balls and five wickets remaining.
While the final result may not have gone in ODW's favour, Arya's knock drew praise from fans and coaches alike. It marked his first century of the season and highlighted the depth of talent in DPL's second edition.
The game served as a reminder that beyond the scores and standings, cricket often thrives on personal motivations. For Priyansh Arya, keeping his coach's wish was as important as any result on the board.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
an hour ago
- The Hindu
It was clear that we were in England to create history: Sai Sudharsan
Tamil Nadu batter B. Sai Sudharsan recently made his Test debut against England. The 23-year-old showed good promise in tackling challenging conditions, even if the returns were middling. Earlier this year, he had a breakthrough performance in the IPL, finishing as the top scorer with 759 runs. In an exclusive chat with The Hindu, the left-handed batter spoke about the exciting Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, the thrilling climax at The Oval where India won by six runs on the final morning to level the series (2-2), and much more. Excerpts: You have now played for India in all three formats. How was the feeling of making your Test debut? To be honest, the Test (debut) feeling was completely different. Yes, the white ball (debuts) were also very prestigious. But compared to those two debut games, when I was standing for the national anthem, it felt really special. And especially playing in England, a place I like, and I have played before... growing up, everyone used to say Test cricket is the ultimate, and I finally experienced it. It gives you that unbelievable feeling, or complete fulfilment, or satisfaction once the game finishes. It was an exciting series, with every match going to the last day... Shubman had recently said that 'this is not a young team but a gun team'. It was not just a punchline, and the thought process behind that was that everybody has come here doing so many good things, or is capable of doing a lot of good things. Right from the first team meeting, it was clear that we are here to create history. It would have been easy to say this is a young team, and we are here to learn. But the thought process when we entered the series was not that we were coming in like a new team, but that we had come here to dominate and win the series. Talk us through that exciting fifth Test at The Oval, especially when Joe Root and Harry Brook had a partnership going on the fourth day? We had our disappointments. We can see that they are playing well and they are coming closer to the target, and we had our moments. But that's the essence of Test cricket. We had done well on day one. On day two, we fought back, taking wickets. On day three, Washi (Washington Sundar) played a tremendous knock to give us a good finish. On day four, they had the best batting conditions. But we knew it was a matter of one wicket, which would open up the game. The way Brook was batting, we knew we would get a chance with him taking so many risks. They were England's best pair. They had good batters left, but they might not provide the same control these two did. So if we get one or two wickets, runs will dry up, it will be game-changing, and that's what happened. Akash Deep, Prasidh (Krishna) and (Mohammed) Siraj, playing in a wicket like that with just three fast bowlers, bowled their heart out in two innings. I could see on day four they were tired, but they kept on pushing, and because of their effort, we (stayed in the game) and got the rain break. So the bowlers were fresh the next morning. Wearing the India jersey in a Test series at England… it's a feeling I will never forget. Every moment, every session taught me something new. This win is special 🇮🇳🙏 — Sai Sudharsan (@sais_1509) August 4, 2025 How would you rate your performance? There are so many things to reflect on, so many improvements to make. Even if we have a great season, we will have areas for improvement. But if it is just an ok series like this, there are a lot of points to work on, whether it's the mindset or even from a run-making point of view. Were there any regrets in not converting those starts? Definitely, it was disappointing not to convert after getting those starts, and I should have made a big knock. It was one of the most significant learnings. Having got through the difficult phase, in India, you could open up and be aggressive. But, in England, you have to keep it tight and do what you did in the first hour. These are things I want to learn and structure my batting around. Another thing is to ensure you never miss an opportunity to score off a bad ball to put the pressure back on the bowler. There are layers to it, depending on the pitch and the kind of scoring options you have. So that idea and approach towards the innings, I want to improve on. You were dropped after the first Test. Were you concerned you might not get another chance? I was not thinking about it because Shubman (Gill) and all the support staff spoke to me and explained why I didn't play. They told it's not about what you did or what you can do. It's about the combination. Even before the first game, GG sir spoke to me for 5-10 minutes saying, 'you have reached here and you can win games for India as well. And you will get a long rope.' When you are playing away from India, it is sometimes difficult to get in the extra time (in nets). But the support staff helped me a lot with (Sitanshu) Kotak sir allowing me to leave early and train with the side-armers. Tendo (Ryan ten Doeschate) came with me every morning to have an overview of the session. These small things, I think, will make a big difference. What do you think Sai Sudharsan is writing down on the paper? 📸: JioHotstar — Sportstar (@sportstarweb) June 22, 2025 How important is that for you to spend quality time in the nets in terms of volume? Definitely, it is very crucial. It is all about repetition and familiarity. The more familiar I am with my batting and the conditions and movement of the ball, off the wicket, the more I bat, more the understanding and confidence I get. What are the technical adjustments you feel you can make to get better? There are a few things that I can improve on, like tracking the ball well and even timing the ball better. Those things will help me to be in a better position when the ball is swinging or seaming. I need to become more refined in these areas, which will help me face any difficult situation I may face in the future. Last year, you had surgery that kept you out for a few months, and then you bounced back strongly in the IPL, finishing as the highest run-getter. How would you assess yourself and the phase of your career? Sometimes it becomes a blessing in disguise because you get some time to prepare your body. So in those days, I felt blessed because I had that time before the IPL started. I worked well. There are so many small things which we can't focus on because we are playing regularly. I was able to address those things because I had time. I started preparing for the IPL as early as December, which helped me. It creates a structure for the next 10-15 years, and because I have a base or a structure, I can continue to build on that. There were some tough times, but coming out of that and having a good series in IPL and going to play in the Test cricket in England was special. Where do you feel you have improved in the last six months or so? To be honest, over a period of time, I don't feel there is a big difference in terms of my game. However, I think that my belief system and the clarity about what I want to do have become better. I feel that it is helping me express myself more freely.
