Prabhsimran and Arya, more than just a bold experiment

Two uncapped Indians walking out to open an IPL innings is usually the result of an emergency - injuries, loss of form, last-minute reshuffles. In IPL 2025, no team has dared to begin an innings with two uncapped openers. By choice. No team, except Punjab Kings (PBKS). In Ricky Ponting's watch, it's no contingency plan, but their statement of intent. PBKS have placed their trust in Prabhsimran Singh, a retained player, and Priyansh Arya, an IPL debutant, to kickstart their batting and the results are there to see.

In their ninth outing together on Saturday, the two hammered 120 runs in just 11.5 overs in the washed-out game against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), setting the platform for a big total. Although PBKS' innings lost some momentum towards the end to finish at 201 for 4, the openers had already delivered a blockbuster performance.

This was their highest stand yet, and while it carried their trademark boldness, it also revealed a growing maturity. Arya, typically aggressive from ball one, showed restraint up top, refusing to go aerial in the first four overs against the KKR quicks. Prabhsimran, too, kept his instincts in check early on, allowing Arya to set the tempo with his drives through the off side. The openers had a clear plan to absorb the early pressure and then launch. Their attacking shot percentage in the first ten overs, typically close to 50%, dropped to just 38.33% on Saturday. Against spin, the discipline was even sharper: only four attacking shots across the first 24 balls.

But when the moment came, they shifted gears. Their use of the reverse sweep and the switch hit, especially Prabhsimran's, showed readiness to take risks when the opportunity arose. By the time their stand ended, their average partnership run rate stood at 10.69 - second only to Travishek (10.89) this season for pairs to have faced more than 50 balls.

Arya did most of his early scoring against pace, smashing 50 off just 20 balls, while playing more conservatively against spin (19 off 15). His best shots were drives between mid-off and point. Prabhsimran, in contrast, was 34 off 32 at one stage before exploding. Over his next 16 balls he plundered 49 runs, particularly targeting the KKR spinners. His confident use of the switch hit helped him smash 41 off 22 balls against spin and dismantle Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy after both had produced tidy spells. The PBKS openers complemented each other beautifully, not relying on brute force for a change. Arya finished with 69 in 35 balls, while Prabhsimran piled up 83 in 49.

"The wicket tonight was slow and Ricky sir told us that we can rotate strikes after the first six overs and go deep this time," Arya told the broadcaster after the innings. "His backing and positive words have given me confidence."

Anil Kumble, on ESPNcricinfo's Time Out, praised Arya's timing in particular. "The way Priyansh was hitting the ball, it was just pinging off the bat. It seemed like he was tapping it, but the fielders were just left looking at each other."

While Arya has been fast-tracked for his audacity and unpredictability against unfamiliar attacks, Prabhsimran has had to bide his time to finally make a mark.

Picked up by PBKS as a 18-year-old under Mike Hesson in 2019, Prabhsimran has survived multiple regime changes - from Hesson to Kumble (2020-22) to Trevor Bayliss (2023-24), and now Ponting - convincing each coach even as auctions offered the temptation to look elsewhere. Having played just six IPL games between 2019 and 2022 as an understudy to Chris Gayle, KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal, it was only during IPL 2023 that Prabhsimran finally got a proper go. Once he did, he produced two solid seasons: 358 runs in 2023 and 334 runs in 2024. Add the 292 runs this season with a strike rate (168.78) he has not had in an IPL season before. He is now among the top five openers when it comes to best strike rates across the last three IPL seasons.

"When Prabh gets bogged down, he looks to go after the bowling, step out and go down, but tonight he didn't do any of that," Kumble said. "He's always had the potential. When I was there, I thought he is someone I should play because he was so good in the open nets.

"And he's done well in domestic cricket, too. It's not just the IPL; he's been consistent for Punjab [in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy] as well, and being with one IPL team consistently has helped him."

The Prabhsimran-Arya partnership has also ensured PBKS are serious contenders for the playoffs this season. Not much has come off the bats of Josh Inglis, Glenn Maxwell or Marcus Stoinis, and Shreyas Iyer's home form has been woeful, averaging just 6.25 in four innings. Coming into this game, their middle order (Nos. 4 to 7) had the third-poorest batting average in IPL 2025, and on Saturday their Nos. 3 to 6 contributed only 46 off 37 balls. Despite being among the two least experienced batters in the top six, it's been the openers who have been holding fort and setting up games.

Nine matches in, Prabhsimran and Arya are now more than just a bold experiment. They are proof that backing potential over reputation can pay off. Their growing understanding - of their own and each other's games - has given PBKS the kind of foundation most teams have taken more than half a season to find (and some are still searching for it). There will be tougher tests ahead, but Saturday night showed these two aren't just swinging for the fences. They are laying the groundwork for something much bigger.