Bollywood actress and Punjab Kings co-owner, Preity Zinta, was in absolute awe of Priyansh Arya's performance in the match against Chennai Super Kings in Chandigarh on Tuesday. The youngster had smashed the second-fastest century by an Indian as Punjab beat Chennai by 18 runs.
Opting to bat first at home, Punjab rode on Arya's blazing knock to score 219 for six in 20 overs. Showing no mercy to any of the bowlers, Arya clobbered seven fours and nine sixes to notch up his maiden IPL ton, en route to scoring 103 off 42. In reply, Chennai once again faltered in the powerplay, and despite effort from the middle-order, with Shivam Dube leading the charge, the visitors fell 18 runs short.
A day after the match, Zinta took to social media to share a lengthy post on the win and his interaction with Arya in Chandigarh following the victory.
“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.”
“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 wrote.
{{/usCountry}}“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 wrote.
{{/usCountry}}Who will Punjab face next?
After the win against Chennai, Punjab will travel south to take on Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on Saturday, before returning home to host defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders pm April 15.
With three wins in four games, Punjab currently stand fourth in the points table.