Punjab Kings (PBKS) co-owner Preity Zinta was all praise for young batter Priyansh Arya, following the latter’s match-winning century against the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on Tuesday. Playing just his fourth Indian Premier League (IPL) game, Priyansh scored a counter-attacking 103 in 42 balls, with seven fours and nine sixes, striking at over 245. A day after the match, Zinta took to social media and shared contrasting details of her two interactions with Priyansh, labelling his knock as “birth of a bright star”.

“Last night was beyond special. We witnessed an explosive game of cricket, the roar of a legend, and the birth of a bright star! I met 24-year-old Priyansh Arya with some of our other young players a couple of days ago. He was quiet, shy & unassuming & did not utter a word throughout the evening,” Zinta captioned the post.

“Last night, I met him again during the PBKS vs CSK game at the Mullanpur cricket stadium. This time his talent spoke out aloud and his aggressive batting style stunned not just me but all of India as he etched his name in the record books for a blistering 103 off 42 balls. So proud of you, Priyansh Arya. You are a shining example of how actions speak louder than words. Keep smiling and shining & thank you for entertaining not just me but everyone that showed up to see the game. Here’s to many more memorable moments on and off the field,” she added.

Last night was beyond special. We witnessed an explosive game of cricket, the roar of a legend and the birth of a bright Star !

I met 24 year old Priyansh Arya with some of our other young players a couple of days ago. He was quiet, shy & unassuming & did not utter a word… pic.twitter.com/HtJPFsx1mf

— Preity G Zinta (@realpreityzinta) April 9, 2025

Priyansh also expressed his joy for applause after his maiden century in the match against CSK and said such performances boost his confidence.

“These things give me a lot of confidence. It’s a great feeling because I’m getting a name among all the legends. Well, I can tell you the first practice game we played…It feels really good. It’s an out-of-the-world feeling. Obviously, scoring a run is a different thing and scoring a hundred is a different thing. So it feels really good.” Priyansh Arya said per a video posted by IPL.

He also spoke about the level of competition.

“I thought that if it was in my slot, I would take that shot. I would back myself. It’s not like I’m going to take a single. Even if the wickets fall, I’ll back myself. I mean, I think I can clear the boundary. It feels really good. There’s a little more pressure here. There’s a crowd. I mean, obviously, every bowler you’re getting internationally who’s been playing for many years, you’re getting legends,” he said.

“It feels good to perform against them. This is what I always learn. I mean, no matter how many times I get out, they don’t say anything to me. They’re always positive. They don’t teach me anything that I can do this. They used to say, if you get the next ball here, hit it out of the ground. So that gives me a lot of confidence. Everything is positive,” he added.