Mullanpur: A blistering century by Priyansh Arya and a composed half-century from Shashank Singh powered Punjab Kings to a commanding 18-run win over Chennai Super Kings in their IPL 2025 encounter on Tuesday. Despite a late flourish from the ever-reliable MS Dhoni, Chennai fell short in their chase of Punjab’s mammoth 219/6, slumping to their fourth successive defeat after winning their opening game.

The hero of the day was 21-year-old Priyansh Arya, who stunned the Chennai bowling attack with a sensational 103 off just 39 balls. His knock, the fourth-fastest century in IPL history, laid the foundation for Punjab’s dominant total. Arya, playing in his debut season, showcased fearless batting, smashing boundaries with confidence and composure.

“It’s out of this world,” Arya said after being named Player of the Match. “Shreyas bhaiya told me to bat with intent, and that helped me back myself. I just wanted to play my natural game.”

Punjab skipper Shreyas Iyer praised Arya’s mindset and execution, saying, “This is the template we want — free-flowing, fearless cricket. Priyansh’s knock was one of the best I’ve seen in the IPL.”

Chennai’s fielding woes continued, with several dropped catches proving costly. Captain Ruturaj Gaikwad acknowledged the issue, stating, “Dropped catches have hurt us in all four games. Every time we miss one, the batter adds 20-30 crucial runs.”

Despite early wickets, Chennai’s chase remained alive, thanks to solid contributions at the top and a late blitz from Dhoni. However, tight death bowling and smart tactics from Punjab saw them over the line.

“We were two or three hits away,” Gaikwad reflected. “But we take positives — improved batting and a strong powerplay. Just need to sharpen our fielding.”

With this win, Punjab Kings appear to have found a potent formula, while Chennai will need to regroup quickly to avoid slipping further down the table.