NDTV
2 hours ago
- NDTV
Australia ODIs In Sight, Rohit Sharma Starts Training With Former India Assistant Coach Abhishek Nayar
India ODI captain Rohit Sharma on Tuesday started training at a suburban Mumbai facility with former national assistant coach Abhishek Nayar amid clamour for a "youth only" policy in the 50-over format following the success of the inexperienced Test squad in England. Rohit had taken a break from the game for a couple of months post the IPL as Indian men's team embarked on a difficult tour of England. He also announced his retirement from Test cricket ahead of the five Test series in England and is now a one format player. He was on a family holiday in England and came back last week. Rohit posted an Instagram story from a gymnasium with his close friend Nayar, who also at times doubles up as his personal coach. Nayar, who has also worked the likes of Dinesh Karthik, KL Rahul, Rinku Singh and young KKR batter Angkrish Raghuvanshi, was India's assistant coach batting till Champions Trophy, following which he was sacked. However, all those who have personally worked with Nayar have spoken about the changes he has brought in their games, including Rahul, who worked with him prior to the start of the England Test series where he scored 532 runs. The picture is an indication that Rohit is not in a mood to throw in the towel yet and would like to still believe that he would be good enough to play in the 50 over World Cup in 2027, still 26 months from now. The current national selection committee would want to ensure that a stable core is created for the 50 over set-up and with players who are available for the next two years. A school of thought in the Indian team management is that Rohit should be offered a farewell series and that should be Australia with Shubman Gill being announced as the new 50-over skipper. But how the selection committee and more so BCCI's influential office-bearers look at events is equally important. Rohit is an ODI legend with 32 hundreds, third highest in the all time list after Virat Kohli (51) and Sachin Tendulkar (49). For the record, Rohit was the 'Player of The Match' against New Zealand in the Champions Trophy final. PTI KHS BS BS
NDTV
2 hours ago
- NDTV
No Women's World Cup Matches At Chinnaswamy Stadium? Report Makes Big 'Unsafe' Claim
Bengaluru's M Chinnaswamy Stadium will no longer host any matches of the upcoming 2025 Women's ODI World Cup, according to a report. The Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) has come under the scanner ever since a stampede killed 11 fans and injured scores of others, who had thronged the areas near the stadium to take part in Royal Challengers Bengaluru's maiden IPL title celebration. Last week, the cabinet approved Justice John Michael D'Cunha's Commission verdict, which deemed the iconic venue "unsuitable and unsafe for mass gathering". According to a report by India Today, the state government has refused to give clearance to the venue, citing serious safety concerns flagged by the court hearing last week. "Sources in the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) confirmed that fixtures originally planned in the city, including the opening ceremony, will now be shifted to other venues. The decision follows the cabinet's approval of Justice John Michael D'Cunha Commission's findings, which deemed the stadium "fundamentally unsafe" for large-scale events," the report said. The Chinnaswamy Stadium is scheduled to host the opening game and the final of the ICC Women's World Cup later this year, as well as the opening ceremony. The report also revealed that the KSCA has expressed its disappointment over the verdict, highlighting the stadium's record of successfully hosting over 750 matches and nearly 15 IPL seasons without incident. "Even our request to host matches without spectators was turned down," the report quoted a KSCA official as saying. This also comes after the venue was denied permission to host the KSCA Maharaj T20 Trophy. The fourth edition of the tournament was scheduled to be played at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium from August 11 to 28, but the failure to obtain a clearance certificate from the city police forced the association to shift the matches to the Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wadiyar Cricket Stadium in Mysuru.
