He Didn’t Use a Mobile, Trained in the Forest – Now He’s Making IPL History
Young batter Priyansh Arya has made history in the IPL. On Tuesday, he became the first uncapped player in IPL history to score the highest century. Playing for Punjab Kings against the powerhouse Chennai Super Kings, Priyansh hit a century off just 39 balls, the 4th fastest century in tournament history. He’s debuted in this IPL season and has already shown his explosive batting talent.
But this overnight success didn’t come easy. Priyansh has fought hard to get here. Before IPL 2025 began, this left-handed batter underwent intense training – details of which were recently revealed by his coach.
Priyansh trained under Sanjay Bharadwaj, a renowned coach who also mentored former Indian cricketer Gautam Gambhir. Months before IPL 2025, Priyansh joined Bharadwaj’s residential training center, located 20 km from Bhopal, deep in the Ratapani forest of Madhya Pradesh. Bharadwaj runs this camp in a traditional gurukul style. Notable players like Nitish Rana, Unmukt Chand, and Kulwant Khejroliya have trained there before.
Bharadwaj shared,
“Before IPL and the Delhi Premier League, Priyansh trained here in my residential academy. It’s like a gurukul, hidden deep inside Ratapani forest – no signboards, no distractions. He stayed away from Delhi’s heat and pollution to focus completely on cricket.”
12 Hours of Training a Day, No Mobile Use
According to Bharadwaj, Priyansh trained 12 hours daily. He wasn’t allowed to use his mobile phone, except for one hour per day. He lived a disciplined life, eating traditional food cooked over a woodfire, and began training every day at 6:30 AM till around 6 PM, without rest in between. The training covered all aspects of the game – batting, fielding, and fitness. After his century on Tuesday, Priyansh called Bharadwaj the next morning to share his joy.
Priyansh had shown great promise in domestic cricket. During the mega auction, Punjab Kings bought him for ₹3.80 crore (base price: ₹30 lakh), beating RCB in the bidding war. Since the start of IPL 2025, he’s been opening for Punjab. Against Chennai, he smashed 103 runs off 42 balls, hitting 7 fours and 9 sixes, and was rightly awarded Player of the Match.
A Star from Delhi’s Local Leagues
Before IPL, Priyansh gained attention by hitting 6 sixes in 6 balls, and even scored a century in that same innings. In a Delhi Premier League match between South Delhi Superstars and North Delhi Strikers, he scored an unbeaten 120 off 50 balls, including 10 fours and 10 sixes.
In the 12th over, he hit 6 consecutive sixes off a left-arm spinner. Then, in the 15th over, he completed his second century of the tournament.
Other players like Ross Whiteley (2017), Hazratullah Zazai (2018), and Leo Carter (2020) had achieved 6 sixes in 6 balls in domestic T20s. Internationally, Yuvraj Singh, Kieron Pollard, and Dipendra Singh Airee (twice) have done the same. Priyansh now joins that elite club – and has begun making his mark in the IPL.
