Former India greats Sunil Gavaskar and Cheteshwar Pujara have lauded the fearless approach shown by young batters Ayush Mhatre and Priyansh Arya, highlighting how the new generation is redefining T20 batting with a focus on the present rather than past setbacks. Priyansh Arya set the tone for Punjab Kings’ daunting chase of 210 against Chennai Super Kings with a blistering start after being introduced as a substitute. From the outset, he took the attack to the bowlers, driving Khaleel Ahmed for a crisp boundary before launching him over midwicket for six. Despite some movement on offer, Khaleel conceded 14 runs in the opening over. Arya’s assault only intensified in the next over, as he went after Matt Henry with a sequence of 4, 6 and 4, racing to 25 off just six balls. By the time Punjab reached 50 in a staggering 3.2 overs, Arya had already smashed 27 off eight deliveries. His 39 off 11 balls, struck at a remarkable strike rate of 355, exemplified the modern T20 blueprint — maximise the PowerPlay and seize control early. Pujara was particularly impressed with Arya’s ability to read the game quickly and punish even the slightest errors. “Priyansh Arya is picking the length very early. On that pitch, whenever the ball was slightly short, he didn’t miss out and often hit it for six. We saw that against bowlers like Matt Henry and Khaleel Ahmed, he is not missing the fuller deliveries either, which means the margin for error for bowlers becomes very small. He is strong on the leg side but also comfortable on the off side, and that makes him a very difficult batter to bowl to,” Cheteshwar Pujara told ‘JioStar’. While Punjab’s batting firepower stood out, Gavaskar pointed to Chennai Super Kings’ bowling as a growing concern. “From what we’ve seen so far, CSK’s biggest concern for the rest of the tournament will be their bowling. It means they may have to consistently score around 225–230 to give their bowlers a chance. Most teams now have significant batting depth, like we saw with Punjab Kings where Marcus Stoinis came in at No. 7 and struck the ball cleanly with proper cricketing shots. With many sides batting deep, Chennai will need to get their bowling in order.” For Chennai, it was young Ayush Mhatre who provided the foundation with a fluent 73 off 43 balls, showcasing both composure and attacking intent. Reflecting on his role and temperament, Gavaskar backed him to thrive higher up the order while praising his mindset. “I believe Number 3 is a good position for Ayush Mhatre. He has batted lower down the order in the Under-19 setup, but three could suit him well. He was dismissed first ball in the previous game but showed no signs of being affected by it. That’s the beauty of the ‘Gen Next’ mindset, they don’t dwell too much on the past and focus on the present. It’s a fantastic attitude.” Together, Arya and Mhatre’s performances, coupled with the praise from two of India’s most respected voices, underline a clear shift in approach among young batters — fearless, instinctive and unburdened by past failures.
