Priyansh Arya on Sooryavanshi: 'He takes pressure off you by scoring big'
Synopsis
Priyansh Arya isn't fretting about India's crowded opening lineup — he's learning from it. Ahead of the India A one-day series against Australia A, the Delhi batter revealed how Sooryavanshi's big-hitting eases partner pressure and how Prabhsimran Singh's IPL experience shapes their tactical game-plan ball by ball.
Key Takeaways
Priyansh Arya spoke to reporters in New Delhi ahead of India A 's one-day series against Australia A beginning 7 October 2026 .
Arya and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi put up stands of 75 and 132 runs together in the one-day tri-series in Sri Lanka , helping India A win the final.
Arya credits Prabhsimran Singh — his Punjab Kings IPL partner — as his closest batting ally, praising Singh's bowler-specific game intelligence.
Arya has scored a century against Australia A at India A level and has been among the standout performers in the IPL over the last two seasons.
With Abhishek Sharma , Sooryavanshi and Sanju Samson entrenched in the senior setup, Arya acknowledges his path to an India cap remains competitive.
Priyansh Arya, the Delhi, India A and Punjab Kings opener, has opened up about what it is like to bat alongside emerging stars Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Abhishek Sharma and Prabhsimran Singh as he steadily builds his case for a senior India call-up. Speaking to reporters in New Delhi ahead of India A's opening one-day match against Australia A on Tuesday, 7 October 2026, Arya offered a candid look at the competition, camaraderie and learning that define India's talent-rich batting pipeline.
Life at the Top of the Order with Sooryavanshi
Arya was particularly effusive about sharing the crease with Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, the teenage sensation who has quickly become a fixture in India's white-ball plans. '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,'' Arya said.
The two have already built meaningful partnerships at the A-team level. During the one-day tri-series in Sri Lanka — which also featured Afghanistan A — they combined twice: a 75-run stand against Afghanistan A, and a 132-run partnership in the tri-series final against Sri Lanka A, a contribution that played a decisive role in India A lifting the trophy.
The Special Bond with Prabhsimran Singh
Despite his admiration for Sooryavanshi, Arya reserved his warmest words for Prabhsimran Singh, his Punjab Kings opening partner in the Indian Premier League (IPL). 'I have the best bond with Prabh bhai. He has been playing in the IPL for the last seven or eight years, and is a lot more experienced than me,' Arya said. 'He helps me with every little thing, and tells me what each bowler's strengths are.'
Arya explained that the two have developed a clear, structured game-plan at the top of the order. 'If a left-arm spinner comes on in the powerplay, it's me who targets him; while if an off-spinner comes on, it's him. So we try to communicate with each other as best as possible, and target different bowlers,' he added. The tactical clarity reflects a maturity that belies Arya's relatively limited senior experience.
A Healthy Queue — and a Longer Road to the Senior Team
Arya's candour about the pecking order is equally striking. With Abhishek Sharma, Sooryavanshi and Sanju Samson now regulars at the senior level, the path to an India cap is crowded — even Prabhsimran, a more seasoned campaigner, remains on the fringes despite being named in the squad for the recent Zimbabwe series. 'It's quite chill between all of us because we only focus on performance. The better you perform, the higher you go in the pecking order,' Arya told reporters.
Rather than viewing the competition as a source of anxiety, Arya treats his peers as a collective resource. 'I've batted with Prabhsimran, Abhishek and Vaibhav, and have learnt something from each of them. 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,' he said.
India A vs Australia A: The Immediate Test
Arya's most pressing opportunity comes in the one-day series against Australia A, which begins this week. He has prior form at this level — most notably a century against Australia A last year — and the series represents another audition before selectors. His strongest format remains T20, where he has set the IPL alight across the last two seasons, but the A-team one-day platform gives him a chance to demonstrate the range that could accelerate his senior selection.
With India's batting depth producing fierce internal competition, Arya's progress will be watched closely — by selectors and rivals alike.
Point of View
But the structural reality is stark: India has arguably the world's deepest T20 opening pool right now, and even a century-scorer at A-level can wait years for a senior cap. What is notable is how this generation of openers treats competition as a shared learning lab rather than a zero-sum race — a cultural shift in Indian cricket that the national selectors have quietly engineered. The bigger question is whether the A-team pipeline converts this talent density into senior readiness fast enough, or whether frustration eventually disperses players before they get their chance.
NationPress
6 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Priyansh Arya say about batting with Vaibhav Sooryavanshi?
Priyansh Arya said that batting with Vaibhav Sooryavanshi takes pressure off his partner because Sooryavanshi scores big runs and forces the opposition into defensive bowling. Arya described watching Sooryavanshi bat from the non-striker's end as a joy, adding that he simply encourages him to keep hitting when he is in form.
How have Priyansh Arya and Sooryavanshi performed together at India A level?
The two have put up two notable stands during the one-day tri-series in Sri Lanka — a 75-run partnership against Afghanistan A and a 132-run stand in the tri-series final against Sri Lanka A, which India A won. Both innings underlined their potential as a potent opening combination.
Who does Priyansh Arya share the closest bond with among his opening partners?
Arya says his strongest bond is with Prabhsimran Singh, his Punjab Kings IPL partner. He credits Singh's seven-to-eight years of IPL experience for helping him understand bowlers' strengths and develop a structured powerplay game-plan where each opener targets different bowler types.
What is Priyansh Arya's current standing in India's batting pecking order?
Arya is yet to make his senior India debut and describes his path as a longer one, given that Abhishek Sharma, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, and Sanju Samson are now regulars in the senior team. Even his Punjab Kings partner Prabhsimran Singh remains on the fringes despite recent squad inclusions. Arya is focusing on performing for India A, including in the one-day series against Australia A.
What is India A's one-day series against Australia A in October 2026?
India A's one-day series against Australia A begins on 7 October 2026 in New Delhi and provides a key audition for fringe players aiming to break into the senior setup. Priyansh Arya, who scored a century against Australia A last year, is one of the players to watch in the series.
