‘Golden Duck Last Match, Now a Century’: Ricky Ponting Praises Priyansh Arya’s Stunning Comeback in IPL 2025

‘Golden Duck Last Match, Now a Century’: Priyansh Arya's fearless century glowed on Tuesday in Mullanpur as the 24-year-old opener decorated the joint fourth-fastest hundred in IPL history, to propel Punjab Kings to a vital 18-run win over the Chennai Super Kings. But more than the fireworks, it was his attitude that drew the loudest applause - from none other than head coach Ricky Ponting.

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Having scored a duck on the first ball facing in the previous match, Arya bounced back in spectacular fashion with 103 runs scored off 42 balls - an innings featuring nine sixes and seven fours. He turned Punjab from a nervy score of 83 runs for 5 wickets into a daunting 219 runs for 6 wickets-the highest ever at the venue.

Ponting, visibly moved in the post-match huddle at the team's dressing room, heaped praise on Arya for the character he showed. "I've been around a lot of games of cricket. I haven’t seen many better knocks than what I saw tonight," said the former Australian skipper. "You got out first ball last game, and yet the first ball today sails 100 metres over point for six. That says a lot about you and the attitude that we all want to have."

Ponting continued, "Regardless of what happened last game, you stuck to your game. You displayed the attitude to put it back on the bowlers. From the first ball, you did that. Unbelievable knock."

Arya reached his first IPL hundred in the most awesome fashion by clearing Matheesha Pathirana with three consecutive sixes and a four in the same over. He fell trying to clear long-on in the 13th over but having done enough damage to sway the match.

Shashank Singh (52*, 36) and Marco Jansen (34*, 19) compiled an awful day to finish with an unbroken 65-run partnership. In this respect, Ponting did not let the opportunity pass of praising them.

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"To Shashank — smart, calculating. You did what the team needed. That’s what I keep asking: ‘What does my team need from me right now?’ You answered that perfectly," he said.

On Jansen, Ponting added, "Marco, very important runs. You even said at the time-out we could get to 220 — and we got 219! We were 80 for 5, backs to the wall, and look what we did. That’s what good teams do."

So Punjab Kings are now fourth on the table, Arya proving that he is not just a rising star-the quintessential definition of a fearless, die-hard team-first mentality.

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