Although Arya has played only two Ranji Trophy matches so far, he is one of the few batters in the world to have a strike rate of over 100 in all three formats – 121.29, 137.57 and 176.78 in first-class, List A and T20 cricket, respectively. And averages of 43.66, 34.68, and 29.01 suggest there’s potential there, even if there’s some way to go.
“Even if I get out, I don’t feel [bad] a lot. I always remain positive and confident. You can take your time in 50-overs cricket, and I do that as well since there’s lesser pressure [to score quickly]. All I know is that in today’s times, you need to keep improving every day, and that’s what I strive for as well.”
Arya, however, looks at it as healthy competition.
“It’s quite chill between all of us because we only focus on performance,” he said. “The better you perform, the higher you go in the pecking order. I’ve batted with Prabhsimran, Abhishek and Vaibhav, and have learnt something from each of them.
“I’ve played with all of them at one level or the other, and I always watch them while they’re training. I try to incorporate some of their methods into my game so I can benefit from them. I like their batting style and intent.
“For instance, I enjoy playing with Vaibhav because he takes pressure off you by scoring big runs. When he bats, the opposition even starts bowling defensively. This makes batting easier for [his partners] as well. There’s great joy in watching Vaibhav bat from the non-striker’s end. I just tell him, ‘If you’re hitting well, just keep hitting’.”
“It’s a lot of fun playing for India A, and to wear the blue jersey is a proud feeling… There’s a bit of pressure on you when you’re playing for your country at any level. However, that pressure is also a privilege”
Priyansh Arya
“I have the best bond with Prabh bhai,” Arya said. “He has been playing in the IPL for the last seven or eight years, and is a lot more experienced than me. He helps me with every little thing, and tells me what each bowler’s strengths are. That helps me prepare accordingly for them. If a left-arm spinner comes on in the powerplay, it’s me who targets him; while if an offspinner comes on, it’s him. So we try to communicate with each other as best as possible, and target different bowlers.”
It’s this strong equation with Prabhsimran that helped Arya find a place in a three-day off-season camp conducted by former India batter Yuvraj Singh. Arya was one of three batters, along with Prabhsimran and Abhishek, who were part of the camp.
“That camp was held just before the series against Australia A [in 2025], and I made full use of it,” Arya said. “He [Yuvraj] pointed out two or three things about my stance and bat swing, and that has helped me improve.”
“It’s a lot of fun playing for India A, and to wear the blue jersey is a proud feeling,” he said. “I felt great to have scored a century for India A last year. There’s a bit of pressure on you when you’re playing for your country at any level. However, that pressure is also a privilege. I enjoy playing under that pressure, and try to handle it well.”
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