How Did Delhi Cricket Politics Almost Ruin Priyansh Arya’s Career?

Jatin

Priyansh Arya smashed a ton vs CSK [Source: @iplt20.com]Priyansh Arya smashed a ton vs CSK [Source: @iplt20.com]

Just a few months back, Priyansh Arya was Delhi cricket’s next big thing. He smashed six sixes in an over in the Delhi Premier League T20, set social media on fire, and walked away from the IPL 2024 auction with a whopping INR 3.8 crore contract with Punjab Kings.

It looked like his career was on fast-forward. But what happened in the months that followed? A lot. And most of it had nothing to do with cricket and everything to do with the chaos that is Delhi cricket which is notorious for biases, politics and plain old apathy.

Nearly Dropped From Delhi's Squad

In December 2024, just weeks after bagging that big IPL deal on the back of a solid Syed Mushtaq Ali campaign, Arya was almost shown the door before the Vijay Hazare Trophy even started. The reason? A couple of low scores in an U-23 tournament. That is all it took for the selectors to label him “not good enough.”

He was about to check out of the team hotel the night before Delhi’s first match. Luggage packed, confidence shattered. But thankfully, Ishant Sharma and DDCA president Rohan Jaitley stepped in, stopping the madness before it went any further. If not for them, Arya might have been sitting at home while Delhi played on without him.

Delhi’s Old Habits Die Hard

Anyone who follows Delhi cricket knows, talent doesn’t always get a fair run here. That’s Delhi cricket for you: all talk, no backing.

Instead of sulking, Arya reached out. He called former India selector and Delhi coach Devang Gandhi, asking what he could work on when he wasn’t getting picked. Gandhi, who had backed Arya when he was coach last season, still remembered the spark.

“Priyansh doesn’t look like a strong kid but the way he timed the ball was sensational. The best part is he looked comfortable against the pace of Harshit Rana and Mayank Yadav. He had attitude, he wouldn’t take a backward step,” Gandhi told TOI. 

Selectors Said No, Sourav And Ponting Said Yes

Gandhi not only backed him in white-ball formats but even recommended him to Sourav Ganguly for Delhi Capitals. Ganguly and then DC coach Ricky Ponting were impressed too, but couldn’t slot him in.

Fast forward to IPL 2025 auctions, Ponting, now Punjab’s head coach, didn’t think twice. He picked Arya straight up. And suddenly, the guy Delhi nearly benched became one of the hottest young signings of the season.

This isn’t just a one-off story. Delhi cricket’s history of mishandling young talent is well-known. But Arya’s story cuts deeper because he did everything right: delivered on the field, showed maturity and yet almost got thrown under the bus.

If not for a few senior voices stepping in, who knows where Arya would’ve been today? Thankfully, he is now thriving. His recent scintillating hundred vs CSK is proof that talent can’t be buried for long. But make no mistake, Delhi almost messed this up badly.