However, head coach Ricky Ponting gave a big clue ahead of the new season when he said that Delhi left-hander Priyansh Arya might likely bat at the top of the order.
Prabhsimran Singh, the wicketkeeper batsman the Punjab Kings kept before the major auction, will undoubtedly be one of their openers in the 2025 Indian Premier League. But the mystery surrounding Prabhsimran’s opening partner remains.
Some speculate that Marcus Stoinis, who played as an opener for the Melbourne Stars in the Big Bash League (BBL), would be used, while others think Josh Inglis might start at the top of the order.
At the meta-creators event held at the New PCA stadium in New Chandigarh, Ponting stated, “I believe that Priyansh Arya is a very special potential opening batsman for us going forward in the tournament.”
“He’s very exciting, depending on how we proceed with our overseas makeup.”
Prior to the season, Ponting spoke about other young players who had impressed him, saying, “Suryansh Shedge is also someone who has been very impressive in our training so far.” Musheer Khan is another player that I find impressive when it comes to energy and pleasure. He has already contributed significantly to the organisation. So far, I have truly loved working with him on the training pitch and with the team because of his contagious enthusiasm.
Having Priyansh Arya bat first will allow PBKS to bolster their bowling by starting Marco Jansen, who is guaranteed a spot in the starting lineup, alongside either Lockie Ferguson or Xavier Bartlett.
As an alternative, the team might decide to bolster the middle order by adding either Azmatullah Omarzai or Inglis. This would make the middle order look like this: Iyer / Inglis or Omarzai / Stoinis / Maxwell / Shashank Singh, with Suryash Shedge or Nehal Wadhera filling in as the impact player.
Priyansh’s spectacular Delhi Premier League (DPL) season last year, in which he amassed 608 runs at an average of 67.56 and SR of 198.7, catapulted him into the spotlight. At the mega auction, PBKS purchased him for INR 3.80 cr.